With that insight in mind, Autodesk has announced two major additions to Revit 2016, Solar Analysis for Revit (SAR) and Lighting Analysis for Revit (LAR).
According to Autodesk, its new SAR package will be capable of “iteratively perform[ing] solar analysis on the faces of a mass in Autodesk Revit.” Architects will be able to use SAR data analysis to plan the ideal placement of photovoltaic arrays, devise structural shading plans, balance the solar radiation heating a structure and place windows in the most appropriate positions.
Though SAR is only being released as a technology preview, the introduction of the tool is proof that Autodesk is serious about transforming its BIM tool into an end-to-end design solution for architects.
Compounding that notion, Autodesk has also made a full product release of its LAR module. With LAR, users will have the ability to render scenes that realistically simulate the way visible light interacts with an interior environment. In addition to visualization, LAR is also optimized for LEED daylighting, making it easy for architects to adjust their designs to maximize LEED credits. To ensure that these computationally expensive LAR calculations can be executed efficiently, Autodesk’s LAR module leverages A360 rendering, making it an efficient tool no matter how many material properties or reflections have to be calculated in a scene.
At present, the SAR module is a completely free addition to Revit, and LAR falls under a freemium license agreement. LAR does offer lower resolution simulations, which can be rendered free of charge, making iterative simulation cost effective. When final, high resolution simulations are required, Autodesk Cloud Credits can be purchased and used to churn through the data.