changing building geometry in idf file

edit

This is actually very easy using geomeppy (thanks, @Jeremy). It's pretty much the use case that drove me to create it in the first place.

From the readme:

IDF.add_block(...) # automatically adds a building block to the IDF

This method requires some explanation. The parameters required are:

name : str
    A name for the block.
coordinates : list
    A list of (x, y) tuples representing the building outline.
height : float
    The height of the block roof above ground level.
num_stories : int, optional
    The total number of stories including basement stories. Default : 1.
below_ground_stories : int, optional
    The number of stories below ground. Default : 0.
below_ground_storey_height : float, optional
    The height of each basement storey. Default : 2.5.
zoning : str, optional
    The rules to use in creating zones. Currently the only option is `by_storey` which sets each storey in the block as a Zone.

The block generated will have boundary conditions set correctly and any intersections with adjacent blocks will be handled automatically. The surface type will be set to wall, floor, ceiling or roof for each surface. Constructions are not set automatically so these will need to be added afterwards in the normal way for Eppy.

As @Stuart Dols mentioned, there is an OpenStudio Method to do this.

space = OpenStudio::Model::Space::fromFloorPrint(point3dVector, hight_m, model)

point3DVector is your polygon. You could use an OSM file format as your starting point and then convert to IDF when you want to do model manipulation outside of OpenStudio. You can also write an EnergyPlus measures, that takes in and passes out an IDF file, but under the hood makes a temp OSM file to create the envelope, and then converts it to IDF with the measure. You can see this in context in the Bar Aspect Ratio Study measure.

Here is the API documentation for the method

You could loop through multiple polygons (for core and perimeter zoning) and then run surface matching, and add windows and overhangs if you want. Could also make multi-story.

As another options, if your building footprints happen to be in geo-json format, there are methods available to import those into OpenStudio. This un-supported measure I posed as an example does the opposite, but I thought the code in it maybe useful. It converts footprint of OSM to geo-json text. I was using it to place OSM's into an urban environment

Likely the OS gurus will have suggestions, but depending on your requirements for building geometry you could use the following public domain tools/methods.

• Use CONTAM to create scaled, rectilinear shaped buildings (this is the main limitation on geometry). Drawing/defining multilevel buildings with ContamW is very simple.
• Use the Contam3DExport tool to extrude them to IDF files. Allows you to create IDF using pre-defined IDFs that contain building constructions/materials to be assigned based on surface type, e.g., exterior walls, interior walls, floors, etc. Can even create AirLoopHVAC for multiple systems if desired.
• Use eppy to modify IDF files as desired.

Let me know if you need more info.

Stuart