Is there a way to export a model from AECOsim Energy Smulator to get it back to Building Designer? I mean exporting it as a gbXML, Dgn or any other format, but keeping all the objects (rooms, envelope walls, surface components, roofs...) and all the data (wall definitions or lighting data, for example).
I´m not sure if gbXML format allows ho have wall definitions inside, but DGN does it.
Is there a way? Is Energy Simulator an one-direction app?
Pedro
Hi Pedro, You can open a .DGN created in AECOsim Energy Simulator in AECOsim Building Designer but the envelopes would be simple Shapes with no extended Building Designer properties such as construction materials. The upcoming SS6 release of Building Designer will include an export of an Analytical Space Model (ASM) for use in Energy Simulator. This is a one way process. I am interested to understand your required workflow. What are you building your Energy Simulator model on as your template i.e. DGN DXF etc.
Steve Brown | Bentley Systems
Hi, Stephen, thanks for the answer. I am looking for a bidirectional way between ABD and AES, in which I could define in ADB some spaces and envelopes with material properties applied, pass them to AES, check them there and change them as needed, and return that model (with spaces, surfaces and materials) back to ADB. In short: to use AES as integrated inside ADB. Glad to hear that new ABD to AES method. Currently I am using the gbXML way, trying to avoid having to re-model all the building again. But all material properties are lost. So if I want to take profit of the results on AES, I have to duplicate material definitions, check them, apply them manually in ADB... I am almost sure I am doing something wrong using this workflow. But If I´m not, it seems not very practical. Thanks in advance, Pedro
Pedro Martín García - BIM WIP
http://www.bimwip.com/ --- pmartgar@bimwip.com --- http://www.linkedin.com/in/pedromartingarcia/en
I agree with Pedro. AES should be able to run inside ABD. AES as a product is based on being able to produce a 3d space model quickly and do energy calcs. The problem is the product is flawed because it does not address the need to deal with updates. I find this reflected in the really unsatisfactory way environmental and other sustainability aspects are integrated into planning applications and building designs in the UK. The problem is the lack of bi-directional workflows that result in the architectural design being only marginally informed by the analytical work . You can pretty much tell that the environmental engineer was handed the design at the last minute and just did one run showing where the problem areas are in colourful charts and renders. It is reactive and after the fact. The planning application goes in showing the areas of noncompliance and promises to fix it later... which builds in the need for another expensive application and the need to change the design in parallel with detail design. What is needed are closer feedback loops or even better a means of getting the environmental forces to drive the architectural or services geometry / design. The other reason AES should be in BBD is fundamental link between the energy model and the MEP design flow/volume etc model. It makes a lot of sense to be able to hook them up dynamically. Lets not forget there is much more than schematic design, its not just about the architect's space boxes being replicated in AES. Hopefully, the SS6 release will allow ISM style tracked updates, so that when ever the ASM is updated the energy modeler will not have to reconstruct / redo his changes. Updates from AES also need to tracked so that the material changes proposed by the AES jockey can be adopted and propagated to the physical model's tagged attribute info and any geometric changes dealt with. More insulation, here? Architect either pushes wall out or look for higher perf insulant. And the energy model results need to be available for the BBD MEP modellers as well. Who will need to update their design which will be using inputs from the AES model. This is where the bulk of the work will lie.
Unknown said:ABD SS6 will have the conceptual part of AES integrated with it. And, that's good news, especially for the Architects. That'll help during conceptual efforts
At last perhaps begining to see what Volker Mueller promised many years ago - built-in interractive tools for use during conceptual design, so things like the energy consequences of the current 'architectural' layout, orientation, fenestration, 'lossy' detail/shapes, materials etc can be easily weighed up 'on the fly', and the effect of ameliorative modifications can be instantly seen/reported.
Hopefully the range of these tools can extend in future to e.g. cost, sustainability/eco-footprint of materials, operations, excavation etc - and several more.
It always seemed to me that GC could play a part in this, if its form-finding could be modified to integrate non-graphical constraints e.g. cost, sustainability, energy alongside physical/graphical constraints.