A user interface is provided whereby a user may generate a virtual target area representative of an actual target area, regardless of whether the actual target area has been constructed. Having a generated virtual target area, the user—via the user interface—may generate virtual representations of light to project onto the virtual target area. The virtual representations of light correspond to photometric data from actual light sources. In this manner, the user renders a real-time image representative of what an actual target area would look like illuminated with an actual lighting system. This, in essence, permits a user to evaluate the effectiveness of a lighting system in real time without committing to the purchase of a lighting system.