Create a new building template

asked 2016-06-29 21:03:24 -0600

1694 ●2 ●11

I would like to add my own Building Type and Template, to append to the list available when creating a new OpenStudio model in the SketchUp app.

Is this possible? Is it documented? Will it require modifying the measure on the BCL Space Type and Construction Set Wizzard https://bcl.nrel.gov/node/82266

Would it be possible to create a 'Library' osm file and use that as a Building Type? My efforts so far have not been succesful on this, so I am guessing it is not that easy.

In Australia we have a residential rating scheme called NaTHERS. The software required to do NatHERS ratings of houses and apartments is not great and there are a few parties developing 3D modelling add-ons. I would like to do some benchmarking, using OS to run comparative simulations - comparing NaTHERS results to E+ results. To make this work, I need to create a Library of the NatHERS schedules, space types, internal gains, etc and so forth, so I can quickly and repeatedly model a number of residential designs.

OS-Add-Nathers.PNG

answered 2016-06-30 09:57:35 -0600

David Goldwasser

20415 ●94 ●14 http://www.openstudio.net/

There is a copy of the Space Type and Construction Set wizard measure within the OpenStudio SketchUp Plugin User scripts.. While you could extend that JSON contained within this, we hope to replace this in the near future with a wizard based on the openstdio-standards gem that is included with OpenStudio 1.12.0, which was just released. As the gem is extended for newer ASHRAE standards, international standards, and additional building types; the wizard will have access to the new content.

Having said that, there is a much more straight forward solution, which is very much like you describe. Use the stand alone OpenStudio application to make a "Library" OSM file. It is just a standard OSM file with space types and construction sets that you want to pull from. After you have made your library, then you can access the library from the SketchUp plugin by opening the library OSM file and then choosing "SaveAs" so you create a new OSM vs. editing your library. After you create your spaces, you can use the Space Attributes tool to assign your space types and construction sets.

If you want to assign space types from the stand alone OpenStudio application, you can go to "Load Library" under the File menu, to load your custom OSM file. Your space types and construction sets will show in the "Library" tab, and you can drag in resources selectively as you need them.