Free Online IES Photometric Viewer (No Signup)
Also opens DWG, DXF, STEP, IGES, IFC, SKP, STL, OBJ, GLB, FBX, 3DM and other 3D/CAD files. Drop any file on the viewer.
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Also from Innerscene: Circadian Lab, a free lighting calculator for room illuminance, melanopic EML, and glare.
What Is an IES Photometric File?
IES files are the standard way lighting manufacturers publish photometry in North America. The format, IESNA LM-63, is plain text: a few keyword lines ([MANUFAC], [LUMCAT], [LUMINAIRE], [LAMP]), a TILT line, the luminaire’s lumens, input watts and luminous opening, then a table of candela values measured on a goniophotometer at each vertical and horizontal angle.
This viewer turns that table into the photometric web (the candela solid): every direction is drawn at a distance proportional to its intensity and coloured from blue (dim) to white (peak), so the beam shape reads at a glance. The C0-C180 and C90-C270 polar curves are drawn as lines through it, the luminaire outline sits at the centre from the dimensions the file states, and the status line gives the lumens, the peak candela, the beam and field angles, the wattage and efficacy, and the lamp and manufacturer. One click on Open in IES Viewer takes the same file to the IES Viewer for the polar plot, the isofootcandle plan and the zonal lumen table.
Who Uses IES Photometric Files?
Lighting designers comparing fixtures before a layout; architects and interior designers checking a specified fixture’s beam; manufacturers’ sales teams and agents showing a distribution to a client; electrical engineers reviewing submittals; and 3D artists who want a luminaire’s light shape as a model for a render.
Common Use Cases
- See the shape of a luminaire’s beam in 3D before specifying it
- Check lumens, peak candela, beam angle and wattage from a manufacturer’s .ies
- Compare the C0-C180 and C90-C270 distributions of an asymmetric fixture
- Export the photometric web as GLB, OBJ, STL or USDZ for a render, a print or AR
- Send a colleague a link or a self-contained HTML page with the 3D web in it
Features
3D Photometric Web
The candela distribution drawn as a solid you can orbit, each direction at a distance proportional to its intensity.
Coloured by Intensity
Blue for the dimmest directions through yellow to white at the peak, so the beam reads at a glance.
Polar Curves in 3D
The C0-C180 and C90-C270 curves drawn as lines through the web, the classic polar diagram in space.
Luminaire Outline
A box or disc of the luminous opening at the centre, from the width, length and height the file states.
Numbers on the Status Line
Lumens, peak candela, beam and field angle, watts and lm/W, lamp and manufacturer, read from the file.
Every LM-63 Revision
LM-63-1986 through 2019, with axial, quadrant, bilateral and full symmetry, Type C and Type B photometry.
Open in the IES Viewer
One click hands the file to the IES Viewer for the polar plot, the isofootcandle plan and the zonal lumen table.
Export the Web
Save the photometric web as GLB, OBJ, STL, USDZ, a self-contained HTML page or an image.
Nothing Is Uploaded
The file is read entirely in your browser. No account, no upload, no copy on a server.
Share and Embed
Send a link that opens the 3D web in any browser, or drop the viewer into your own page with one iframe.
Compatibility & Format Notes
Reads every LM-63 revision (1986, 1991, 1995, 2002 and 2019) and every symmetry the format allows: axially symmetric, quadrant, bilateral and full. Type C photometry (downlights, troffers, most interior fixtures) is drawn with nadir pointing down; Type B floodlight files are drawn with the aiming direction pointing down and are labelled Type B. A file with absolute photometry (lumens given as -1) is marked on the status line and its lumens are integrated from the candela. Files are identified by their contents, so a renamed .ies still opens. A file whose candela table is missing or cut short gets a notice asking for a fresh copy. EULUMDAT files open too, on the LDT viewer page.
Embed on Your Website
Add this viewer to your own site with a single line of HTML. Click Embed in the toolbar to generate an embed code, or use the snippet below with your own file URL.
Your Files Stay on Your Computer
Your IES Photometric files are parsed entirely in your browser. Nothing is uploaded, stored, or shared unless you explicitly click the Share button. Shared files are hosted for 90 days then deleted.
Frequently Asked Questions
▶What does the 3D photometric web show?
Every direction the luminaire sends light, drawn at a distance proportional to the candela in that direction. The widest point is the peak intensity. Colour runs from blue for the dimmest directions to white at the peak, and the two coloured lines are the C0-C180 and C90-C270 polar curves, the same curves a printed photometric report shows.
▶Which numbers does the viewer read out of the file?
The status line gives the lumens, the peak candela, the beam angle (50% of peak) and field angle (10% of peak), the input watts and lm/W, and the lamp and manufacturer from the file’s keywords. For the zonal lumen table, the polar plot and an isofootcandle plan, click Open in IES Viewer.
▶Why is the web bigger than the luminaire?
The web is a diagram of intensity drawn around the luminaire. Its peak is drawn at 1 metre, or at three times the luminaire’s largest dimension for a long linear fixture, so the outline of the luminaire stays readable at the centre.
▶Can I use the web in a rendering or a presentation?
Yes. Export it as GLB, OBJ, STL or USDZ and it keeps its shape and real-world scale in metres; GLB and USDZ keep the intensity colours too. A self-contained HTML export opens the 3D web in any browser, offline.
▶Is this IES viewer really free?
Yes, completely free. No signup, no watermarks, no file size limits on the viewer (the optional share-link feature has a 100 MB upload cap). Built by Innerscene as a tool for architects, engineers, and designers.
▶Are my files uploaded to a server?
No. All parsing, rendering, and conversion runs in your browser — nothing is uploaded, stored, or transmitted by default. The Share button is the only feature that uploads a file, and only when you explicitly click it.
▶Can I convert to another format?
Yes. The photometric web is a 3D mesh, so the Export menu offers GLB, OBJ, STL, PLY, USDZ, 3MF, VRML, STEP, DXF and 3DM, a self-contained HTML page, PDF and PNG or JPG images of the view. The viewer does not write .ies files.
▶Can I embed this viewer on my own site?
Yes. Click Embed in the toolbar to generate a one-line <iframe> snippet you can paste into any HTML page. You can choose whether the embed shows the viewer’s toolbar.