Revit and IES

[andre.gawlik]

Originally posted by kyle.bernhardt

....The resulting geometries in the <VE> between gbXML and the Direct Link aren't really going to differ. In both cases the geometries will be based on the Room geometries in the model, as well as shading surfaces (Room Bounding Elements that don't bound rooms, think of a roof overhang)....


Kyle,

What kind of room complexity can be transfered to IES<VE>, are we still talking about simple box form or are we talking about complex form.

I've been using IES for some time now and one of the biggest problems to date was ability to recreate building's geometry. Unfortunately, architects design buildings using complex and organic forms. I tried to use gbXML in the past but with no success - openings missing, rooms missing, open plan complex geometry rooms could not be transferred across at all.

Running calculations is the easiest part for the building services engineer - real chore is in building geometry recreation.

Is anything been done about it in Revit MEP or are we still in the deep ?


Regards

Andre Gawlik

[ejburrell67787]

Elrond,

I think you may be a bit mistaken as to what the current link to the <VE> does in Revit MEP. The Building Geometry as well as various parameters are brought directly into the <VE>. Things like Light Fixtures are not currently involved in the process. There is obviously value to items like that, and it would be logical for them to be the "next step" for further development of the link. No promises though .

Essentially what we're doing now is converting the building model geometry as it exists in Revit, into an Energy Analysis Model that makes sense to the <VE> as well as other analysis programs that handle gbXML files.

Thanks for clarifying Kyle, I remembered more about the energy analysis room parameters in RMEP when I read your post! And I watched the videoa on the IES web site last night too... very useful (although strange time-lag between audio and visual...)

So it looks to me like the sustainability toolkit would be a useful thing for a Architect to have access to, whereas our engineers would be using the full IES <VE> tools. What is missing from RA in R-MEP? Just wondering if a team of say 6 architects could work productively with 5 seats of RA and 1 seat of RMEP or whether the seat of RMEP would be a significant disadvantage in modelling and producing drawings...

Look forward to the white paper...

[kyle.bernhardt]

What kind of room complexity can be transfered to IES<VE>, are we still talking about simple box form or are we talking about complex form.

Andre,
You can export very complex room geometries to the <VE>. We've seen this already with users on our Beta. When you understand fully what's driving the output of the EAM, the 3D Room geometry, and how to manipulate them so it represents your building geometry, the sky is really the limit. Of course, there are a few limitations cause of how Rooms currently work in Revit (outward slanting walls, rooms inside rooms), but many of these things can be overcome. In the end, you're going to have a MUCH better model in any analysis software coming from Revit than you'd ever get if you tried to re-create it from scratch.

This stuff is covered in great detail in our upcoming White Paper on the subject. If you can wait a week or so most likely these questions will be answered.

Cheers,
Kyle B

[ejburrell67787]

This stuff is covered in great detail in our upcoming White Paper on the subject. If you can wait a week or so most likely these questions will be answered.

Cheers,
Kyle B

We have a meeting with a Revit reseller, possibly a rep from IES and possible our M&E Engineer on Monday the 23rd... any chance of it being out before then?

[kyle.bernhardt]

If all goes according to schedule, yes.

[ejburrell67787]

If all goes according to schedule, yes.

Ok no more questions for you then, I'll let you get on with it!

[ejburrell67787]

Any word on public release of this white paper yet Kyle?

[jkrager]

Anybody else feel strongly about this topic and want to weigh in?

Of course! The two big things in Architecture today is Green and BIM. Put them together and you get...(Autodesk fill in REVIT!!) I strongly agree that we need tools to analyze our buildings throughout the design process. The problem is that the standards to analyze them are still being developed, as well as the tools to analyze them. I see an opportunity for Autodesk to really grab hold of the direction of the building design profession(s) and direct it in a good (profitable for them) way that benefits everybody, including the general public. Since a lot of things are still in the developing phase, any company that is willing to invent ways at connecting the dots and bring easy to use, comprehensive solutions to the hands of the users/designers stands to make out really well. Don't get me wrong, there have been huge leaps already (i.e. structural analysis of framing systems, IFC compatibility, etc.). But there are still lots of government agencies and other bodies requiring reports of building performance. I say, don't wait for the users to ask, find out what they are not asking for but need to produce anyway.

By the way, I was saddened when I saw that Sketchup/Google had made the connection with McGraw Hill. I was hoping Revit would get there first...

[kyle.bernhardt]

Any word on public release of this white paper yet Kyle?

Still in legal review. I will be sure to notify you all as soon as we get it posted on the Web.

Kyle B

P.S. I love lawyers!

[kyle.bernhardt]

The White Paper has been posted on our website for public consumption, go get it!

Cheers,
Kyle B