IES-VE User Forum

Hi,

I've been trying to import a SketchUp model into IES VE via the SketchUp plugin. I'm using SketchUp 7.1, Plugin v2 and IES VE 6.1. I'm using a MacBook Pro (2.8 GHz Intel Core 2 Duo) with a virtual Windows XP machine using VMWare Fusion. My Mac has 4MB RAM and I've dedicated 2MB RAM to the virtual machine.

I've simplified the model as much as possible, it is a 6 storey office building over double basement carpark. Where there are large open plan areas I have broken them down into smaller areas using holes. All doors are groups.

When I run the plugin the groups are identified and I designate them as doors. There are no components. The 'Identify Rooms' function proceeds to 'Phase 2: Finding Rooms' where it takes ages (ie over night!) and then doesn't respond!

Can anybody help? Am I missing something basic? I'm happy to forward the SketchUp file for info.

Regards,

Daithi.

PS I'm currently trying to break the building down into 3 smaller sections with a view to importing them separately, I'm not even sure if this is possible?

PPS Is it possible to import the geometry directly into IES VE without Identifying Rooms???

Hi Daithi,

Sorry to hear you are having these problems with getting your model from SketchUp to <VE>. Using the plug-in to identify rooms should never take longer than an hour, if it does then I would suggest review the geometry to simplify it.

The best place to start doing this is to break your geometry down into blocks of rooms (completely contained) and then define these as Groups. You can then identify the groups as "room (whole)" and next time you run identify rooms you should find it is much faster. I have seen various different models that run much faster after doing this - easy places to start would be to group the rooms floor by floor or into any logical block of rooms.

I usually advise to simplify open plan areas as well but it sounds like you have already done this.

The other benefit of breaking the model into groups like this is that you can run the room identification on each group individually to highlight any sections of the building that are taking longer to identify (or are not completing at all).

Regarding your other question, yes you can export the model in parts (again I'd advise managing this through the use of groups). The recommended workflow (using the floor by floor example):
1. Create a skp project with the ground floor geometry
2. identify rooms (use the plug-in tools to confirm that all rooms correctly identified)
3. export to <VE>
4. in <VE> export the geometry as a GEM (ModelIT >> Export GEM File...) and save as for example groundfloor.gem
5. repeat these steps for each other Group of rooms
6. Launch <VE>, create new project and import each GEM file and position as required until the model is complete.

I'd spend some time in SketchUp trying to improve the model first (at least try grouping rooms first as I have found this is a guaranteed improvement almost every time) but if you need to get the geometry into <VE> urgently then this procedure will work.

Phil

Hi Phil,

Thanks a million for the reply!

I've continued modifying the SketchUp model by grouping them by floor, as you've suggested, and it has worked wonders. The 'Finding Rooms' phase now takes little over a minute! 120 rooms are found. However, after this phase nothing happens. This is after going through the sequence 'Set Building Properties', Select Groups', Select Components' and 'Identify Rooms'.

On a previous small test case the 'Room Properties' dialogue box automatically opened and the model was displayed in IES colours showing volumes (blue) and shading (yellow). This also allowed IES VE to open and import the model when I hit the appropriate button. That doesn't happen.

Instead when I click the Launch <VE> button the following warning appears: 'No rooms data yet available. Please run 'Identify Rooms' and set room properties before running the <VE>'. Clicking 'Set Room Properties' or 'Select a Room' buttons result in the following warning: 'No rooms data yet available. Please run 'Identify Rooms''. However I can view the model in IES colours and have managed to observe and correct errors.

Can you help? I feel like it's nearly there!

Regards,

David.

Yeah, you are nearly there!

I have noticed in the latest version of the plug-in it behaves a little strangely when identifying rooms in Grouped geometry. If there are any problems (usually related to the geometry) that stop the plug-in from being able to fully identify the rooms, instead of a warning to tell you this it appears to complete.

The key thing to look out for as you have noted is that it just stops finding rooms (instead of then opening the Set <VE> Room Properties dialog). This doesn't always happen but sometimes I noticed it hides the groups and leaves exploded surfaces in their place (you can check this using the Model Browser from the SketchUp Window menu - you'll see the groups are still there but are Hidden and Locked). To fix this I usually hide all the groups then delete the exploded surfaces.

To fix this I'm afraid I don't have any simple solution, it is instead a case of reviewing the geometry to see where the problem lies. I do this by running the identify rooms on each Group individually until I find the Group that can't be identified and then iterate through this making modifications to anything that looks dodgy until it can all be identified. As you can probably guess this isn't always a quick task!

Hope this helps you work through the model.

I hope that future improvements can be made to the plug-in so that when it can't find rooms it gives a warning and doesn't just explode the groups but also I hope to see the room identification more robust so it can find all rooms without these issues at all.

Phil

Thanks for your help Phil, it looks like it's working now!

Thanks! It was the solution also for me, I have been long time trying to identify room but always appear non-sense yellow walls. Dividing the design in two parts, exporting these separated in GEM file and reimported these in a new model finally works.

Hi,

I have created a simple but large model (total floor area approx. 19500m2 over 7 floors, 428 glazing faces, not many internal spaces - 28 zones). I get to the phase 2 identify rooms and its taking quite a while for the plugin to identify the rooms (the whole model is exploded). I work on a virtual computer (Intel Xeon 3.6GHz with 16GB RAM). I've tried to group all the rooms but when I click on identify rooms a message pops up saying no rooms found. Every group I have created is fully enclosed - so when 2 internal spaces meet, because the rooms are grouped there are actually 2 walls at the meeting point. Can someone please tell me if I am modelling incorrectly - why is IES not finding my grouped rooms?

Kindest regards,

Abu