topic Re: I can't use EcoDesigner in Sustainable design

I can't use EcoDesigner

Anonymous — Thu, 11 May 2023 08:23:55 GMT

Hello, I have some trouble using eco designer in archicad. As you can see in the picture, I have two closed buildings, and when I run eco designer I get the error that there is no building shell.
I have all my objects in structure bearing layer, and roof on shell roof layer..
I've done rounded parts using archiforma 2, could that be a problem?
Thank you in advance
Pejic Petar

Re: I can't use EcoDesigner

Karl Ottenstein — Wed, 02 Mar 2011 00:40:06 GMT

Yes, ED cannot will not automatically recognize objects as representing the building shell.

But, you can manually assign building structure types to elements when ED is confused by going to the Structure tab > Model Review and then selecting and painting the elements with the desired type...

EXCEPT...

EcoDesigner will not allow (GDL) Object to be flagged as being part of the building element! This is a REALLY serious limitation, and AFAIK, you're the first person to notice this, at least on these forums.

See attached screenshot of a (lovely!) enclosed form consisting of the library part "Tube" with slabs on the top and bottom. ED recognized nothing. I was able to tag/'paint' the top slab as a Roof and the bottom slab as a 'floor on ground'. But, ED would not allow me to assign anything to the Tube library part.

(Obviously my example could have been built with a curved wall and worked - but the point was to verify that your excellent example cannot be recognized by EcoDesigner because it uses GDL parts for the shell.)

Guess it is time to start another wish/poll for this feature.

Karl

Re: I can't use EcoDesigner

Karl Ottenstein — Wed, 02 Mar 2011 00:43:32 GMT

A bit more testing... it is not just GDL objects. ED will only recognize walls created with the Wall Tool as walls.

As in the thread where you asked how to model your building, someone suggested using complex profiles... the only way to angle the curved profile is to use the beam or column tool. Neither beams nor columns can be tagged by ED as representing part of the exterior envelope.

Karl

Re: I can't use EcoDesigner

Anonymous — Wed, 02 Mar 2011 21:07:39 GMT

I'm just curious, but does ED recognise curtainwalls as a 'Wall'? I suppose they are a kind of hybrid between a normal tool and a library part.

The limitation you have found could make analysing non-standard shaped buildings very difficult!

Re: I can't use EcoDesigner

Karl Ottenstein — Wed, 02 Mar 2011 21:42:44 GMT

Peter wrote:
I'm just curious, but does ED recognise curtainwalls as a 'Wall'? I suppose they are a kind of hybrid between a normal tool and a library part.

The limitation you have found could make analysing non-standard shaped buildings very difficult!

CW is detected automatically as a wall. Seems that if they managed that, that they could have allowed any element/lib part to be user-assigned as any shell component, allowing for more flexible design and analysis. I hope I'm missing something.

Cheers,
Karl