AGI-dos FAQ

AGI-Dos FAQ

Q: Will AGI-Dos run in a Windows environment? Which version of Windows is best?

A: AGI-Dos runs fine in any version of Windows. Early versions of Windows (3.1, 3.11) require a PIF file be created. Instructions for PIF creation can be found in the AGI-Dos manual. Later version of Windows (95,98,NT) are best suited to run AGI-Dos from a shortcut. The default shortcut properties are fine when using Win 95 & 98, however, Win NT require XMS memory property to be set at "Auto". Download complete shortcut instructions if you need help (Adobe Acrobat format, reader required).

Q: Does AGI have any 'transparent' commands?

A: A transparent command can be invoked while the program is in the middle of another command. For example: the most popular transparent command is the SNAP command when activated by the F2 key on your keyboard. By pressing F2 the cursor Snap can be adjusted while you are shaping a plane of calculation points or creating a room. Other transparent commands are;
Zoom in (4x about screen center) - press the Home key on your keyboard.
Zoom out (4x about screen center) - press the End key on your keyboard.
Pan (2/3 screen) - left & right arrow keys, PageUp and PageDn keys.

Q: What are the most common Photometric errors?
A: While you shouldn't encounter these errors often, the IES format has been noticeably vague in some areas prior to the 1995 version of LM-63. The most common errors you may encounter when defining photometric files in AGI are as follows. Both are easily fixed using either Photometric Toolbox or the discontinued LAIphoto program.

Errors 7 & 14 - these errors denote an incomplete test exploration in a type B photometric report (floodlights). Generally, the problem report will not display candela data for horizontal or vertical angles past 10% of the maximum candela value. The report will then begin with horizontal or vertical angles somewhere between -90 and 0. AGI requires the entire exploration be represented.

Error 18 - this error reports that the candela value at nadir (0 deg vertical) is not the same for every horizontal angle (type C photometry). This problem can also be easily fixed with an editor by simply averaging all the nadir values.
Error 1 - this error is usually due to an excessive number of descriptive lines in the photometric file. AGI-dos version before 2.92 will tolerate up to 14 descriptive lines (all lines before the "TILT=" line). Version 2.92 and later can use up to 24 descriptive lines. You can delete some of the descriptive lines and save the file as another name using any text editor.

Q: How do I install a manufacturers IES files?

A: By definition all IES format photometric files are simple ASCII text files. Each file represents a photometric report for a single luminaire. Generally, many manufacturers will produce a diskette(s) containing all the photometric files in a system of directories on the diskette, usually uncompressed. In this case you can copy directly the files of interest to any directory on your hard disk. For ease of future update it is best to use the manufacturer's system of directory names.

You may also encounter compressed files, usually compressed with the industry standard PKZIP shareware program. These compressed files (called archives) contain many individual files and save substantially on disk space. If the extension on the file is ZIP you will need the PKZIP program to unzip the archive. More likely, the file extension will be EXE in which case the archives are 'self-extracting' and you don't need PKZIP. You need only copy the EXE file to a directory on your hard disk and double click on it (Windows) or type the file name (DOS).

Some manufacturers databases will have an installation procedure. This procedure usually sets up a system of directories on your hard disk and subsequently copies the files. By all means use it as updating will be much easier if you accept the manufacturers default directory names.

Q: Can AGI read AutoCAD *.DWG files?

A: No. Any CAD created files must be in DXF format. The DWG format is proprietary to AutoDesk and is licensed via a royalty arrangement. If you are given a DWG file you have little recourse without either going back to the source and asking for a DXF or obtaining a program capable of conversion*. Most CAD programs including the cheap ones can read a DWG and export DXF.
* Visit www.opendwg.org for a free DWG to DXF conversion utility.

Q: Can I change AGI's display of illuminance values to show something other than 2 places beyond the decimal point?

A: Yes. Use the Edit:System command and change the system variable XDECIMALS. The default setting is 2 (2 places behind the decimal). You can change this to 1 or even zero to display whole numbers. This can be done while working on a project file with the results displayed immediately. You can also place a '+' sign in front of the setting to add a + marker to mark the exact location of the point of calculation (i.e. +1).

Q: How does AGI consider 'Arm length' for pole mounted luminaires?

A: When a luminaire is placed in AGI you are placing the light center. Thus, all coordinate values (X,Y) reference the light center of the luminaire. Don't be confused by the luminaire symbols; symbols for outdoor luminaires such as RD1 are placed in AGI with the cursor attached to the pole arm on the symbol. However, since the symbol is scaled (LumAdd:Define - Symbol Size) the actual symbol representation has little bearing on the actual light center.

Q: Can I 'uninstall' AGI and install on another computer?

A: Yes. If you uninstall the program you will not need a new installation key when reinstalling on the other computer. Here's how it works:

1. Insert the AGI master diskette into the A or B drive and make A or B the current prompt (i.e. A:\>).

2. Enter the following command: IRS 1 UNINSTALL-C:\AGI (where C:\AGI is the directory AGI is in)

3. All files in C:\AGI will be deleted, files in other subdirectories will remain unaffected (i.e. \AGI\DWGS). A message will be displayed asking if you still want to uninstall the program.

4. Once the uninstall process is complete, install the program from the master as usual. No installation key will be required provided these instructions are followed explicitly.