Create virtual surfaces
Calculate the daylight indicators directly on model surfaces is not
always possible. For instance, indicators such as Daylight Factor
and Daylight Autonomy are usually calculated for virtual workplanes
in the occupied spaces. Sometimes the complexity of the model makes
it difficult to calculate on the actual surface.
The virtual surface creation features respond to these situations.
And also:
The virtual surfaces created with these tools are only used to
position the sensors, they have no influence on the geometry of the
model and light distribution.
Some cases when these features can be used:
-
Model contains multiple instances of a component or a group, and
calculation is needed on some surface inside component/group. If
the calculation is performed on the original surface then its
result will be applied to all instances of the surface,
resulting in incorrect results (SketchUp just duplicates several
times this area). Copying to instances resolves this problem.
-
Some part of the target surface is intersecting with other
geometry and results near intersection are not looking nice.
Creation of a copy and calculation on it can give better
results, since copy surface is created in new independent group.
-
Calculation is needed on some virtual surface which is parallel
to original surface. For example on a workplane that is offset
from floor surface. Created copy surface won't interfere with
existing building geometry.
-
The surface to be calculated is imaginary, for example a
vertical plane in front of a facade ignoring the cutting of the
openings.
Create copy
This tool is used to create a single copy of the clicked surface on
predefined distance. Distance can be changed in SketchUp bottom
right edit box, once surfaces are created. The default distance (70
cm for most extensions) can be set in the preferences.
-
For each clicked surface, a single copy surface is created and
put in special tag/layer '_dl_[extension]_surface', where
[extension] is abbreviation of active extension name.
-
All copy surfaces are put in separate group, outside of any
other model groups/components. Even if original surface(s) are
part of a group/component, created copies are independent.
-
If "Create copy" is called for a surface inside an instance of a
group/component, it creates only single copy of the surface
offseted from the selected surface.
This feature can be called from menu:
Extensions-> De Luminae-> [Extension name]-> Create
copy
Example:
-
Creation of virtual surfaces 70 cm above the floor
-
Calculation result
Create copy in instances
When SketchUp model contains several instances of the same
component/group, surfaces within them should be distinct somehow.
Due to the nature of SketchUp instances, it is not possible to
attach different attributes and materials to surfaces inside each
instance. To enable correct DL-Light calculation and results import
into SketchUp, it is necessary to run calculation on 'dummy'
surfaces, that would represent the real ones, but be outside of
instances.
Tool 'Create copy in instances', creates
one copy per instance of the clicked surface in a separate
group. For example if there are 10 instances of the office component
in the model, this tool would create offseted 'copy' surfaces for
each office instance, resulting in 10 new 'copied surfaces'.
To use this tool:
-
Open an instance of the component on the model containing the
surface to copy.
-
It may be necessary to successively open several levels of
components.
-
When the chosen surface is selectable, click on it with tool
"copy in instances".
-
Virtual surfaces should appear on all instances of the component
(copies are made only on visible instances).
-
The offset distance of the copy can be entered in SketchUp
bottom right edit box. If this value is changed right after the
copies are created, the copies are moved to the new distance.
If this tool is called for a surface that is not part of a
component/group, it creates a single copy, like "Create copy" tool
described above.
For each selected surface single copy surface is created and put in
special layer '_dl_[extension]_surface'.
All copy surfaces created when "Create copy in instances" is clicked
are put in separate group, outside of any other model
groups/components.
This feature can be called from menu:
Extensions-> De Luminae-> [Extension name]-> Create
copy in instances
Create a copy for the surfaces of a tag (layer)
This tool creates a copy for each surface of the selected tag, at a
defined distance. The distance can be entered in the tool window.
The distance proposed by default is the offset distance configured
for the extension.
-
For each surface corresponding to the tag (or layer), a copy
surface is created and put in special tag/layer
'_dl_[extension]_surface', where [extension] is abbreviation of
active extension name.
-
It is possible to accumulate copies for several tags by
repeating the operation for each tag.
-
The "Min face area" field is used to limit the operation to
surfaces with minimum area.
-
The button Delete virtual surfaces deletes all virtual
surfaces for the current extension (removal of the tag
'_dl_[extension]_surface').
-
All copy surfaces are put in separate group, outside of any
other model groups/components. Even if original surface(s) are
part of a group/component, created copies are independent.
This feature can be called from menu:
Extensions-> De Luminae-> [Extension name]-> Create
Virtual Copy for Tag
Example:
-
Creation of virtual surfaces 70 cm above the floor for tag
"floor 2":
-
Virtual surfaces generated:
Define virtual layers
This advanced feature allows you to freely create virtual surfaces
regardless of existing surfaces. It is useful:
-
for rapid assessment of modifications of the existing (test
location of solar panels for example),
- to make global measurements on the envelope of a structure,
-
for any use not covered by the virtual surface system generated
via a "copy" of a pre-existing surface.
Operation
- Create one or more surfaces in SketchUp.
- Bring these surfaces together in a dedicated layer.
-
Convert this layer to "layer of virtual surfaces".
-
The function is available in the menu of the current
extension:
De Luminae-> [Extension name]-> Define
virtual layers, or the
button of the toolbar.
-
It displays a dialog that lists the visible layers, tick
the layer to make it virtual.
Remarks:
-
The layer '_dl_[extension]_surface' containing
the surfaces created by the surface copy tool is
listed, but its status is not alterable.
-
A message requesting confirmation is displayed
for any modification. This confirmation request
can be disabled in preferences.
-
When a layer takes the status "layer of virtual
surfaces":
-
Any results or textures of the surfaces
of this layer are erased.
-
Surfaces take on a yellow
semitransparent appearance.
-
When a layer loses the status "layer of virtual
surfaces":
-
Any results or textures of the surfaces
of this layer are erased.
- The surfaces become opaque again.
Example
-
Purpose: evaluation of the light arriving on a facade
-
Creation of a virtual surface, vertical and parallel to the
facade
-
Calculation result on the surface
-
It is possible to use both virtual layers and virtual copies of
surfaces (above floors)
-
Interior virtual surfaces are well calculated behind the
vertical virtual surface: the virtual surfaces are
"Transparent".
Calculation with 'copy' surfaces
During calculation created surfaces are used for sensor points
generation, and are otherwise "transparent" for calculation (they
don't have any geometry, don't cause shadows, or reflect light).
Once results are calculated, they are imported onto copy surfaces,
and not on original surface.
When a model surface that has been virtual-copied is modified, it is
important to maintain consistency between the results and the
geometry of the model. Follow this procedure to recreate the virtual
surface:
- Select the virtual surface and remove it,
- Modify original surface geometry,
- Create a new virtual copy of modified surface,
- Perform the calculation on the new copy.
Show / Hide virtual surfaces
The virtual surfaces visibility button makes virtual surfaces
invisible if needed. The initial configuration is to show the
virtual surfaces, the button is activated.