IES-VE User Forum

Hello IES users,

I have read several posts but have not found my answer that why I am making mine.

I have a pretty big building to model (7000m2, 3 floors) and so I chose to use first google sketchup (free version) and import the model into VE Pro with the plugin.
Here is my problem:
When I draw the building in sketchup, I use the external dimensions. However, considering one floor for example, the height of this floor is different than the height of rooms (occupied space) within this floor since there is slab thickness to account too. Floor height = slab thickness + room height + ceiling thickness (basically).

My question is: How do I see that in IES VE? I mean, I would like to be sure that floors imported in ModelIT have to be designed with their external dimensions and then applied Constructions setting. And then, I would like to see what is the room height remaining when I changed slab thickness or ceiling one.

I hope I have been clear enough, please tell me do re explain it if not.

Thanks you in advance for your help,

Dav

Hello

I am not very experienced with the sketchup plugin, so somebody can probably explain it better. I think you have 2 options.
First is to model the space/slap, so it will take it into account easily.
Second is (i dont know if this is possible), turn on internal volume, that should add the slaps to the spaces.

You should always use internal volumes when working with IESVE to get the real room dimensions.

Hi,

As Kasper says you have two options and it really depends how you want to work with the model.

In SketchUp I'd suggest you draw in Thin Walls mode (only option you really have in Free SketchUp anyway as our Thick Walls tools are for SketchUp Pro) and then model with the standard guidance in mind...

http://www.iesve.com/support/knowledgebase/faq/2135

If you model according to this guidance then you can choose to use Inner Volumes in VE, this way the inner volume will be calculated from your Thin Walls geometry and based on the thickness of the Constructions you assign to the model (you can create these in VE Pro) so you could vary these as you described and see the impact on your model areas and volumes.

I think in general people don't use inner volumes and just live with the slight inaccuracy in areas and volumes compared to the real design, it won't usually have too great an impact but the solution is there should you choose to follow it.

Final warning - the geometry imported from SketchUp will have to be high quality if you wish to use inner volumes otherwise you will see some strange looking inner volumes where it encounters difficulties. Where this happens you always have the option to tidy it up in VE.

Phil

With those damn thick walls in Denmark, i think it would be a mistake not to use inner volumes. Sometimes the walls are more than 500 mm thick, which in a smaller room will give a larger volume.

Thank you all for your answers.

I have now managed to do what I wanted. It 's great !

Good day,

Dav