VBD Editor

7.2.1 TRISTAR File

• Open: Opens a previously saved VBD file.

• New: Creates a new VBD file.

• Save: Saves the current VBD file.

• Save as: Saves the current VBD file with a user given name.

• Statistics: Displays a window containing the main information on the present VBD.

• Summary: Displays a scrollable window containing the complete information on the present VBD.

• View Virtual Building: Displays a 3-D view of the virtual building structure representing nodes and arcs with solid symbols (cubelets, spheres and pipes).

7.2.2 TRISTAR Navigation

• Exit: Exit from the VBD editor environment and returns control to main menu.

• Run CFAST: Executes the CFAST program on current VBD and then allows to check the output main file.

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• Run EMS: Executes the EMS program on current VBD and using the result from the execution of CFAST. Then allows to check the output main file.

• View Results: Transfers control to an application displaying the modelling results in tabular and in graphics form.

7.2.3 TRISTAR Options

• Edit Options: Gives the user the means for setting a series of parameters related to how the VBD is represented (colours, etc.)

• Select Database Files: The user is prompted to select which database files to use for building the VBD (e.g. thermal properties, objects, etc.)

• Edit Defaults: Gives the user to set the default values used in the data entry windows (e.g. the height of compartments, etc.)

7.2.4 TRISTAR Virtual Building Editor

The Virtual Building Editor Functions are the ones used to construct and update a VBD and to assign all the data required for modelling.

• New: This command is used to ask in a menu based way to insert a new element in the VBD. The immediate effect is displaying a list of the possible types of elements to be inserted. The user selects the type of element to be inserted and this causes the popping up of the relevant dialog box. After filling the dialog box and accepting the contents (pressing OK) the element is inserted in the data structure and displayed at the upper left corner of the drawing window. The user is then allowed to relocate and resize the element on the screen.

• Show VDB cell picker: This command causes the appearance of a small window containing the pictorial symbols of all the possible elements that can be added to the VBD. This window can be closed using its standard button on the left of the title bar.

This tool provides an alternate and generally more handy way of doing the “new”

operation. The user clicks on an element symbol and gets the symbol “attached” to the mouse pointer in order to position it. Positioning is done by clicking the 1st mouse button at the proper place in the drawing window. Following the placement of the image, the relevant window is popped up asking for the elements parameters. The object sizing can be done following the clearance of the dialog box input.

• Select by mouse: This command gives the possibility to select an element by the mouse in order to edit its properties or to delete it. The user is provided with the mouse pointer function of object selection and following the clicking over an element displays the relevant dialog box allowing the user to change the field values or to delete the element.

• Select by List: The command is equivalent to the former one and differs in the fact that the user is prompted by a list of types of elements (including the ones for which a graphical representation does not exist). The user selects the type of element and this causes the list of such element to be displayed allowing the selection of the individual element to be edited or deleted through the dialog box.

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• Show Links: This command has the effect of generating coloured lines which shows the linkages between the object on the screen. Different colours are used for the

compartment arcs and for the ventilation connections. The function is used to verify that the connections are correct.

• Hide Links: This command clear the connection lines drawn by the previous command.

7.2.5 List of the VBD elements

• This item contains the list of the elements of the VBD which are managed by the above VBD editing functions.

• Compartments Nodes: Compartment Nodes are the actual rooms, corridors, landings, etc.

• TRISTAR has in addition to CFAST the data on the position of the room in the building, a room name and data on occupancy.

• Compartments Arcs: Compartment Arcs are corresponding to the openings between compartments and are relevant for both fire & smoke modelling and evacuation simulation. They correspond to the vents defined in CFAST by the keywords CVENT, HVENT and VVENT. More data are present in TRISTAR than in CFAST for the vents in order to represent the physical position of the vent in the compartment and to give information related to the dynamic of evacuation through the arc.

• Ventilation Nodes: Ventilation Nodes are used to represent the mechanical ventilation system and are just connection points characterised by a height. They are defined in CFAST by the keyword INELV. A physical representation is used in TRISTAR for ventilation nodes.

• Ventilation Openings: Ventilation Openings are the openings in a compartment to which a Ventilation Node is attached. They are the objects defined by the keyword MVOPN in CFAST. More data are present in TRISTAR than in CFAST for the Ventilation Openings in order to represent their physical position in the compartment.

• Ventilation Ducts: Ventilation Ducts are the ducts connecting Ventilation Nodes. They correspond to the MVDCT keyword defined in CFAST. More data are present in TRISTAR than in CFAST for the ventilation ducts in order to represent their physical position and pathway.

• Ventilation Fans: Ventilation Fans are the ones defined by the keyword MVFAN in CFAST and they are attached to Ventilation Nodes. More data are present in TRISTAR than in CFAST for the Ventilation Points in order to represent their physical position in the building.

• Fire Node: A certain single symbol is used for the user to position the fire node and a dialog box is provided to edit the data required by CFAST through the keywords CHEMI, CJET, FAREA, FHIGH, FMASS, FPOS, FQDOT, FTIME, LFBO, LFBT, HCN, HCL, CT, HCR, O2, OD and CO.

• Objects: CFAST “objects” can be positioned at cerlain points. Their name is specified and their burning behaviour is fetched from a database. It is the equivalent of the CFAST keyword OBJECT.

• Environment: A dialog box is available in order to edit the environmental data which are currently required by CFAST by the keywords EAMB, TAMB, WIND.

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• Modelling Parameters: The user has the possibility to enter and edit the following information: Restart file information; Run Version Identification; Time intervals for simulation, print, history, display; Printing control information; Output files names