Category Archives: Uncategorized

Win a Trip to AU!

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3Dconnexion is offering a trip to Autodesk University in Las Vegas on Nov. 29 – Dec. 1, as well as a airfare, accommodations and a SpacePilot PRO 3D mouse. To enter this drawing, please complete required fields in the form that can be found at this link http://bit.ly/qcWJii. Submission will only be accepted by midnight U.S. PDT on November 7, 2011. For details, please see terms and conditions. The winner will be contacted by email or phone on November 8, 2011 and will have 3 days to claim prize.

Green Spaces Live – a Free gbXML Tool

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Hi everyone, my name is Neil Bulger and I am an energy modeler for a small design MP firm on the west coast in Oakland, CA. I’m happy to join the writing team here on the openRevit site. My focus and interest in energy modeling has been to find open-source tools that can both mold to the job required and providing enough information under the hood for engineers and owners to feel comfortable with the results. Today, I’d like to share a neat tool I found a while back called Greenspaceslive (greenspacelive.com). The tool is a plugin that works with Google Sketchup and allows a 3D model of a building to be tagged with surface types and assigned to spaces, building a gbXML file that can then be exported to a number of various software tools, such as Trane Trace or in California, EnergyPro used for code compliance. While this is a free tool that can create gbXML, which is fantastic, it is not without its holes, and it has some major ones. I honestly think this is a great tool, but for purposes of today, I will talk about the shortcomings and some advice. The way the program works … Continue reading →

Back in the NYC!

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Hey! I wanted to let everyone know I moved back to NY from Philadelphia. I will be working in Manhattan specializing in MEP BIM and Technology integration including Building Performance and Energy Modeling. I like to think I’m pretty good at it and I love to meet new people and talk about how we can make these things work better for the AEC industry. Drop me a line anytime on the contact page and we can talk. No strings attached.

LBNL Software Update: IGDB 18.1

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Dear Optics or WINDOW user: You are getting this message because you have downloaded the Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory WINDOW or Optics software, a previous version of the IGDB, or you requested notification about new versions. The International Glazing Database (IGDB) contains spectral data used by the Optics and WINDOW programs. The most recent version of the International Glazing Database is available for download. You can update your existing database from our website at: http://windows.lbl.gov/materials/IGDB/ If you do not want to receive future emails related to the IGDB, please go to the LBNL Windows and Daylighting website and remove your name from our mailing list. To do this, click on this link: http://windows.lbl.gov/software/registration/register.asp?UserUpdate=True You will be asked to log in, and then you can Uncheck “Please Notify me of Software Updates”. If you don’t know your password, there is a link on the log-in page where you can ask for it to be e-mailed to you. Thank you for your interest in our software Robin Mitchell Christian Kohler Windows & Daylighting Group Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory

HVAC Templates in Energyplus

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New site theme! Had some problems with the old one, anyway, on to the videos! I have been getting lots of emails about posting new videos specifically those related to HVAC systems which is obviously what everyone wants to learn and what we all struggle with. I am starting simple here by showcasing what I believe to be the most powerful part of Energyplus and perhaps one of the best implementations of creating HVAC systems in any analysis tool to date. I am a big fan of the HVAC Template modules and use them to create simple systems and ultimately expand them into more complex systems. For instance you may want to model a GSHP system. In the past I would create a standard Water Cooled Chiller system and swap out the tower for a ground loop and the chiller for a WSHP. By using the template to create the base branches and nodes you can easily swap out the equipment later on, making the difficult piece of the branches automated. So check out the videos and you’ll be creating HVAC systems in minutes, in some instances faster then you ever have before, enjoy!