Simulation runs but does not generate output Files

asked 2020-02-26 16:42:41 -0600

J_Linx
41 ●1

updated 2020-03-02 13:57:39 -0600

__AmirRoth__

4436 ●5 ●17 http://bleedinggreenna...

Hi all,

I am trying to run a simple simulation of a building to confirm that my software is set up correctly, but cannot seem to get the output files from the simulation.

I am using Euclid 0.9.3 plug-in with Sketchup Make 17.3.116 and EnergyPlus 8.7.0 and Atom 1.44.0 as my text editor, all on a Mac running Mojave 10.14.6

I am trying to run the simulation through the Euclid extension which shows a run settings menu. When I select run a dialog comes up from Sketchup saying that "EnergyPlus will be launched in a new instance of the Terminal application. After the simulation is finished you must quit out of the Terminal application before any Actions on Completion will be started." This seemed par for the course given the Legacy OpenStudio documentation that indicated this would have to be done. Once the terminal application, in my case is Atom, opens and displays a short script file that says "the simulation is now finished. You must quit out of this terminal application."

I do so and once I do another dialog comes up saying: cannot find the program "Applications/EnergyPlus-8-7-0/readvars unable to generate csv file." And this is the final message I receive. I checked all around but cannot see any other output files from the simulation that has supposedly run. I tried to go under the hood into the EnergyPlus folder to find the readvars function and I too could not find it, but I did find a function called runreadvars. I changed the name on a whim and then ran the simulation again, and had all the same messages except for the last dialog, which did not pop up. But however the directory that the idf file and the epw file are saved to still lacks any output files, suggesting that the readvars function is still failing in some way.

I have no experience with this software and it seems very close to functioning correctly, so I am at a loss as to how to troubleshoot it. Any help would be greatly apprectiated.

-Jeremy

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answered 2020-02-27 12:25:59 -0600

Aaron Boranian

14100 ●81 ●24 http://bigladdersoftware.com/

@J_Linx this is a documented bug for Euclid v0.9.3. To summarize, Euclid is trying to open ReadVars in the wrong folder, which we see from the key error message below:

cannot find the program "Applications/EnergyPlus-8-7-0/readvars unable to generate csv file."

In general, ReadVars is the utility that reads the ESO output file to generate the CSV file containing output variables and meters. On Mac, this utility is not saved in

Applications/EnergyPlus-8-7-0/readvars

but rather in

Applications/EnergyPlus-8-7-0/PostProcess/ReadVarsESO

We (Big Ladder Software) plan on releasing a public update for Euclid soon, but if you immediately need a temporary version with this issue resolved then please send me an email (aaron.boranian@bigladdersoftware.com).

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If you need a simple workaround, just symlink to where it expects to find it...

sudo ln -sf /Applications/EnergyPlus-8-7-0/PostProcess/ReadVarsESO /Applications/EnergyPlus-8-7-0/readvars

Julien Marrec ( 2020-02-28 04:25:47 -0600 )edit

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answered 2020-02-27 06:38:24 -0600

Jim Dirkes
3534 ●27 ●16

I suspect that you have not "told" EnergyPlus to:

prepare any of the standard reports (Output:Table:SummaryReports...)
create output variables (Output:Variable.....)

These are easily added from the IDF Editor. I am not familiar with the various other software you are using, so I can't add insight regarding those.

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You are correct that I did not "tell" EP to prepare the reports in the .idf file that I made. However when I ran the idf file through Euclid it generated a new .expidf file that has Output commands in it. I am not sure if it is running the .idf or the .expidf file, but I added an output command to the .idf file and tried to run it again and saw no outputs again. I also tried to run example files in the EP install folder that have Output commands and again had no output files.

J_Linx ( 2020-02-27 11:11:12 -0600 )edit

Hmmm... You'll need to determine which file is being used for simulation - I'm guessing it's the .expidf.

Since that is both file types are text files, you can open them with a text editor (or the E+ IDF Editor) and search for the E+ objects I mentioned in the answer earlier.