Online IES file viewer
Online IES File Viewer
An IES file viewer lets you open a luminaire’s photometric data — its light distribution, lumens, and wattage — in your browser, with no desktop software. Lighting Studio reads your IES files and goes further: it turns that data into indoor, outdoor, and wall-mount layouts with heatmaps and point-by-point footcandle estimates.
What is an IES file?
An IES file (.ies) is a standardized text file, defined by the Illuminating Engineering Society, that describes how a single luminaire emits light — its candela (intensity) distribution, total lumen output, and input wattage. Manufacturers publish an IES file for each fixture so its real-world light output can be predicted in a space.
What you can see
Lighting Studio reads the measured photometric data straight from each .ies file you load from your catalog:
- Total lumen output and input wattage
- The candela distribution — how the fixture throws light
- How that fixture spreads light across a room, site, or wall surface
From viewer to layout — the part most viewers skip
Most online IES viewers stop at showing the raw distribution curve. Lighting Studio uses the same data to build a working layout: enter a room, site, or wall and a target light level, and it suggests a preliminary fixture spacing with a heatmap and point-by-point footcandle estimates you can walk a customer through.
Results are preliminary estimates that depend on the products, data, inputs, and assumptions you provide — they are not a final or certified design. For stamped documents or compliance work, a qualified lighting professional is required.
Who uses it
- Lighting manufacturers — turn a fixture catalog into an interactive sales tool
- Rep agencies — answer customer coverage questions without waiting on engineering
- Distributor sales teams — produce quick first-pass layouts that support quotes
Frequently asked questions
Can I view an IES file online for free?
Yes — start a free 7-day trial (no credit card) and load fixtures from your own catalog right in the browser, with no desktop photometric software to install.
What can I do with an IES file besides view it?
Beyond inspecting distribution, lumens, and wattage, Lighting Studio turns the IES data into first-pass indoor, outdoor, and wall-mount layouts with heatmaps, footcandle estimates, fixture counts, and a branded PDF report.
Do I upload my own IES files?
Yes. You load fixtures from your own catalog, and every calculation uses the measured distribution data directly from each file.
Related
Turn your IES files into layouts.
Load your catalog and build a first-pass layout in the browser — no CAD, no install. Free 7-day trial, no credit card.