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Re: [Bldg-sim] [EnergyPlus_Support] I need advices for choosing a GUI



Nick,

 

Sorry if I gave the impression I’m not interested in or appreciate aesthetics.  I actually see my role as marrying architecture and engineering so I need to understand both.  I was just trying to think about the maths side of it.  Many times I have received a sketchup model from an architect and it is nigh-on impossible to use for modelling and simulation use as it’s just too fancy (for want of a better phrase).

 

I agree everyone welcome here.  I was just making some comments too.

 

Cheers

Paul

 

 

From: Nick Caton [mailto:ncaton@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx]
Sent: 30 October 2009 01:19
To: Paul Carey; EnergyPlus_Support@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx; bldg-sim@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
Subject: RE: [Bldg-sim] [EnergyPlus_Support] I need advices for choosing a GUI

 

Paul et al,

 

Apologies if my comments were misconstrued either as a bash against Designbuilder or a sales pitch for Sketchup.  My post was and is intended to clarify Sketchup’s current .dwg file support and the related cost implications.  I personally am in full support of any and all options/progress/market competition as necessary to advance the science of building energy modeling.

 

Both Sketchup (in tandem with a variety of plugins and external software) and Designbuilder are unique and powerful tools that each do a variety of specific things very well. 

 

“…but let’s face it, as building physicists we’re generally not interested in architectural fancifulness.  We are interested in boxes (well more or less) that make the maths quicker. “

 

To be fair, sometimes the task-at-hand does call for a bit of “architectural fancifulness,” such as when presenting results of preliminary massing studies to an architect/client!  From my perspective, Sketchup and Designbuilder both have a definite advantage over some of the “for-cost” competition in this regard.

 

I’d also like to kindly clarify for any newer subscribers:  you don’t have to be a hardcore physicist with zero aesthetic inclinations to participate in [bldg-sim] or other onebuilding.org mailing lists!  I’ve only been subscribed for a year, but it’s apparent that experienced and inexperienced energy simulation enthusiasts alike are welcome from all walks of the academic world and design industry.

 

~Nick

 

cid:489575314@22072009-0ABB

 

NICK CATON, E.I.T.

PROJECT ENGINEER

25501 west valley parkway

olathe ks 66061

direct 913 344.0036

fax 913 345.0617

Check out our new web-site @ www.smithboucher.com

 

From: Paul Carey [mailto:paul@xxxxxxxxxx]
Sent: Thursday, October 29, 2009 5:04 PM
To: Nick Caton; 'Kevin Kyte'; 'Jackson, Alan'; EnergyPlus_Support@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
Cc: bldg-sim@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
Subject: RE: [Bldg-sim] [EnergyPlus_Support] I need advices for choosing a GUI

 

Nick et al,

 

I still think DesignBuilder offers good value for money when you compare it to the cost of the pro-version of sketch-up.  It imports dxf, pdf, tiff, bmp, jpg (for 2d extruded modelling) & gbxml (for 3d importing).  Ok, perhaps it isn’t quite as pretty as SketchUp in places, but let’s face it, as building physicists we’re generally not interested in architectural fancifulness.  We are interested in boxes (well more or less) that make the maths quicker.  DesignBuilder does all that just the same.  It also has the advantage of the CFD tool module that allows you to look more closely airflow distribution based on the results from your EnergyPlus simulations which are directly linked if you want them to be and produces mean age of air results, that you could use for other ventilation & comfort analysis.

 

Just my tuppence/2 cents worth.

Cheers

Paul

 

 

Dr Paul Carey

BSc (Hons) PhD FRSA

Director

Low Carbon Energy Assessor

 

Zero Energy Design Ltd

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Stalybridge

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T:  0161 3386200

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From: bldg-sim-bounces@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx [mailto:bldg-sim-bounces@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx] On Behalf Of Nick Caton
Sent: 29 October 2009 21:41
To: Kevin Kyte; Jackson, Alan; EnergyPlus_Support@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
Cc: bldg-sim@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
Subject: Re: [Bldg-sim] [EnergyPlus_Support] I need advices for choosing a GUI

 

The current version of free sketchup (as of this month I believe) does not support .dwg importing, actually.  If you continue using any older version – it shouldn’t lose this functionality (keep your installation files).  The Sketchup development team has been clear on their intent to continue .dwg and other proprietary format file support in the Pro version. 

 

**A moment on my soapbox**

 

Our office took this as a cue to recognize that the free version of Sketchup is explicitly intended for educational/trial purposes, however powerful it may be – not for professional design use.  Our office purchased a Pro license in response to ensure continued support of import/export of .dwg and other formats we use.  I’d encourage others on bldg-sim to consider this carefully.  The cost:benefit ratio of the free version of Sketchup, for many of us, is pretty extraordinary.  To top it off it’s actually fairly inexpensive as far as professional design tools go.

 

**Stepping off the soapbox**

 

On a Sketchup-related note – I haven’t mentioned this on [bldg-sim] yet, but Sketchup-savvy users using a version with .dwg export support can actually export their models into AGI32 for photometric and rendering lighting/daylight studies after a little work in CAD to ensure a clean import.  I might write up an illustrated guide or post the full scoop here at some point in the future, but for those interested in learning immediately I’ll just say to head over to the AGI32 forums to find a lengthy post (intended to troubleshoot other AGI32-specific issues) where I composed a pretty decent outline of the process to start.

 

~Nick

 

cid:489575314@22072009-0ABB

 

NICK CATON, E.I.T.

PROJECT ENGINEER

25501 west valley parkway

olathe ks 66061

direct 913 344.0036

fax 913 345.0617

Check out our new web-site @ www.smithboucher.com

 

From: bldg-sim-bounces@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx [mailto:bldg-sim-bounces@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx] On Behalf Of Kevin Kyte
Sent: Thursday, October 29, 2009 2:43 PM
To: Jackson, Alan; EnergyPlus_Support@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
Cc: bldg-sim@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
Subject: Re: [Bldg-sim] [EnergyPlus_Support] I need advices for choosing a GUI

 

Free sketchup is not going to support dwg importing for much longer.

 


From: Jackson, Alan [mailto:ajackson@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx]
Sent: Thursday, October 29, 2009 1:09 PM
To: EnergyPlus_Support@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
Cc: bldg-sim@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
Subject: Re: [Bldg-sim] [EnergyPlus_Support] I need advices for choosing a GUI

 

In what sense?

 

If you mean it doesn’t have every single capability of modeling like the IDF or Text editor would, yes. But nothing does. It’s hard to keep up with the E+ developer cycle ;-)

 

If you mean it doesn’t run off Energyplus 3.0. It does.

 

I don’t use it because it’s too expensive. I prefer OpenStudio and the IDF Editor/Textpad because you have access to all the capabilities that E+ has to offer, but it took me years to become even semi comfortable (read: confident) with modeling through a txt file.

 

Either way maybe this should be moved over to BLDG-SIM.

 

Alan Jackson, LEED AP
KlingStubbins

 

From: EnergyPlus_Support@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx [mailto:EnergyPlus_Support@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx] On Behalf Of Emanuele Naboni
Sent: Thursday, October 29, 2009 1:03 PM
To: EnergyPlus_Support@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
Subject: Re: [EnergyPlus_Support] I need advices for choosing a GUI

 

 

Yes, but Hevacomp does not have the capabilities of EnergyPlus.

 

-- 
Emanuele Naboni

per l'Italia: 346.4133337
from US: +39.346.4133337
skype: emanuelenaboni
MArch, PhD Building Science, LEED AP, EU licensed architect

Please consider the environment before printing this email.

2009/10/29 Jackson, Alan <ajackson@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>

 

You should look into Hevacomp which is being revamped for the US.

 

Alan Jackson, LEED AP
KlingStubbins

 

From: EnergyPlus_Support@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx [mailto:EnergyPlus_Support@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx] On Behalf Of Josh K
Sent: Thursday, October 29, 2009 12:00 PM
To: EnergyPlus_Support@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
Subject: Re: [EnergyPlus_Support] I need advices for choosing a GUI

 

 

Hello;

My feeling is that their currently is not a *perfect* GUI for EnergyPlus, especially if you're interested in interoperability (ie IFC, gbXML, etc). Designbuilder seems to be getting closest in this regard, but when I tested it a while ago I found the modelling interface to be a bit clumsy and restrictive. OpenStudio is not bad, but still needs a little work to be practical for every day use (for instance, to my knowledge there is currently no good way to specify a heat transfer surface's adjacency conditions). I currently use ECOTECT, which had a lot of promise when I started using it three years ago but has progressed exactly zero since then. I don't know much about the other system you mention.

To summarize: the three you mention will all probably work for you, and each have their own advantages and disadvantages. If you're specifically interested in IFC compatibility, I'm not sure about the status of DesignBuilder in this respect, but neither OpenStudio nor ECOTECT currently have this capability.

Josh

On Thu, Oct 22, 2009 at 7:14 AM, bcavallier <bruno.cavallier@xxxxxxxxxxx> wrote:

 


Hello,

I want to learn EnergyPlus but I need a GUI. As it is a new activity for me, I would like to find the better couple [E+/GUI] regarding my needs. I am mainly interested in building energy simulation, particularly on the topics of energy efficiency and the smart use of solar energy for solar passive designing. I saw a lot of software on the web : Google Sketch Up with Openstudio, Designbuilder (well described at Harvard), Ecotect...

How can I make the best choice? My choice will use the IFC standard. I saw another software : Digital Project of Gehry Technologies which is based on Catia (Dassault Systemes) that works with IFC standards, but has anyone made simulation with [E+/this soft]?

Could you give me advices, please...

Best regards

B.Cavallier




--
Josh Kjenner, P.Eng., LEED AP
Manasc Isaac Architects Ltd.
10225 100 Avenue :: Edmonton, AB T5J 0A1
780.429.3977




--
Emanuele Naboni

per l'Italia: 346.4133337
from US: +39.346.4133337
skype: emanuelenaboni
www.emanuele-naboni.com
sustainable design consultant - consulente per la sostenibilita' di tecnologie, edifici e citta'
MArch, PhD Building Science, LEED AP, EU licensed architect

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