[Bldg-sim] Print Utility for IDF files

[Jon Hand]

If this print utility is as an aide to model quality checking one 
pattern to follow is that used by the ESP-r simulation suite 
for its model contents report.  It decodes most of the data 
in the model files into a quazi-human-readable
form with various derived attributes added.  

We find that such model contents documents, which are 
designed for QA staff, are a good way of detecting patterns 
in descriptive information which is difficult, if not impossible, 
to detect on a computer monitor.  Just printing
the literal contents of an IDF file does not necessarily 
help - it is formatted for machine reading and does not 
join together distributed information that
eyes are good at making sense of. 

And model QA reports, if generated at different stages 
of a model evolution, are great for visual difference 
checks about 'what has changed' and 'what is still left to do'.

Indeed, Lind Lawrie and I discussed the need for an 
alternative QA process for EnergyPlus models - if you check 
IDF files regularly there seems to be a correlation with grey 
hair.

And to balance out this QA report there is a chapter in the
ESP-r Cookbookthat gives guidance on how to interpret 
the contents of the report and what key words to look for
and patterns to look for and stages when reports are
particularly useful.  

The model report is rather large for inclusion in a Bldg-sim 
email but if anyone is interested I would be happy to 
forward some typical reports and the documentation that 
supports its use.

Regards, Jon Hand
jon at esru.strath.ac.uk

________________________________________
From: bldg-sim-bounces at lists.onebuilding.org [bldg-sim-bounces at lists.onebuilding.org] On Behalf Of ishan.mehtaug08 [ishan.mehtaug08 at students.iiit.ac.in]
Sent: 06 March 2011 06:27
To: bldg-sim at lists.onebuilding.org
Subject: [Bldg-sim] Print Utility for IDF files

Hi,
I am an engineering student and I am developing a utility to print IDF
files.I would like to know what kind of objects and formats users of IDF
files wish to have printed so that I can try to incorporate them into my
utility.
Regards,
Ishan Mehta