How do I update CS?

Type CSVersion into the Rhino command line to view and download new software releases. Click on the download button to the far right. You will have to restart Rhino.

You can also setup update notifications when new versions are released.

Tags:

#update #csversion #new #version #download #release #candidate #stable #wip

Can I import custom materials?

ClimateStudio allows you to set up your own Radiance materials via BSDFs and .rad files and use them in conjunction with the Default library that comes with ClimateStudio. Please note that you need to be familiar with the Radiance material modifiers to use this option.

Step 1: Create a Library Directory

Create a directory in which you want to store your custom Radiance materials, e.g. C:\tmp\MyCustomRadianceMaterials.

Step 2: Create a Radiance Material File

An example file for a bright red material can be downloaded from here. Download and copy the file into your library directory.

Step 3: Link the Material Library to ClimateStudio

Under Assign materials, open the Edit Layer Material dialogue and add your custom library.

Step 4: Select Your Custom Library and Assign a Material

Under Assign materials, open the Edit Layer Material dialogue and add your custom library.

Tags:

#custom #materials #radiance #bsdf

How do I increase render quality?

ClimateStudio disables the ambient cache (-aa 0), which means that parameters such as (-ar) and (-as) aren’t important for improving rendering quality.

Instead, let your simulation run for more samples or passes (i.e., 100/pixel, 500/pixel, etc.). Each ray has an (-ad 1) and (-ab 6) which is the default (ab 7) in classic Radiance. How many samples you will need is model and aperture size dependent.

We recommend starting a run and observing the differences from pass-to-pass. When the results no longer change significantly between passes, then enough rays have been cast to sample the scene effectively. You can then stop the simulation and set future calculations to that number of passes.

For more information about this process, read our internal validation study.

How do I add materials in ALFA?

You can add any of the spectral material definitions from http://spectraldb.com/ to ALFA (for example, http://spectraldb.com/measurements/00540/ by downloading the spectral CSV). In addition, any measured data at a 10nm wavelength interval can be imported into ALFA.

Why am I getting a license error?

Are you pasting in the entire license key? Example:

institution:123abc:45

Ensure you’re running the latest versions of ClimateStudio and Rhino.

Contact your IT to ensure your computer or network firewall is not blocking connection to our license server. If you need information, contact us.

Can I calculate Vertical Eye Illuminance (Ev)?

Currently, exporting hourly Vertical Eye Illuminance (Ev) values from our annual glare workflow is only available from within the Rhino user interface.

Grasshopper workaround: Run the simulation in Grasshopper, load your .csr into Rhino, and export the Ev values from there. Make sure "Save Hourly Data” is set to true in the Grasshopper glare component.

How is Annual Sunlight Exposure (ASE) calculated?

If you are running a daylight analysis for a LEED credit, ASE will always be simulated without blinds as defined by IES-LM-83. This is not the case for sDA and mean illuminance.

Why are ground planes important?

The benefit of creating a ground plane is that it can receive shadows cast by the building itself and other urban objects (trees, other buildings, etc.). The default ClimateStudio ground albedo won't account for this -- it will 'reflect' light as if it is unshaded.

Why are my Revit windows importing as solids?

Only Revit materials set as the material class “Glass” will be recognized and converted to single plane geometry. Follow the instructions on our documentation to resolve the issue.

How are sky conditions calculated?

For all of our Climate-Based Daylight Modeling (CBDM) workflows, direct and diffuse irradiation from your selected climate file will determine the sky conditions at each hour.

Why am I receiving different results from the same model settings?

The ClimateStudio engine relies on Radiance. Radiance simulations are stochastic, so ray samples are inherently random. This means that the way scenes are sampled in each simulation will vary to some degree.

In general, setting ClimateStudio to use more passes will allow the results to converge about some “true” value. For more information about this process, read our internal validation study.

Can I create a custom Spectral Power Distribution (SPD) in ALFA?

You can make a custom SPD, which is loaded from this directory following the format of existing files using your specific manufacturer SPD information: c:\ProgramData\Solemma\ALFA\Luminaires\Spectra\

Is DIVA still supported?

DIVA-for-Rhino licenses are no longer for sale and we are not providing support after 2022. DIVA version 4 was the last update and supports Rhino version 6.

How do I add custom blinds in CS?

ClimateStudio allows you to set up custom fabric shades or Venetian blinds via BSDFs and use them in conjunction with the Default library that comes with ClimateStudio.

Simply use the Add XML File button.

External databases: You can obtain measured data from sources such as LBNL's complex glazing database or manufacturers. Another useful resource is LBNL Window, which will generate some simple BSDFs for venetian blinds. There is also a Radiance tool called genBSDF that will compute a BSDF based on geometry and material definitions in Radiance.

How is Hourly Daylight Glare Probability (DGP) calculated?

ClimateStudio uses the full Daylight Glare Probability (DGP) equation based on our annual calculation methods for vertical eye illuminance and sampling of the direct solar position at each hourly timestep. Reflected sources of glare are not accounted for in the annual DGP calculation.