In a few weeks DIALux evo 12 will be released. With that we are starting to support the new luminaire and sensor data format GLDF. GLDF stands for "Global Lighting Data Format". This is not a new photometric format - there are already enough of these - but an XML structure that fully describes luminaires and sensors in the BIM process.

 GLDF was developed by us to allow lighting designers to serve all their software products with a single product file. So you no longer need product data in different file formats (e.g. ULD, IFC, RFA, DWG...), but only GLDF.

 The format is structured in such a way that it can include information on lighting technology, mechanics (3D model), electrical engineering, marketing, sensors, etc. We developed GLDF with the future in mind, so it is expandable: this ensures that new technologies and innovations can be integrated to keep pace with the ever-evolving needs of the lighting industry.

 The GLDF is undoubtedly a groundbreaking development for the lighting industry. You no longer have to worry about finding different levels of information or versions of a product in different files. The benefits of interoperability (communication between software programs), flexibility, efficient data processing and extensibility make it an extremely powerful tool for lighting designers, engineers, architects and manufacturers. The introduction of GLDF will change the way luminaire data is created, shared and used, leading to a new era of interoperability and collaboration in the lighting industry.

 Luminaire or sensor manufacturers will have the enormous advantage of no longer having to create different data sets for different software platforms. All information for all programs can be stored in GLDF, independent of the platform, of course. This saves time and costs.

The GLDF can also be signed and verified. This ensures that product information is protected against data theft and forgery. The manufacturer does not have to fear that his data will be misused by a competitor. You, as the planner, can tell if the file is the same as the original or if someone has altered it.

GLDF is open source, which means that anyone can develop other applications to use GLDF and bring them to the market. The use of GLDF is free of charge.  Instructions for creating GLDF as well as tools for creating individual GLDF files and 3D models are already available at www.GLDF.io.