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I looked through my IDFs for residential buildings, and for all of my BuildingSurface:Detailed and FenestrationSurface:Detailed objects, the field View Factor to Ground was blank (specified with a ","). I believe that this means E+ autocalculates it. I couldn't find any IDF object with "view factor" other than View Factor to Ground, so I don't know where in the IDF you would specify view factors to the sky, air, and surrounding building surfaces. It appears that specifying View Factors to anything other than the ground is optional.

I looked through my IDFs for residential buildings, and for all of my BuildingSurface:Detailed and FenestrationSurface:Detailed objects, the field View Factor to Ground was blank (specified with a ","). I believe that this means E+ autocalculates it. I couldn't find any IDF object with "view factor" other than View Factor to Ground, so I don't know where in the IDF you would specify view factors to the sky, air, and surrounding building surfaces. It appears that specifying View Factors to anything other than the ground is optional.

I looked through my IDFs for residential buildings, and for all of my BuildingSurface:Detailed and FenestrationSurface:Detailed objects, the field View Factor to Ground was blank (specified with a ","). I believe that this means E+ autocalculates it. I couldn't find any IDF object with "view factor" other than View Factor to Ground, so I don't know where in the IDF you would specify view factors to the sky, air, and surrounding building surfaces. It appears that specifying View Factors to anything other than the ground is optional.

I looked through my IDFs for residential buildings, and for all of my BuildingSurface:Detailed and FenestrationSurface:Detailed objects, the field View Factor to Ground was blank (specified with a ","). I believe that this means E+ autocalculates it. I couldn't find any IDF object with "view factor" other than View Factor to Ground, so I don't know where in the IDF you would specify view factors to the sky, air, and surrounding building surfaces. It appears that specifying View Factors to anything other than the ground is optional.

In I/O reference, it says for Field: Sky View Factor, "the sky view factor used in solar radiation calculation of the surface would be overwritten with the value of the fraction if defined here." If left blank, E+ autocalculates Sky View Factor, but it can be manually defined in the SurfaceProperty:SurroundingSurfaces object.

Similarly, for the Ground View Factor field, if left blank E+ autocalculates it according to certain rules (see link), but it can be overwritten/manually defined in SurfaceProperty:SurroundingSurfaces object.

It appears that Field: Surrounding Surface 1 View Factor, which defines surface view factor for neighboring buildings or overhangs, is not autocalculated by E+ and must be user inputted.

Note: you can define multiple surrounding surfaces (overhangs + neighboring buildings) for a particular external surface if you wish.

"The last three fields are extensible to define multiple surrounding surface name, temperature and view factor sets."

I suppose this bit of documentation helps you out with sky, ground, and surrounding surface view factors but not air view factor.

https://bigladdersoftware.com/epx/docs/9-5/input-output-reference/group-advanced-surface-concepts.html#surfacePropertysurroundingSurfaces

I looked through my IDFs for residential buildings, and for all of my BuildingSurface:Detailed and FenestrationSurface:Detailed objects, the field View Factor to Ground was blank (specified with a ","). I believe that this means E+ autocalculates it. I couldn't find any IDF object with "view factor" other than View Factor to Ground, so I don't know where in the IDF you would specify view factors to the sky, air, and surrounding building surfaces. It appears that specifying View Factors to anything other than the ground is optional.

In I/O reference, it says for Field: Sky View Factor, "the sky view factor used in solar radiation calculation of the surface would be overwritten with the value of the fraction if defined here." If left blank, E+ autocalculates Sky View Factor, but it can be manually defined in the SurfaceProperty:SurroundingSurfaces object.

Similarly, for the Ground View Factor field, if left blank E+ autocalculates it according to certain rules (see link), but it can be overwritten/manually defined in SurfaceProperty:SurroundingSurfaces object.

It appears that Field: Surrounding Surface 1 View Factor, which defines surface view factor for neighboring buildings or overhangs, is not autocalculated by E+ and must be user inputted.

Note: you can define multiple surrounding surfaces (overhangs + neighboring buildings) for a particular external surface if you wish.

"The last three fields are extensible to define multiple surrounding surface name, temperature and view factor sets."

I suppose this bit of documentation helps you out with sky, ground, and surrounding surface view factors but not air view factor.

In your table, in the column "blank," for row "and the sky", I would replace "Sky temp: Auto-calculated" with "Sky temp: Global", and make the similar correction for column "input" (i.e. Sky temp: Global, but can be specified). Leave out the question mark b.c. the docs clearly show that you can override/specify your own Sky Temp to be used with the field Sky Temperature Schedule Name. I would make similar "Global" replacement corrections for Ground Temp.

https://bigladdersoftware.com/epx/docs/9-5/input-output-reference/group-advanced-surface-concepts.html#surfacePropertysurroundingSurfaces

I looked through my IDFs for residential buildings, and for all of my BuildingSurface:Detailed and FenestrationSurface:Detailed objects, the field View Factor to Ground was blank (specified with a ","). I believe that this means E+ autocalculates it. I couldn't find any IDF object with "view factor" other than View Factor to Ground, so I don't know where in the IDF you would specify view factors to the sky, air, and surrounding building surfaces. It appears that specifying View Factors to anything other than the ground is optional.

In I/O reference, it says for Field: Sky View Factor, "the sky view factor used in solar radiation calculation of the surface would be overwritten with the value of the fraction if defined here." If left blank, E+ autocalculates Sky View Factor, but it can be manually defined in the SurfaceProperty:SurroundingSurfaces object.

Similarly, for the Ground View Factor field, if left blank E+ autocalculates it according to certain rules (see link), but it can be overwritten/manually defined in SurfaceProperty:SurroundingSurfaces object.

It appears that Field: Surrounding Surface 1 View Factor, which defines surface view factor for neighboring buildings or overhangs, is not autocalculated by E+ and must be user inputted.

Note: you can define multiple surrounding surfaces (overhangs + neighboring buildings) for a particular external surface if you wish.

"The last three fields are extensible to define multiple surrounding surface name, temperature and view factor sets."

I suppose this bit of documentation helps you out with sky, ground, and surrounding surface view factors but not air view factor.

In your table, in the column "blank," for row "and the sky", I would replace "Sky temp: Auto-calculated" with "Sky temp: Global", and make the similar correction for column "input" (i.e. Sky temp: Global, but can be specified).

Leave out the question mark b.c. the docs clearly show that you can override/specify your own Sky Temp to be used with the field Sky Temperature Schedule Name. I would make similar "Global" replacement corrections for Ground Temp.ground temp. E+ says that if ground temp is left blank, than the global ground temperature would be used.

https://bigladdersoftware.com/epx/docs/9-5/input-output-reference/group-advanced-surface-concepts.html#surfacePropertysurroundingSurfaces

I looked through my IDFs for residential buildings, and for all of my BuildingSurface:Detailed and FenestrationSurface:Detailed objects, the field View Factor to Ground was blank (specified with a ","). I believe that this means E+ autocalculates it. I couldn't find any IDF object with "view factor" other than View Factor to Ground, so I don't know where in the IDF you would specify view factors to the sky, air, and surrounding building surfaces. It appears that specifying View Factors to anything other than the ground is optional.

In I/O reference, it says for Field: Sky View Factor, "the sky view factor used in solar radiation calculation of the surface would be overwritten with the value of the fraction if defined here." If left blank, E+ autocalculates Sky View Factor, but it can be manually defined in the SurfaceProperty:SurroundingSurfaces object.

Similarly, for the Ground View Factor field, if left blank E+ autocalculates it according to certain rules (see link), but it can be overwritten/manually defined in SurfaceProperty:SurroundingSurfaces object.

It appears that Field: Surrounding Surface 1 View Factor, which defines surface view factor for neighboring buildings or overhangs, is not autocalculated by E+ and must be user inputted. I could be wrong here. It can definitely be specified, so make that correction in the bottom right cell of your table.

Note: you can define multiple surrounding surfaces (overhangs + neighboring buildings) for a particular external surface if you wish.

"The last three fields are extensible to define multiple surrounding surface name, temperature and view factor sets."

I suppose this bit of documentation helps you out with sky, ground, and surrounding surface view factors but not air view factor.

In your table, in the column "blank," for row "and the sky", I would replace "Sky temp: Auto-calculated" with "Sky temp: Global", and make the similar correction for column "input" (i.e. Sky temp: Global, but can be specified).

Leave out the question mark b.c. the docs clearly show that you can override/specify your own Sky Temp to be used with the field Sky Temperature Schedule Name. I would make similar "Global" replacement corrections for ground temp. E+ says that if ground temp is left blank, than the global ground temperature would be used.

https://bigladdersoftware.com/epx/docs/9-5/input-output-reference/group-advanced-surface-concepts.html#surfacePropertysurroundingSurfaces

I looked through my IDFs for residential buildings, and for all of my BuildingSurface:Detailed and FenestrationSurface:Detailed objects, the field View Factor to Ground was blank (specified with a ","). I believe that this means E+ autocalculates it. I couldn't find any IDF object with "view factor" other than View Factor to Ground, so I don't know where in the IDF you would specify view factors to the sky, air, and surrounding building surfaces. It appears for those surface objects that specifying View Factors to anything other than the ground is optional.

In I/O reference, it says for Field: Sky View Factor, "the sky view factor used in solar radiation calculation of the surface would be overwritten with the value of the fraction if defined here." If left blank, E+ autocalculates Sky View Factor, but it can be manually defined in the SurfaceProperty:SurroundingSurfaces object.

Similarly, for the Ground View Factor field, if left blank E+ autocalculates it according to certain rules (see link), but it can be overwritten/manually defined in SurfaceProperty:SurroundingSurfaces object.

It appears that Field: Surrounding Surface 1 View Factor, which defines surface view factor for neighboring buildings or overhangs, is not autocalculated by E+ and must be user inputted. I could be wrong here. It can definitely be specified, so make that correction in the bottom right cell of your table.

Note: you can define multiple surrounding surfaces (overhangs + neighboring buildings) for a particular external surface if you wish.

"The last three fields are extensible to define multiple surrounding surface name, temperature and view factor sets."

I suppose this bit of documentation helps you out with sky, ground, and surrounding surface view factors but not air view factor.

In your table, in the column "blank," for row "and the sky", I would replace "Sky temp: Auto-calculated" with "Sky temp: Global", and make the similar correction for column "input" (i.e. Sky temp: Global, but can be specified).

Leave out the question mark b.c. the docs clearly show that you can override/specify your own Sky Temp to be used with the field Sky Temperature Schedule Name. I would make similar "Global" replacement corrections for ground temp. E+ says that if ground temp is left blank, than the global ground temperature would be used.

https://bigladdersoftware.com/epx/docs/9-5/input-output-reference/group-advanced-surface-concepts.html#surfacePropertysurroundingSurfaces