AftabRad Revit Add-in -> Doing Annual DGP (Daylight Glare Probability) Analysis on the Calculation Grid Points

Here, this tutorial is about showing how to do a DGPs analysis (simplified DGP) for grids of points.

To do so, at first, we need to define grids of points and their dominant view direction. The next step is to export the model and the selected grid points into Daysim.

Then, we need to do a DGPs analysis by Daysim and Finally import the results with the help of the Data2Revit page.

Therefore, to do a DGPs (Simplified version of Daylight Glare Probability) analysis for the selected grids points including a dominant view direction, we should do the following steps:

1-      Press ExportToRadiance button in the AftabRad Add-in

2-      Select Annual DGP in the Type of Sky/Analysis

3-      In the Calculation Point Creation page, we need to create calculation grids points by selecting some surfaces in the model, some elements together with choosing some of their surface normal directions,

or by choosing some of the rooms/spaces inside the building to do the analysis.

                     I.            As an another option, we can create a calculation points file by using sensor grids points family instead.

                   II.            Since any type of glare analysis is related to the viewpoint and view direction, we can assign the view direction of the calculation points by activating the checkboxes that are available under the Customize Sensors Orientation.

To make only one view direction for each calculation point, you can active the first checkbox that is next to the X,Y,Z textboxes, but if you want to create more up to 8 directions (that are based on the cardinal and ordinal direction )

for each calculation point, by activating the checkbox next to the Adding new Directions for Each Point button and pressing it, the Create New View Directions page will appear. In that page, you can choose all or some of the cardinal and ordinal directions and finally press the OK button.

                 III.            Then, in the Calculation Points Creation page, we should press the OK to create the calculation point file.

4-      In the next step, we need to press ExportToRadiance button in the AftabRad Add-in

5-      Check the checkbox next to the Rtrace Settings button, and then select Annual DGP in the Type of Sky/Analysis

6-      Since dynamic analyses are usually based on including typical weather conditions of the place, we need to import EPW (Energy Plus Weather Data File).

One of the most common way to find different EPW file for different cities in the world is to download the weather data file of around 2000 cities in the world from https://energyplus.net/weather website.

The other free option to find an appropriate EPW file for your project is to use this link: http://climate.onebuilding.org/

7-      Press the Open EPW File button and import an EPW file that is relevant for the location of your model.

8-      Check the checkbox next to the Rtrace Settings button, and press the Do Export2Radiance button.

9-      Next is to press the OK button in the rtrace Settings

10-   Then, you need to wait until the calculation is finished.

11-   Now, it is time to import the calculation data into Revit. Therefore, the next step is to press the importToRevit Button.

10     In the Data2Revit page, the Import button should be disabled. Therefore, we need to press Open Dat File button to open the *.mtx file.

11-   When pressing Open Dat File button, the below page will be opened. If the calculation is done properly, we should see these two files (*1.mtx and *8.mtx)

So, we can choose one of these two files and then press the Open button.

11-   Under the ill2dat panel, activate the Create DGPs checkbox and then adjust the bellow parameters:

-          Unacceptable Glare Threshold:

Here in this textbox, all the calculated values that are higher than this value are marked as a Potential Risk of Glare.

-          Start Hour:

By enabling the checkbox next to the Start Hour text, we can define the starting time from which this DGPs calculation starts for each selected day that is specified by the OCC file.

-          End Hour:

By enabling the checkbox next to the Start Hour text, we can define the ending time until which this DGPs calculation ends for each selected day that is specified by the OCC file.

-          Open OCC File:

By enabling the checkbox next to the Open OCC File button, Here, by pressing this button, we can import a comma-separated hourly occupancy together with the date and time range specifications.

12-   Finally, by pressing the Import button, we can import the Annual DGPs analysis that shows the percentage of all annual working hours(based on and whole year or what is extracted from the file under the Open OCC File textbox) that are less than the Unacceptabe Glare Threshold for each selected calculation point.

13-   If there are more than 2 directions for each calculation point, then the Update Calculation Results page will pop up on the screen.

a.       If you choose the Minimum or Maximum radioboxes, after pressing the Continue button, the falsecolor calculation results will be created base on the best (the Minimum radiobox) or worst (the Maximum radiobox) value for each calcuation point.

 

The results that will be shown in Revit should be something like the below image.

b.       However, if you want to see the results of each view direction for each calculation point, you should choose the Each Direction Value radiobox and then press the Continue button.

The results being presented in Revit will be similar to the below image.

However, to be able to see the filled circle results, you probably need to place with the scale in the current view.