[Equest-users] How to import 3D model

[Patrick J. O'Leary, Jr.]

it is also good to remember that gbxml translations are not 100% 
accurate yet.  a study a few years ago indicated that major vendor 
(autodesk, bently, archicad, etc) translations to/from gbxml were only 
about 90% so if you take something that's 90% accurate & convert it once 
you've introduced a 10% error rate.  make changes to a translated gbxml 
file & translate it again & you're 81%.  i'm thinking with time the 
accuracy may increase but there's not really an incentive, financial or 
otherwise, for autodesk (or others) to make their files 100% compatible 
with their competitors despite their public announcements of cooperation 
on the matter.  equest/energy+ are still competitors to their own 
non-free energy simulation software.

a few years ago i wrote some translation software to go from gbxml to 
.pd2/.inp for just the building components 
(spaces/walls/roof/windows/floors) & found a) it worked better going to 
wizard mode than detailed mode (too many odd shaped walls, nonaccurate 
window orientations, and missing elements), and b) autodesk is not 
consistent w/the gbxml file format across their platforms.  a revit 
architecture gbxml export was different in where space components were 
defined than a file from the autocad mep or revit mep packages and when 
architects i was working with upgraded from one year of revit to the 
next the gbxml file format would change.  this would require my 
rewriting sections of code to find the new space definitions w/their 
respective floors/walls/etc & i finally decided spending that much time 
rewriting something every i received a new gbxml file from a different 
client using a slightly different version of autodesk/archicad/bently 
wasn't worth it.

my point?  i'm still creating shells & assigning zones via the wizard it 
is easier & faster than trying to convert something else.  odd shaped 
buildings = more shells.  buildings w/areas w/different heights = 
multiple shells.  get it as close as possible in the wizard mode & as 
long as it is thermodynamically similar it is not only  close enough it 
is closer than anything you'll produce with trane or hap as neither will 
give you a 3d representation of your building so you can make sure it is 
as close to thermodynamically similar as you can get.

and finally, i've also learned to use a master .pd2 file.  i add custom 
constructions (since 3.63 & up allow this) and custom windows and doors 
& then i don't have to define them every time i start a project.  floor 
slabs don't allow this yet but at least i have a master file with the 
baseline building constructions as predefined as possible & also has the 
common constructions i typically see from recurring clients.  note:  i 
still check the constructions when i switch to detailed mode just to 
make sure equest doesn't do something funny and change a calculated 
u-value to something else for some odd reason.

On 1/4/12 7:33 AM, Wolfe, Brian wrote:
>
> I've tried using .gbxml to import 3D models, but the zones did not 
> import correctly.  I've heard that it's best to recreate the model in 
> eQuest.  I am interested in how this DrawBDL 3.0 will work.  I'm sure 
> if there was a way of importing the design model into the energy 
> model, all teams would greatly benefit from the decreased amount of 
> time wasted on rebuilding a model.  This would be a good round table 
> discussion on the best way of importing the design model into an 
> energy model.
>
> *Brian Wolfe*, CDT, LEED AP BD+C
> Sustainable Design Coordinator
>
> HKS|  Enhancing the Human Experience
>
> If you are sending large files, please use my *Thru* 
> <https://hks.thruinc.net/drop_box.asp?toemail=bwolfe@hksinc.com> dropbox.
> *vCard* <http://vcard.hksinc.com/?email=bwolfe@hksinc.com>
>
> *From:*equest-users-bounces at lists.onebuilding.org 
> [mailto:equest-users-bounces at lists.onebuilding.org] *On Behalf Of 
> *steve clark
> *Sent:* Wednesday, January 04, 2012 6:44 AM
> *To:* m zahid
> *Cc:* e quest
> *Subject:* Re: [Equest-users] How to import 3D model
>
> Will Google Sketchup work for this purpose?
>
> On Wed, Jan 4, 2012 at 2:45 AM, m zahid <imzahid1 at hotmail.com 
> <mailto:imzahid1 at hotmail.com>> wrote:
>
> hi
>
> Happy New Year to All. Does anybody know the any software from which 
> we can import 3D model into eQuest.**
>
> thanks
>
>
> zahid
>
>
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>
> -- 
> Steve Clark
>
>
>
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