This section covers tools you can use to speed and ease data management tasks.
Loading data from templates
DesignBuilder Templates are collections of data that are useful for quickly loading data en masse into the model. They can be especially useful if you frequently model similar types of building or if you often wish to model a particular HVAC or lighting system for example. Create the template once and load it multiple times!
Each template contains sufficient data to load the complete set of data displayed under each of the Activity, Construction, Opening, Lighting and HVAC tabs. New
templates made up of different sets of data can be created by using the copy or add and edit tools when in the templates tab on the opening screen. These data sets can then be loaded into the model from the new templates.
Templates can be created:
with a model open, in which case the templates are stored with the model, or
on the opening screen, in which case the templates are stored in the DesignBuilder Library.
You can copy templates and components from one project to another and to/from the Library using the Import/Export library data commands accessed from the File menu. Export transfers the data to a .DDF file and Import allows a previously created DDF file to be loaded.
Templates do not form part of the model even if they are stored in the model so an edit to a template will not affect simulation results until the template is loaded to the model.
Example – Load data from template
In this example you will complete the Atrium example base model started in Exercise 15 and learn how to use the Load data from template function.
Go to the Building level and Clear all data to default using
Use the Load data from template tool and on the Load data tab select the data to be loaded. The dialog should be as shown below.
On the Target tab Set the target which is the building only. This will have been selected as the default target for you (because you are at building level in the model).
Clicking OK loads the templates displayed to the parts of the building selected. The templates and the information in them are shown in red in the model data at the level in which they are loaded, but in blue at any lower level.
Then load the templates for the atrium:
In larger models this process is a convenient way to load templates to parts of the building having similar building attributes.
The same effect could have been achieved by going to the atrium zone and loading the template options at the top of the respective tabs. The most efficient targeting strategy for loading the data varies from building to building. In small models you may find it easier to use the template in the Model data tabs but in large buildings with many zones the Load data from template function can be an efficient way to load the templates for multiple zones of the same attributes in one go. This works best if you label the zones in the Navigator with a name that recalls the activity. For example
„Store small‟ would be more useful than „Small room‟.
Reload data
Use the reload option to reload all hard-set templates (i.e. template selections shown in red). This will remove all red bold data where template defaults have been
overridden.
Clear data
Is important to understand the concept of „clearing data‟ in DesignBuilder because it is the mechanism by which previously hard-set user is cleared and the data instead is inherited from the level above in the hierarchy. This function is accessed from the Clear Data to Default dialog, which allows you to:
Clear Model data removes any hard set user data (shown in red) from the
You can control the extent of the clearance by setting the Clear Down to data at the bottom. Leave this data as 'Opening level' if you want all data in the currently selected model object (including child objects) to be returned to a default state. Depending on the data to be cleared you may only be able to clear down to zone or surface level.
You can clear individual items of model data by right clicking on them and selecting Clear to default from the menu.
When used at building level the clear model data function actually clears all levels below the building level – it is not allowed the clear the building data itself because this is the top of the inheritance hierarchy and there is nothing else to inherit from.
Export and Import Components and Templates
You can export component and templates in DDF form and these can subsequently be:
Imported into other projects,
Loaded into the DesignBuilder library and also
Loaded onto other computers, shared with colleagues etc.
This example takes you through the stages in the process.
Create a new project using the Default 20x10 Single Zone model template.
Go to the building level and the Constructions tabs. Click on External wall to load the Data management panel on the right of the screen.
Create a new external wall construction by clicking on the + Add new item toolbar icon. The new wall is to use a single layer of a new material which we will also define now.
In the materials dialog create the new material, looking something like:
Click OK to create the material NEW MATERIAL.
Then back in the Construction dialog, click the Tick icon to select the new material.
Click OK to save the new construction.
Select the NEW CONSTRUCTION as the building level External wall construction.
You have now created a new project construction component called NEW CONSTRUCTION and this references the new material component NEW MATERIAL.
Now export these 2 components as a DDF file using the File > Export >
Export library data.
is a good place, as DesignBuilder will look there first when importing later. Save using the filename NEW COMPONENTS.
Now save this project and create a new blank project. Add a new building and draw any block quickly
Import the DDF file you just created by using the File > Import >
Import library data menu option.
DesignBuilder displays a dialog showing the components that have been imported.
Now in the Constructions tab, click on External wall to list the
constructions in the Data panel on the right. You should be able to find the NEW CONSTRUCTION that has just been imported to the project.
Select NEW CONSTRUCTION as the default external wall for this building. As an experiment once you have selected NEW
CONSTRUCTION as the external wall, try deleting it from the project.
You will be prevented from doing so because it is used in the model.
Likewise you would not be allowed to delete NEW MATERIAL because it is used in NEW CONSTRUCTION.
You can also import the DDF file into the DesignBuilder Library so it will be
included with all new projects created. To do this, follow the same Import process but on the Opening screen.