Energy simulation / Workshop Ecotect
Workshop in Ecotect Prof. Dr. Werner Lang 02-08 / 02-10-2010 Stefan Bader
Energy simulation / Workshop Ecotect
Contents:
I. Energy simulation tools
II. Weather data
III. Modeling
IV. Recommended courses
V. Useful web pages
Energy simulation / Workshop Ecotect
1. U.S. Department of Energy - DOE
2. Energy simulation tools
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1. U.S. Department of Energy - DOE
- U.S. Department of Energy - DOE - homepage
- news, facts, interesting data - Building America - DOE
- data base for suggested construction standards - Building Energy Software Tools - DOE
- differences in various energy simulation programs
- list of available energy simulation tools such as Trnsys, EnergyPlus, DOE-2 - Energy Information Administration - EIA
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2. Energy simulation tools
1. Ecotect 2. TRNSYS
3. e+ (EnergyPlus) 4. DOE-2 / eQuest
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2. 1. Ecotect
- Ecotect - information - Ecotect - homepage
- strengths:
- allows the user to “play” with design ideas at the conceptual stages, pro-viding essential analysis feedback from even the simplest sketch model - ECOTECT progressively guides the user as more detailed design informa-tion becomes available
- weaknesses:
- as the program can perform many different types of analysis, the user needs to be aware of the different modelling and data requirements be-fore diving in and modelling/importing geometry. For example; for thermal analysis, weather data and modelling geometry in an appropriate manner is
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important
- appropriate/comprehensive material data is required for almost all other types of analysis
- the ECOTECT Help File attempts to guide/educate users about this and when/how it is important. Like any analysis program it’s a matter of, “gar-bage in, gar“gar-bage out...”.
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2.2. TRaNsient SYstem Simulation Program - TRNSYS
- TRNSYS - information - DOE
- TRNSYS - homepage
- strengths:
- modular approach -> extremely flexible for modeling a variety of energy systems in differing leves of complexity
- easy to modify or add components into the library
- extensive documentation on component routines, including explanation, background, typical uses and governing equations
- supplied time step, starting and stopping times allowing choice of modeling periods
- graphical interface to drag-and-drop components for: - creating input files (Simulation Studio)
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- utility for easily creating a building input file (TRNBuild)
- program for building TRNSYS-based applications for distribution to non-users (TRNEdit)
- web-based library of additional components and frequent downloadable updates
- extensive libraries of non standard components are available commercially from TRNSYS distributors
- weaknesses:
- no assumptions about the building or system are made (although default information is provided)
- user must have detailed information about the building and system and
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2.3. EnergyPlus
- EnergyPlus - information - DOE
- EnergyPlus - homepage
- successor of DOE-2.1E and Blast - strengths:
- accurate, detailed simulation capabilities through complex modeling capabilities
- input is geared to the ‘object’ model way of thinking
- successful interfacing using IFC standard architectural model available for obtaining geometry from CAD programs
- weaknesses:
- text input may make it more difficult to use than graphical interfaces - additional interfaces available
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2.4. DOE-2 / eQuest
- DOE-2 - information - DOE
- DOE-2 - homepage
- predecessor of Equest - strengths:
- hourly weather file plus building description language input describing geographic location and building orientation, building materials and envelope components (walls, windows, shading surfaces, etc.) - operating schedules
- HVAC equipment and controls - utility rate schedule
Energy simulation / Workshop Ecotect
02-08/02-10-2010 | Energy simulation | Workshop Ecotect 14
csd
Center for Sustainable DevelopmentINPUT LOADS ..
TITLE LINE-1 *Project_01*
LINE-2 *Gearing Hall - GEA*
LINE-3 *ARCH 621: STEFAN BADER* ..
RUN-PERIOD JAN 1 1997 THRU DEC 31 1997 .. ABORT ERRORS ..
DIAGNOSTIC WARNINGS ..
LOADS-REPORT SUMMARY = (LS-C,LS-D,LS-F) .. BUILDING-LOCATION LATITUDE=30.3 LONGITUDE=97.7 ALTITUDE=584
TIME-ZONE=6 AZIMUTH=5.0 .. PARAMETER P-BLDG-AREA=13.204
P-HALF-AREA=6602
P-BLDG-VOL=588018 $ 2*6602*10*4 FOR THE 4 FLOORS + 50,400 FOR THE TOP FLOOR + 9,458 FOR THE ATTIC P-SPACE-VOL=52816 .. $ VOL OF 1 ROOM ZONE (HALF A FLOOR) @ 8 FT HGT
$ BUILDING DESCRIPTION
$ STRUCTURE THE BUILDING IS IDENTICAL TO THAT IN RUN 3 ABOVE EXCEPT $ THAT THE ROOF HAS AN ADDITIONAL INCH OF INSULATION. $ SYSTEMS AND PLANT SIZING IS TAKEN FROM RESULTS OF RUN 3.
$ ECONOMICS SPECIFICATIONS ARE THE SAME AS RUN3, BUT INCLUDE THE COSTS $ OF THE IMPROVEMENTS ADDED FOR THE RUN AND THE RESULTS OF RUN 3 $ AS A BASELINE.
$
$ BASELINE BASELINE ECONOMICS DATA ARE TAKEN FROM $ SIMPLE STRUCTURE RUN 3 REPORTS ES-A AND ES-C. $
$ IMPROVEMENT 5000 SQFT OF INSULATION AT 1.10 DOLLARS/SQFT $ CONSTRUCTION AND GLASS-TYPES
ROO-1 =LAYERS =MAT=(RG02,CC24,IN02) I-F-R .76 .. $ GRAVEL 1" (TILES), CONCRETE 8", INSULATION 3" WA-1 =LAYERS =MAT=(BK04,CC25,CC25,IN02,GP02) .. $ BRICK 3", CONCRETE 6", INSULATION 3", PLASTER 58/" WA-2 =LAYERS =MAT=(GP02,AL21,GP02) .. $ PLASTER 5/8", AIR VERTICAL WALLS, PLASTER 5/8" WA-3 =LAYERS =MAT=(CC24,CC24) .. $ CONCRETE WALL 8"
FL-1 =LAYERS =MAT=(CC25) .. $ CONCRETE FLOOR 6" WALL-1 =CONSTRUCTION LAYERS=WA-1 .. $ EXTERIOR WALL WALL-2 =CONSTRUCTION LAYERS=WA-2 .. $ INTERIOR WALL WALL-3 =CONSTRUCTION LAYERS=WA-3 .. $ UNDERGROUND WALL ROOF-1 =CONSTRUCTION LAYERS=ROO-1 ..
CLNG-1 =CONSTRUCTION U = 0.27 .. SB-U =CONSTRUCTION U = 1.5 .. FLOOR-1 =CONSTRUCTION LAYERS=FL-1 .. AIRWALL-1 =CONSTRUCTION U = 1.0 ..
W-1 =GLASS-TYPE GLASS-TYPE-CODE = 3 PANES = 1 .. DOORS =GLASS-TYPE GLASS-TYPE-CODE = 5 ..
$ OCCUPANCY SCHEDULE OC-1 =DAY-SCHEDULE (1,7) (0.0) (8,11) (1.0) (12,14) (0.8,0.4,0.8) (15,18) (1.0) (19,21) (0.5,0.1,0.1) (22,24) (0.0) .. OC-2 =DAY-SCHEDULE (1,7) (0) (8,16) (0.1) (17,24) (0) ..
OC-WEEK =WEEK-SCHEDULE (WD) OC-1 (WEH) OC-2 .. OCCUPY-1 =SCHEDULE THRU JAN 21 (ALL) OC-2 THRU MAR 11 OC-WEEK THRU MAR 16 (ALL) OC-2 THRU DEC 16 OC-WEEK THRU DEC 31 (ALL) OC-2 ..
$ OFFICE EQUIPMENT SCHEDULE EQ-1 =DAY-SCHEDULE (1,7) (0.6) (8,13) (0.675,0.85,0.9,0.975,0.95,1.0) (14,24) (0.975,0.95,0.93,0.9,0.875, 0.86,0.825,0.8,0.75,0.725,0.7) .. EQ-2 =DAY-SCHEDULE (1,24) (0.6) .. EQ-3 =DAY-SCHEDULE (1,7) (0.6) (8,13) (0.63,0.67,0.68,0.73,0.71,0.75) (14,24) (0.73,0.72,0.71,0.705,0.69, 0.675,0.665,0.65,0.635,0.625,0.61) .. EQ-WEEK =WEEK-SCHEDULE (MON,FRI) EQ-1 (WEH) EQ-2 ..
EQUIP-2 =SCHEDULE THRU JAN 21 (ALL) EQ-3 THRU MAR 11 EQ-WEEK THRU MAR 16 (ALL) EQ-3 THRU DEC 16 EQ-WEEK THRU DEC 31 (ALL) EQ-3 ..
$ INFILTRATION SCHEDULE
INFIL-SCH =SCHEDULE THRU DEC 31 (ALL) (1,24) (0) .. $ SHADING SCHEDULE
S-SCH=SCHEDULE THRU APR 01 (ALL) (1,24) (1) THRU NOV 01 (ALL) (1,24) (0) THRU DEC 31 (ALL) (1,24) (1) ..
$ SET DEFAULT VALUES
SET-DEFAULT FOR SPACE FLOOR-WEIGHT=0 ..
SET-DEFAULT FOR EXTERIOR-WALL CONSTRUCTION=WALL-1 .. SET-DEFAULT FOR WINDOW HEIGHT=4.0 GLASS-TYPE=W-1 Y=3 .. SET-DEFAULT FOR UNDERGROUND-WALL CONSTRUCTION=WALL-1 .. $ GENERAL SPACE DEFINITION
OFFICE =SPACE-CONDITIONS PEOPLE-SCHEDULE =OCCUPY-1 NUMBER-OF-PEOPLE =30 PEOPLE-HEAT-GAIN =400 LIGHTING-SCHEDULE =EQUIP-2 LIGHTING-TYPE =REC-FLUOR-RV LIGHT-TO-SPACE =0.8 LIGHTING-W/SQFT =0.8 EQUIP-SCHEDULE =EQUIP-2 EQUIPMENT-W/SQFT =1 INF-METHOD =AIR-CHANGE AIR-CHANGES/HR =0.2 INF-SCHEDULE =INFIL-SCH .. $ BUILDING-SHADE TREE-01=BUILDING-SHADE SHADE-SCHEDULE=S-SCH HEIGHT = 30 WIDTH = 20 X=-10 Y=122 Z=0 AZIMUTH=180 TILT=90.0 .. TREE-02=BUILDING-SHADE SHADE-SCHEDULE=S-SCH HEIGHT = 30 WIDTH = 20 X=-90 Y=122 Z=0 AZIMUTH=180 TILT=90.0 .. TREE-03=BUILDING-SHADE SHADE-SCHEDULE=S-SCH HEIGHT = 40 WIDTH = 30 X=7.5 Y=167 Z=0 AZIMUTH=180 TILT=90.0 .. TREE-04=BUILDING-SHADE SHADE-SCHEDULE=S-SCH HEIGHT = 40 WIDTH = 30 X=-118 Y=167 Z=0 AZIMUTH=180 TILT=90.0 .. TREE-05=BUILDING-SHADE SHADE-SCHEDULE=S-SCH HEIGHT = 40 WIDTH = 30 X=-105 Y=-55 Z=0 AZIMUTH=180 TILT=90.0 .. TREE-06=BUILDING-SHADE SHADE-SCHEDULE=S-SCH HEIGHT = 40 WIDTH = 30 X=-90 Y=-85 Z=0 AZIMUTH=180 TILT=90.0 .. TREE-07=BUILDING-SHADE SHADE-SCHEDULE=S-SCH HEIGHT = 40 WIDTH = 30 X=10 Y=-75 Z=0 AZIMUTH=180 TILT=90.0 .. TREE-08=BUILDING-SHADE SHADE-SCHEDULE=S-SCH HEIGHT = 40 WIDTH = 30 X=-30 Y=-105 Z=0 AZIMUTH=180 TILT=90.0 .. TREE-09=BUILDING-SHADE SHADE-SCHEDULE=S-SCH HEIGHT = 40 WIDTH = 30 X=-175 Y=-60 Z=0 AZIMUTH=180 TILT=90.0 .. TREE-10=BUILDING-SHADE SHADE-SCHEDULE=S-SCH HEIGHT = 40 WIDTH = 30 X=25 Y=-80 Z=0 AZIMUTH=180 TILT=90.0 .. TREE-11=BUILDING-SHADE SHADE-SCHEDULE=S-SCH HEIGHT = 40 WIDTH = 30 X=75 Y=-55 Z=0 AZIMUTH=180 TILT=90.0 .. TREE-12=BUILDING-SHADE SHADE-SCHEDULE=S-SCH HEIGHT = 40 WIDTH = 30
2.4. DOE-2 / eQuest
Energy simulation / Workshop Ecotect
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II. Weather data
1. Weather data for energy simulation analyses
2. Typical meteorological year - TMY
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1. Weather data
- realistic data
- characteristic for the location and longer period of time - GAISMA
- National Renewable Energy Laboratory - NREL - Weather Data - DOE
- AutoDesk: Ecotect
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2. Typical meteorological year - TMY
- National Solar Radiation Data Base - TMY
- large number of locations - TMY
- TMY, TMY2, TMY3 database:
- data files are created from the National Solar Radiation Data Base (NSDRB)
- a solar radiation and meteorological database (TMY2: 1961-1990)
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3. Sun position calculator
- Sustainable by Design - Sun Angle Tools - Sun Position Calculator
- Pilkington Sun Angle Calculator - Solar Position Calculator
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III. Modeling
1. Evaluation of building simulation tools
2. Reasons for energy simulation
3. Input data
4. Focus on Ecotect
5. Modeling steps
6. The analysis - a guide line
Energy simulation / Workshop Ecotect
1. Evaluation of building simulation tools
- comparison with experimental data - monitoring
- very expensive
- feasible only for smaller buildings
- comparison with other energy simulation programs - for the same input data
- system of numerical experiments - BESTEST
- system of tests (~ 40 cases)
- each test emphasizes certain phenomena like external (internal) convection, radiation, ground contact
- simple geometry - mountain climate
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2. Reasons for energy simulation
- design (sizing of different systems) - economic benefits
- impact on environment - fuel budget planning
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3. Input data
- geometry
- material and surface properties
- internal set point temperatures and RH - period and use of internal sources - weather data fo specific location
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4. Focus on Ecotect
+ use of 3d CAD files possible
+ good graphical implementation of the results + relatively easy to set up
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5. Modeling steps
- define the domain
- analyze the most important phenomena and define most important elements (- discretize the elements and define the connection)
(- write energy and mass balance equations)
(- solve the equations (use numeric methods or solver) - present the results
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6. Analysis - a guide line
1. Experimental question
Make a clear and unambiguous statement about the question posed. 2. Hypothesis
State a postulate of the results you expect to find. Describe the physical phenomena that will affect the results and how you expect them to interact. 3. Strategy to test hypothesis
- Description
- Assumptions - What will be kept constant at what values?
- Variables - What are you going to experiment with and how? Pick one primary variable to test. You may test it under different conditions/times of year, etc. by selectively modifying other variables. Remember, to do an
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4. Results
Describe the results observed. Include tables of data and observations. Make charts or diagrams to aid in interpretation of data.
5. Interpretation
Propose explanations for any differences found between your observations and your postulate. Make an attempt to describe the phenomena at play. 6. Questions
Describe questions that arise in your mind as a result of the experiments. 7. Conclusion
What are the broad implications of the results you have found? Describe how your observations may affect your design decisions.
8. References
Cite any references referred to above.
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7.1. Modelling fundamentals - Simple house 7.2. Modelling fundamentals - Class room
7.3. Advanced modelling techniques - Import CAD geometry - 3ds and dxf files 7.4. Advanced modelling techniques - Import Rhinoceros geometry - dxf files 7.5. Solar analysis - Internal sun penetration
7.6. Lighting design - Internal lighting calculations 7.7. Thermal performance - A thermal introduction
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1. Setting up a new model 2. Adding the first zone 3. Adjusting the zone height 4. Adding a second zone 5. Adding windows and doors 6. Creating a pitched roof 7. Importing DXF-files
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1. Setting up a new model
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7.1.1. Ecotect - Setting up a new model
The first step is to ensure you are working on a new blank document, and that the working grid is set appropriately.
1. Select the ‘New’ item from the File menu, (or click the ‘New model’ button) - this clears the model memory and reloads the default material data.
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7.1.1. Ecotect - Setting up a new model
2. Select the perspective item from the ‘View’ menu (or hit the F8 key)
- this ensures you are looking at a 3D perspective view of the grid. If your view isn’t similar to that shown in the above diagram, simply click the Right Mouse button in the Drawing Canvas and drag the view around until it fits. Use the Shift and Control keys, in combination with holding down the Right Mouse button, to zoom and pan the view respectively.
3. Select the ‘Fit Grid to Model’ item in the ‘View’ menu (or use the ‘Fit Grid to Objects’ button)
- if there are no objects in the model then this sets the grid to the default grid settings. Otherwise it fits the grid to the extent of the objects in the model.
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7.1.1. Ecotect - Setting up a new model
4. To check the grid settings select the ‘Model Context’ item in the view menu (or use the ‘Model Settings’ button on the Main toolbar, and select ‘Model context’ tab)
- this invokes the ‘Model Context’ dialog box, allowing you to manually specify grid dimensions. In this case we are only going to check the values, making sure they correspond roughly to the ones below.
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7.1.1. Ecotect - Setting up a new model
5. Select ‘User Preferences’ from the ‘File’ menu, then select the ‘Cursor Snap’ tab (or simply press the ‘Snap settings’ button on the Options toolbar and select Settings).
- this is to ensure that snaps are set appropriately. It is recommended that the snaps shown below are used. By using the Snaps button on the Options toolbar (or their corresponding keyboard shortcuts) it is possible to change snap settings at any time, even in the middle of creating or modifying objects.
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It is also possible to determine current snap settings and change them, by using the Snaps Status panel at the bottom left of the program window. Letters in black refer to snaps that are on, whilst those in white are off. To change the snaps
using this panel, simply click the letters once, with the Left Mouse button.
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2. Adding the first zone
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The next step is to create a new zone for the first part of the building. This is going to be a simple rectangular box.
1. Select the ‘Zone’ item from the Draw menu (or use the ‘Zone’ button)
- this will begin the creation of a new zone object, with walls, and a ceiling, extruded from a single floor object.
2. Move the cursor over the Drawing Canvas
- this displays the Node Input cursor with the red X and Y axis. As you move the cursor around the Drawing Canvas the Cursor Input toolbar updates, with the absolute X, Y and Z location for the first node.
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3. Type 1000 in the X and 1000 in the Y input boxes and hit the Enter key
- this starts the zone, with the first node at the absolute coordinates 1000, 1000, 0
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4. Move the cursor around the Drawing Canvas
- if you move the cursor around the Drawing Canvas now, you will notice that the Cursor Input toolbar updates with X, Y and Z values relative to the last node that was entered. As well, if the cursor is moved in the X direction, the X Cursor Input box has the focus. If moved more in the Y direction, the Y Cursor Input box will get the focus.
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- you should also notice that the X and Y axis are snapped to and
highlighted, (if Orthographic snaps are set as previously stated). This makes it quick and easy to generate orthogonal objects.
- finally, you may see a distance value displayed in the centre of the line segment currently being entered (if the ECOTECT defaults are set). This is to assist in drawing accuracy, but if not preferred can be turned off from the Modelling tab in the User Preferences dialog box by un-checking the Display Interactive Distances option.
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5. Move the cursor some distance in the X direction, type 13000 and hit the ‘Enter’ key
- this creates the first wall segment of the zone, using the default extrusion height. The default extrusion height can also be changed from the ‘User Preferences’ dialog box, or the height of any zone can be changed after it is created (this will be explained later in this tutorial).
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6. Move the cursor some distance in the Y direction, type 5000 and hit the ‘Enter’ key
- this creates the second wall segment of the zone.
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7. Move the cursor in the -X direction, type 13000 again
- this creates the third wall segment of the zone.
- note that you do not have to enter a minus sign in front of the 13000 to get it to move in the negative X direction, it simply moves 13000 in the direction of the mouse.
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8. Hit the ‘Esc’ key on the keyboard (or right click in the Drawing Canvas to display the Context menu, and select ‘Escape’)
- this finishes the creation of the first zone and displays the ‘Rename Zone’ dialog box
- at this point it is necessary to type in an appropriate name for the zone.
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3. Adjusting the zone height
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The next step is to alter the height of the zone, which was automatically extruded to a default height of 2400 mm (specified in the ‘User Preferences’ dialog box). This extrusion height can be changed at any time for any object that maintains its linking.
1. Using the ‘Select’ button (which it should already be set to), select the floor element of the zone
- if you are having trouble selecting the correct element, use the ‘Spacebar’ key on the keyboard to cycle through adjacent objects or simply keep
the Left Mouse button down when you select and then drag slowly in any direction to cycle through adjacent objects.
- selected objects may show up as either yellow in color or with a thickened line. This setting can be changed from the ‘User Preferences’ dialog box, either by choosing a ‘Selection Highlight’ type from the selection box, or by altering the ‘Selection Color’.
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- the floor element of any zone created using the ‘Zone’ button or menu item, is the parent of all other objects extruded from it. This means that the floor controls the other objects, making it easier to edit the entire zone after it has been created.
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2. With only the floor element selected, change the Z value in the ‘Extrusion Vector’ input boxes in the ‘Selection Information’ panel, to the right of the Drawing Canvas
- this can be done either by typing in the number, or by dragging the small arrows that appear after clicking in the input box (as shown n the image below).
- this value alters the entire zone’s extrusion height.
- in any of ECOTECT’S input boxes you can also enter any type of equation or dimension as long as it is annotated correctly (for more information
on entering data, go to ‘Entering Data’ in the ‘User Interface’ section of ECOTECT’S main help file)
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3. To apply this change to the selected object, you will need to click the ‘Apply Changes’ button at the bottom of the ‘Selection Information’ panel
- to automatically apply changes made, therefore not requiring you to click the ‘Apply Changes’ button after altering values, simply check the ‘Automatically Apply Changes’ check box at the bottom of the panel. This can also be done for the ‘Material Assignments’ panel.
- if the ‘Automatically Apply Changes’ check box is already ticked, you need only hit the ‘Enter’ key after making an alteration for it to take effect.
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4. To permanently change the height of subsequent zones, select ‘User
Preferences’ from the ‘File’ menu, then select the ‘Modelling tab (or simply press the button on the Main toolbar and select Modelling)
- in the ‘Default Zone Height’ input box enter 3000 as the new value. This ensures that every zone created from now on will be 3 meters high. Click the ‘OK’ button when you’ve finished entering the new value.
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4. Adding a second zone
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The next step is to create the zone on the north side. For this, we want one of the nodes to be in the exact centre of the north wall. This time we are going to work more within the Drawing Canvas, and use object snapping to ensure the model is accurate.
1. Select the ‘Zone’ item from the ‘Draw’ menu (or use the ‘Zone’ button) - this will begin the creation of a new zone object
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2. Move the cursor over the Drawing Canvas until you snap to the Mid Point of the north side of zone_01
- you can tell which side is on the North by the arrow in the far left corner of the grid.
- snaps are displayed with a small letter corresponding to the appropriate snap type. Move the mouse until a small ‘M’ appears at the cursor, and click with the Left Mouse button to accept the point.
- if a small ‘M’ does not appear it is most likely that ‘Mid Point’ snaps have not been set. To do this (whilst still in command) click the ‘Snaps’ button on the ‘Options’ toolbar and make sure that ‘Mid Points’ has a tick next to it, or hit the ‘M’ key on the keyboard.
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3. Move the cursor in the X direction and type 5000 (do not hit the ‘Enter’ key)
- after typing 5000 move the cursor around the Drawing Canvas. Notice how the cursor is constrained by 5000 units in either positive or negative X. Notice also that the cursor will snap to the X axis as you move close to it, this is because Orthogonal snaps are also on.
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4. Move the cursor so that it snaps to the X axis with the set value of 5000, and click the Left Mouse button
- once the desired point has been chosen with the mouse, simply clicking the Left Mouse button will accept that position and move on to the next node placement
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5. Move the cursor in the Y direction, type 4000 and click the Left Mouse button
- this creates the second wall segment of the zone
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6. Using the ‘Snaps’ pull-down menu from the ‘Options’ toolbar, set the ‘Align’ snap to on
- this time we are going to use the ‘Align’ (‘A’) snap to finish the last two wall segments of our new zone
- with ‘Align’ snaps on, move the cursor back along the X axis until a small XY appears next to the cursor. This is telling us that the cursor is aligned with other nodes in both the X and Y axis. If we were only aligned with a node in the X, only a small X would appear (same with the Y and Z axes).
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7. Once the cursor is aligned in the X axis with the last node entered, and in the Y axis with the first node of the zone, click the Left Mouse button in the Drawing Canvas
- this creates the third wall segment of the zone, and with align snaps on we know it’s a perfectly orthogonal zone
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8. Hit the ‘Esc’ key on the keyboard (or right click in the Drawing Canvas to display the ‘Context’ menu, and select ‘Escape’)
- this finishes the creation of the second zone and displays the ‘Rename Zone’ dialog box. Enter an appropriate name for this zone then click the ‘OK’ button.
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5. Adding windows and doors
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We are now going to add a couple of windows and doors to the two zones. This can be done using either parametric library objects, or manually using the mouse. We are only going to use the parametric method in this tutorial.
1. First deselect all objects by clicking an empty area of the Drawing Canvas (or choose the ‘None’ item from the ‘Select’ menu)
- this makes sure that we are not trying to add windows to all the selected elements
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2. Select the northernmost wall of zone_02 using the ‘Select’ button
- notice as you move the cursor close to an object that the cursor changes. This cursor tells you that a selection can be made. Again if you find it
difficult to select the wall, use the ‘Spacebar’ key on the keyboard to cycle through the nearby objects.
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3. Once the wall is selected hit the Insert key on the keyboard to insert a child object (in this case a window)
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4. With the dialog box open, select the Window button at the top and enter values roughly similar to the ones shown above.
- the default insertion point for any child object is the exact centre of it's parent object. These values are listed to the bottom of the ‘Insert Child Object’ dialog box, and can be changed by entering different values. - ECOTECT will not let you position a child object outside the limits of it's parent. Therefore if inconsistent values are entered ECOTECT will move the child object until it fits within its parent.
- once you've finished entering values click the ‘OK’ button
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5. Now that the window is inserted in the middle of the wall, try nudging the window around the wall using the X, Y and Z keys on the keyboard - when moving the window around, it will always move in the plane of its parent. You should also notice that it will not let you move the window outside the wall. This is simply an exercise to show that you can interactively move any object, subject to its relationship links. Try to manually reposition the window back to the centre, or as close as you can. - when using the nudge keys (X, Y, Z) the amount which you nudge by is set by the Cursor Snap/Nudge Value input box on the ‘Options’ toolbar. The default setting for this is 100 mm but it can be set to any value by typing in the input box and hitting the ‘Enter’ key on the keyboard, or by clicking the up / down arrows to the right of the input box.
- to nudge an object in a negative direction hold the ‘Shift’ key down whilst pressing either the X, Y or Z key.
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6. Now try inserting a window on the northern facade of zone_01.
- this time make the window 1500 mm high, 3000 mm wide and a sill height of 1000 mm. If you insert the window in the centre of the wall it will have to be nudged in the negative X direction until it looks similar to the image below.
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7. Now try adding a door between the two zones using the same method we used for adding a window but by selecting the ‘Door’ item form the child object list
- make the door 2100 mm high, 900 mm wide and position it approximately 1000 mm from the western wall of zone_02
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- when adding either a Window, Door or Void child object in a wall that is adjacent to the wall of another zone, you only have to add the child object in one of the two adjacent walls. ECOTECT when calculating inter-zonal adjacencies works out that the object will pass through to the other zone letting in heat, light, air and sound according to the material and objects properties
- this is different with a Panel child object, as a Panel denotes a different type of material within a wall and only effects the zone within which it is contained
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8. Enter the final door in the eastern wall of the second zone
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6. Creating a pitched roof
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The next step is to add the roof objects, with a 600 mm overhang.
1. Select the ‘Pitched Roof’ item from the ‘Draw’ menu (or use the ‘Roof’ button) - the first time this is done, ECOTECT requires you to enter a base-plane with the cursor in the Drawing Canvas (subsequent use allows editing of previous base-plane). It also displays the ‘Parametric Objects’ panel to the right of the Drawing Canvas.
- at this stage you can either enter values in the panel, or draw / adjust the plane interactively. In this instance we are going to draw in the base-plane interactively.
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2. To draw your first base-plane, left click the mouse on one top corner of the first zone, then on the opposite corner
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3. You should end up with a base-plane that looks like the one in the image below
- once the node is snapped to the corner (a small ‘P’ should be displayed next to the cursor, if not check that ‘Point’ snaps are on in the ‘Snaps’ button on the ‘Options’ toolbar) click the Left Mouse button to accept the point
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4. You now need to check the details that appear in the ‘Parametric Objects’ panel to the right of the Drawing Canvas
- the most important things to check are that ‘Roof Type’ is set to ‘Gable’, ‘Ridge Axis’ is set to ‘X-axis’, and the ‘Eaves Depth’ is set to 600 mm.
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5. To complete the roof, click the ‘Create New Object’ button at the bottom of the panel
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- the roof is created with an over hang of 600 mm. Now try creating the roof for the second zone, this time changing the ‘Ridge Axis’ to ‘Y-axis’, as the roof needs to run in the opposite direction to the first.
- now if you take a look at the two roof objects you will notice that they do not join correctly
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6. To fix this, we need to enter ‘Node Mode’ so that the nodes of the second roof object can be edited. To do this select the ‘Nodes’ item from the ‘Select’ menu (or hit the ‘F3’ key on the keyboard)
- once in ‘Node Mode’, we need to view the model from the side. To do this, select the ‘Side’ item from the ‘View’ menu (or hit the F6 key on the keyboard).
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7. Once in side view drag a box around the nodes at the bottom left corner of the second roof
- with the nodes of the bottom left corner selected, use the nudge keys to shift the nodes in the positive Y direction until the edge lines up with the edge of the first roof object
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8. With the bottom nodes lined up, select the uppermost nodes on the left side and nudge them in the negative Y axis until they line up with the ridge of the first roof object
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9. Finally return to perspective view by selecting the ‘Perspective’ item from the ‘View’ menu (or hitting the ‘F8’ key on the keyboard)
- in perspective view spin the model around to check the changes we just made, and to have a look at the completed house
- to do this click and hold down the Right Mouse button whilst dragging the mouse around the canvas
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7. Importing DXF-files
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1. From the File menu select the Import item. Then from the ‘Tutorial’ directory in your ECOTECT Install directory, locate the file ‘Trees.dxf’
- you may need to select ‘DXF (*.DXF)’ from the ‘Files of Type’ selection box 2. This should display the ‘File Conversion’ dialog box
- if the settings are similar to those displayed in the image below, click the ‘OK’ button
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3. Two trees are displayed as part of the model, and the grid resizes to include the new objects
- once the trees have been imported, select them and in the ‘Object’ section of the ‘Selection Information’ panel, check that the zone is set to Outside
- if not, with the objects still selected, click the ‘Zone’ input box, then click the ‘Options’ button once it appears, and choose the ‘Select Zone...’ item from the list
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4. The ‘Select Zone’ dialog box should appear containing all the zones in the model. Choose the ‘Outside’ zone from the list and click ‘OK’. The objects will now exist on the ‘Outside’ zone.
- it is very important that external objects such as the trees and for example shading devices are not left on a thermal zone. If the objects were left on a zone that was to be used for calculating thermal performance, they may alter the results calculated. This is because the additional surface area, from in this case the trees, would add to the solar gains of the zone possibly distorting the loads for that zone.
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5. Finally shift the two trees in the negative X direction by hitting the Shift + X key, until the model looks similar to the one shown below
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1. Creating a zone using interactive measurements 2. Adding windows
3. Copying (transforming) child objects 4. Inserting multiple doors
5. Adding a ridge skylight 6. Mirroring child objects
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1. Creating a zone using interactive measurements
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7.2.1. Ecotect -
Creating a zone using interactive measurementsThe first step is to ensure you are working on a new blank document, so that you can start the first zone.
1. Select the New item from the File menu, (or click the New button).
- This clears the model memory and reloads the default material data.
16000
8000
1600 1800
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7.2.1. Ecotect - Creating a zone using interactive measurements
2. Starting at 0, 0, 0 with the point marked with an X in the above diagram, try
creating the first zone with the dimensions shown above.
- Using the Create Zone tool in the Modelling toolbar, input the first point in absolute coordinates in the Cursor Input toolbar. Then type in the successive nodes using the dimensions given.
- If you are unsure how to do this and have not done the Simple House tutorial, please refer to that. Otherwise, if you have done the first tutorial or if you feel experimental, the Cursor Input toolbar appears in the top toolbar as soon as you enter a modelling command. Simply move the mouse in the direction you want to go and type a value when that axis’ text box receives the input focus. This locks that axis, meaning that you can now drag the mouse in another axis and enter a further value. To accept a point, simply click the Left Mouse button in the Drawing Canvas or hit the Enter key.
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7.2.1. Ecotect - Creating a zone using interactive measurements
3. Hit the Escape key to finish creating the zone.
- Once you have reached the last node, finish the zone and in the Rename Zone dialog box give it a unique name.
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7.2.1. Ecotect - Creating a zone using interactive measurements
4. Select and delete the existing Ceiling element so that it can be replaced with a raked ceiling and roof.
- The Spacebar key on the keyboard will help in cycling between adjacent objects.
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5. With the Create Line tool draw a line from the middle of each end of the zone, at roof level.
- You may need to check your snap settings to ensure that you have Mid Point snaps on. You need this line in the exact centre as you are going to use it to construct the new ceiling / roof.
- Once the two points have been entered, hit the Escape key on the
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6. With the line selected, go into Side view and, using the Move tool (Transform toolbar), shift the line up in the Z direction 1100mm.
- To do this, press the F7 key to enter side view, then click the Move button and move the mouse to snap to one end of the zone at the top. Then click the Left Mouse button to start moving the selected line, then drag the mouse in the Z direction and type 1100 to limit the move to that distance. Finally, click the Left Mouse button again to accept the new position.
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7. Once you have moved the line up, change back to Perspective view by hitting the F8 key. Now you need to add four planes to describe the roof.
- Using the Create Plane button, snap to the existing geometry and create four separate roof elements, two flat and two sloped. Try using the F2 key to repeat the last command.
- When you have finished with the construction line you created earlier, select it and delete it from the scene.
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8. Take a look at the model in Rough Sketch mode (Display menu). - As you can see there are two triangular holes at either end of the zone which you will need to fill. It is important for thermal and acoustic calculations that all zones are completely enclosed volumes (for more information on this, refer to Layers & Zones in the Concepts section of the ECOTECT Help File).
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9. Select the wall element at the end of the zone, then select the Add Node button.
- By adding a node to the top of the wall you will be able to cover the hole with a five sided wall segment.
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10. Move the cursor to the center of the top wall segment and click the Left Mouse button.
- Now the new node is attached to the cursor and you can move it into the correct position at the ridge line. To finish click again with the Left Mouse button.
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- Now do the same to the other end of the zone, so that it looks like the image below.
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2. Adding windows
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You are now going to add several windows to the zone, and this time you are going to use the cursor method. The easiest way to do this is by setting up a series of construction lines.
1. First create a line that runs at the base of the southernmost wall of the
classroom, and move it up in the Z axis 700mm (the easiest way is by using the Z key on the keyboard).
- When using the nudge keys (X, Y, Z) the amount which you nudge by is set by the Cursor Snap/Nudge Value input box on the Options toolbar. - Then copy and paste this line (Ctrl+C then Ctrl+V), and move the copy up further in the Z axis another 1200mm.
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- The lines should look like the ones above. These are going to be the sill and top of the windows.
2. Now create a vertical line that runs between the far end points of the two
previous construction lines, then nudge it 750mm in the positive X direction using the X key (it should look like the image below in side view F7).
- Create a copy of this vertical construction line (Ctrl+C then Ctrl+V), and nudge it a further 2000mm in the positive X direction.
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3. To create a window child object you must first select the object to insert the window into (in this case the southernmost wall).
- Then select the Window button from the Modelling toolbar, and using the construction lines to snap to, draw the window as in the image below.
- Hit the Escape key to finish creating the window.
4. Before creating duplicate windows, delete the four construction lines.
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5. To create an additional five duplicate windows, select the first window then choose the Duplicate item from the Edit menu.
- In the Duplicate Selection dialog box, enter 2500 in the X offset and make sure the Y and Z offsets are set to 0.
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- Make sure the Don’t prompt me again check box is ticked, then click the OK button. Continue to hit Ctrl+D on the keyboard until there are a total of six windows in the wall.
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3. Copying (transforming) child objects
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You now need to create a similar set of six window in the northernmost wall. To do this you will need to unlink the existing six windows from their parent wall, copy the windows to the northern wall, then re-link the windows back to their respective walls.
If you tried to transform (in this case copy) the windows without first unlinking them, it would be impossible to move them outside the plane of the wall. This is because the object linking of a child object ensures that the child is physically constrained within the boundaries of the parent wall.
It is also very important to re-link the windows back to the wall that they are to exist within. If this is not done, the window will exist on top of, not inside the wall. As a result the window would not act like a hole in the wall for light, heat etc. to pass through.
1. Select the existing six windows and unlink them from the parent wall, either by clicking the Unlink Objects button, or by choosing Unlink Objects item from the Edit menu.
- To select multiple objects hold down the Shift key to add to the selection
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2. Once unlinked and with the six windows still selected, select the Move button from the Modelling toolbar.
- To make sure that you are copying the objects not just moving them, make sure the Apply to Copy check box in the Options toolbar is ticked. Now with the cursor in the Drawing Canvas, snap to the bottom corner of the southernmost wall and left click the mouse button to start the copy.
- The six window objects are now attached to the cursor.
- To finish the copy, left click again on the corresponding corner of the northernmost wall. Then to cancel the command hit the Escape key (you could continue to copy the objects elsewhere as well but in this instance it is not required).
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3. Now that the windows are copied you need to re-link them.
- To do this select one set of six windows plus the wall within which they need to belong, and choose Link Objects item from the Edit menu or hit Ctrl+K on the keyboard. Then do the same with the other six windows and wall.
- If you have trouble selecting the required objects, as mentioned before the Shift and the Control keys will add / subtract from the selection set, and in combination with the Spacebar key you can cycle through neighbouring objects.
4. As a final step, you need to check and make sure the windows are linked correctly. There are a couple of ways this can be done.
- One way is by selecting one of the windows, then choosing the Parent item from the Select menu. This should then select the object’s parent. If no objects are selected after having done this then the original object doesn’t
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- You could also do the a similar test by choosing the wall object, then choosing the Child item from the Select menu.
- Another way to check is by viewing the model in Rough Sketch mode (Display menu). As in the image above, if the windows appear as holes in the wall then they are linked to the wall (right image). If they appear opaque then they are not linked (left image). This method only works when the child object’s material definition has a transparency equal or greater to 0.2 (20%).
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4. Inserting multiple doors
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You know need to add four doors, which will be exactly the same, to four different elements in the seen.
1. Select the four small east and west facing wall elements using the Select tool, the Shift key to add to the selection and the Spacebar to toggle selected elements.
- Another way to easily select the objects is to drag selection windows around each wall (this is best done in Plan view, F5 key), with the Shift key held down to add to the selection as you go.
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- If selecting objects using a selection window, it is important to note that if you drag from left to right the selection will contain all objects that are contained inside the selection window, and if you drag from right to left the selection will contain all objects that cross the selection window. This is shown in the Drawing Canvas by a selection window with either, a solid red or a dashed red line respectively.
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2. With the four walls selected, hit the Insert key on the Keyboard to invoke the Insert Child Object dialog box.
- Select the Door button at the top, then enter a height of 2100mm and a width of 900mm. Leave the insertion point of the door as is (i.e. the centre bottom of each of the four walls).
- Then click the OK button when you’ve finished entering the data.
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5. Adding a ridge skylight
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To do this you are going to create a series of construction lines within the roof plane to help draw the skylight, similar to how you created the first window in this tutorial.
A skylight is the same as a window object. The difference lies in the properties of the material assigned to the object.
1. First draw a line along the ridge of the roof.
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2. Next, using the Move tool, move the line down the roof by a distance of 1000mm.
- The easiest way to do this accurately is to choose the end point of the line as the base point for the move, then switch the cursor input method from Cartesian to Polar by clicking the Cartesian Coordinates button at the of the Cursor Input toolbar (it should now look like on the left). Once that’s done move the cursor in the Drawing Canvas down the roof line until it snaps to the mid point of the end of the roof plane.
- Now with the cursor still snapped, type in the required distance, 1000. Having typed 1000 the cursor is now restricted in movement by a distance of 1000mm, as can be seen in the Cursor Input toolbar.
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- Still with the cursor snapped to the roof’s mid point, left click the mouse to accept the final location of the line.
- The reason for changing from Cartesian to Polar coordinates was to allow us to move the line a specified distance but along an unknown angle (the line of the roof). This would not have been possible using Cartesian coordinates, as it only allows distances in the X,Y and Z axis. By using Polar coordinates the relative distance from the base point was easily
specified, and the angle was taken from the roof line having snapped to it’s geometry.
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3. Now create a copy of this first construction line 500mm further down the roof. - The easiest method is as described above, but this time making sure that the Apply to Copy check box is ticked.
4. Finally create two lines that run between the end points of the previous construction lines, and move them towards the centre of the roof a distance of 1000mm.
- Moving the two small line segments is best done by using the X (and Shift X) key on the keyboard to nudge the objects.
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5. Once the construction lines are done, you can draw in the skylight.
- Use the Window tool to draw the first skylight, making sure the roof object (the parent) is first selected and you snap to the construction lines. 6. Delete the construction lines once this is done.
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6. Mirroring child objects
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To create a copy of the first skylight in the other side of the roof you are going to copy the original one by mirroring it.
1. First remember to unlink the original skylight from it’s parent (roof object) by selecting it and hitting Ctrl+U on the keyboard.
- If you don’t unlink the object before mirroring it you wont be able to move it from within it’s parent.
2. Next choose the Mirror tool from the Modelling toolbar (in the Transform pull-right).
- As soon as the Mirror tool has been selected the Origin icon appears in the Drawing Canvas (probably towards the far left corner of the building 0,0,0).
- The Origin is required by the Mirror tool as it defines the point about which the mirror is to occur.
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3. Before actually starting to mirror the skylight, move the Origin to one end of the ridge line of the roof.
- To do this (whilst still in the Mirror command) move the cursor over the top of the Origin until it snaps to it. This is indicated by a O next to the cursor. - Once snapped to the Origin, click once with the Left Mouse button to start moving it, move the cursor to the ridge of the roof, then click once again with the Left Mouse button to complete the move.
- Finally before starting the mirror, make sure the Apply to Copy check box is ticked.
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4. Now that the Origin is in the correct location (and you’ll be making a copy of the original), start the Mirror command by moving the cursor to the other end of the roof’s ridge and clicking the Left Mouse button once.
- If you move the cursor around the Drawing Canvas now you should
notice that the new mirrored object is attached to the cursor along the axis created between the Origin and the point at which you started the Mirror command (as shown below).
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5. To finish the mirror, click the Left Mouse button once somewhere in-line with the roof’s ridge (this can be the same point that you started the Mirror command with).
- Then hit the Escape key on the keyboard to make sure the Mirror command is not still active.
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6. Finally you need to link the two skylights back up with their respective roof objects.
- Select the first skylight and roof object and hit Ctrl+K, then do the same with the second two.
- The completed model should look like the one shown below.
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1. Introduction
2. General points to remember 3. 2D import - dxf files
4. 3D import - 3ds files
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1. Introduction
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7.3.1. Ecotect - Introduction
- Although ECOTECT has it’s own modelling interface, it is possible to import geometry from other cad packages via dxf or 3ds files. It is rare (virtually impossible really) to import geometry into ECOTECT and expect the
program to understand all of the geometry and not require additional work/ editing in ECOTECT. Unlike many cad programs, ECOTECT needs to understand the geometry as a building. This is the only way that analysis can be correctly undertaken. Therefore when importing geometry it is important to thoroughly check it, especially material assignments.
- The best way to approach the import of geometry is to firstly be clear about what you want to do with it in ECOTECT, and secondly to work out what is necessary to import to effectively achieve your aim. As an example, it is a waste of effort modelling an entire building’s geometry in AutoCAD, then expecting it to import and perform thermal analysis correctly in ECOTECT. Thermal models need only be very simple representations of the building’s spatial zones. For more information on this, refer to the Thermal Modelling page in the Analysis section of the ECOTECT help file.
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(with regard to zoning and primary/alternate materials), it is recommended that 3D geometry be (in the most part) created in ECOTECT, as opposed to importing a full 3D cad model from another program. However, what is very useful is using existing 2D drawings to trace over in ECOTECT. Refer to the 2D import section below.
- Import for Solar & Lighting
Solar and lighting analysis is more accurately undertaken with quite detailed 3D geometry. ECOTECT needs to know less about the building than for a thermal analysis, therefore it is reasonable to import full 3D geometry. However it is important to remember to specify the materials of all surfaces correctly in order for reflected and transparent objects to be accurately considered. Refer to the 3D import section below.
- Import for Acoustics
Similar to thermal analysis, acoustic analysis requires accurate zoning and material specification. Therefore, like thermals, it is recommended that 2D drawings be imported to trace from in ECOTECT. Refer to the 2D import section below.
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2. General points to remember
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7.3.2. Ecotect - General points to remember
- DXF files are good for 2D geometry and only very simple solids, not full 3D - 3ds files are good for 3D geometry but not at all for 2D geometry.
- ECOTECT locates objects using real world coordinates. If geometry that is being imported is positioned using very large negative coordinates, ECOTECT will have trouble rotating/viewing the geometry. That is, right-clicking and dragging to rotate the view in one direction may result in the view moving in the opposite direction.
- In addition, very large coordinate values for the location of geometry may result in ECOTECT being unable to fit the grid canvas correctly. This will often result in what looks like very tiny objects way off in the distance and an oversized grid.
- To avoid these issues, it is recommended that you locate the geometry as close to 0,0,0 as is possible.
- It is important to remember that the DXF & 3DS file formats can be written differently by different CAD programs, therefore different results may occur depending on the program and it’s export settings. If the desired result is not achieved in ECOTECT it is recommended that you attempt all the options available when exporting from your CAD package, as significantly different results can be achieved with different settings.
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3. 2D import - dxf files
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7.3.3. Ecotect - 2D import - dxf files
ECOTECT will not read blocked or referenced objects. Therefore it is important that you explode any block or group objects before exporting as a DXF. If exporting from AutoCAD, type use dxfout entered at the command line and
in the SaveAs DXF dialog box, choose the Options button, then the DXF Options tab and make sure the Select Objects checkbox is ticked. It is important to only export the drawing objects, otherwise the DXF file will include all the line-style tables and redundant layers etc.
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1. To import a DXF file, choose the Import... item from the File menu.
- Open the 2D drawing. You will need to make sure the Files of Type list has AutoCad DXF Files chosen.
- The following dialog box will appear allowing you to specify import settings.
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2. When importing a 2D drawing to trace over, it is recommended that you tick the CREATE ALL OBJECTS AS CONSTRUCTION LINES option.
- This will ensure that closed DXF polylines are not interpreted as additional floor planes separating the model from the ground, thus affecting analysis results. The option makes all imported DXF objects of type LINE and assigns them the default line material.
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3. Make sure the options are similar to the ones shown in the dialog box on the slide before, then click the OK button to import the file.
- For more information on the different options in this dialog box, take a look at the DXF Import page in the ECOTECT help file.
4. To start tracing from the 2D drawings, it is useful to lock the zones with the imported lines on, so as not to alter the imported geometry.
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3. 2D import - dxf files
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7.3.3. Ecotect - 2D import - dxf files
- ECOTECT will not read blocked or referenced objects. Therefore it is important that you explode any block or group objects before exporting as a DXF. - ECOTECT will also not understand very well change in UCS made to create
objects. Objects created with an altered UCS may import out of alignment and orientation.
- If exporting from AutoCAD, type use dxfout entered at the command line and in the SaveAs DXF dialog box, choose the Options button, then the DXF Options tab and make sure the Select Objects checkbox is ticked. It is important to only export the drawing objects, otherwise the DXF file will include all the line-style tables and redundant layers etc.
1. To import a DXF file, choose the Import... item from the File menu.
- Open the 2D drawing. You will need to make sure the Files of Type list has AutoCad DXF Files chosen.
