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CIE 171:2006

Introduction#

CIE 171:2006, Test Cases to Assess the Accuracy of Lighting Computer Programs , is a standardised benchmark suite published by the International Commission on Illumination (CIE). Developed by CIE Technical Committee 3-33, the report provides a suite of test cases, each isolating a specific aspect of light propagation, against which simulation software can be validated using analytically derived reference values rather than comparisons with other software.

The full standard covers a broad range of lighting simulation aspects including direct illuminance from point sources, luminaire photometry, inter-reflections between diffuse surfaces, the influence of internal obstructions, and daylight factor calculations under standardised sky conditions.

Known Errata#

Although CIE 171:2006 is an accepted standard for validating lighting software, the document contains a number of known errors. The CIE has not published official errata, but an independent analysis by Ian Ashdown (Lighting Analysts Inc.), one of the original 24 members of CIE Technical Committee 3-33 that authored the report, has documented these errors in detail.

  1. CIE 171:2006. Test Cases for Assessment of Accuracy of Lighting Computer Programs
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  2. Ashdown. (2016). CIE 171:2006 — Errata Lighting Analysts Inc
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