Free tool for anyone designing windows
Divided Lite Glass Calculator
Lay out simulated divided lites (SDL) in minutes. Pick a grid pattern, set up your window and get every lite size, the glass size and a bar cut list, free.
Brought to you by LiveVue Technologies · www.livevue.tech
27 standard patterns: Rectangular, Prairie, Cottage, Oriel, Checkrail, Victorian, Trellis, Simulated Rail and Diamond grids.
Your frame or ours: Start from an Optvue Infinity SL or EL Series window with your sill type, or enter your own frame, gap and sash on every side. Set the glass rebate and perimeter spacer.
Shop-ready results: A to-scale elevation, daylight opening, glass and lite sizes, bar positions and cut list in inches or mm. Print, protected PDF or Excel.
Divided lite questions
What is a divided lite calculator?
A divided lite calculator lays out a window grid. You pick a pattern, enter the window and frame sizes, and it returns the size of every lite (pane), the glass size, the bar positions and a bar cut list. The Optvue Divided Lite Glass Calculator at optvue.com/sdl is free for anyone designing windows.
What is a simulated divided lite (SDL)?
An SDL window uses one insulated glass unit with grid bars bonded to the exterior and interior glass faces, usually with a spacer (shadow) bar between the panes lined up with the bars, so it looks like individual panes while keeping the efficiency of one sealed unit.
What is the difference between SDL, TDL and GBG?
True divided lites (TDL) are separate pieces of glass held by muntins. Simulated divided lites (SDL) put bars on both glass faces of one insulated unit. Grilles between the glass (GBG) sit only inside the airspace, so the glass faces stay flat.
How do you calculate divided lite sizes?
Start from the daylight opening. Lite width = (daylight opening width - number of vertical bars x bar width) / lites wide. Lite height = (daylight opening height - number of horizontal bars x bar width) / lites high. Example: a 36 in x 48 in daylight opening, 3 lites wide by 4 high with 7/8 in bars gives lites 11.417 in wide by 11.344 in high. Prairie, trellis and Victorian patterns use a fixed border lite size and the center lites take the rest.
Where are the SDL bar locations measured from?
Bar centerlines are given from the left and top edge of the glass and from the left and top edge of the daylight opening, so they can be laid out on the glass or checked on the finished window.
Can I use the divided lite calculator with my own window frame?
Yes. Choose Custom window and enter the frame width, frame-to-sash gap and sash width on every side. Check Fixed glass for a picture window with no sash. The glass rebate and perimeter spacer can be set for any window, including the Optvue SL and EL Series.
Can the calculator lay out diamond grids?
Yes. The Diamond, Diamond Center, Diamond Cottage and Diamond Prairie patterns draw diagonal SDL bars and give every diamond and triangle lite size point to point, plus each diagonal bar's angle, centerline length, long point cut length and end points on the glass.
Can I change the glass rebate and perimeter spacer?
Yes. The glass rebate (how far the glass edge sits past the daylight opening) and the perimeter spacer width can be set for any window. The glass size and the spacer bar lengths follow them, and the calculator warns you if the spacer would show inside the daylight opening.
Is the divided lite calculator free?
Yes. It is free with no login, no download and no sign-up, for window dealers, architects, designers, fabricators, glass shops and homeowners. It runs in any web browser and is best on a desktop or tablet.
Optvue dealer? Read how dealers use the divided lite calculator.
Want this window built?
Optvue builds pass-through, gas strut and motorized windows with divided lites. Configure your window and get a quote in minutes, or design one in the LiveVue Window Designer.
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The Divided Lite Glass Calculator is brought to you by LiveVue Technologies (www.livevue.tech).