[Radiance-general] Use Python to execute Radiance command

[Ji Zhang]

Hi, Lars, Thanks a lot for your advice!

Yes, Dr Janssen is guiding us in a research project in which we try to
examine the environmental performance (view, daylight, insolation, energy
consumption, etc) of various high density building forms.

Houdini is used as a parametric modeling platform to create 3D models. But
it's strong customizability allows us to define our own toolset to perform
specific types of simulation tasks. Basically, these tools 1) retrieve the
3D model information and pass it to simulation software (e.g. Radiance,
EnergyPlus), 2) activate simulation software and feed in the parameters
required by the software, 3) retrieve the simulation results and bring the
date generated back to the 3D model for visualization and other analysis
purpose. So, Python is like a "glue" in this process that connects
parametric modeling software and simulation software, and Houdini is the
platform where we built tools and control panels to manipulate forms and
simulation processes. Radiance is used to simulate Sky View Factor, Daylight
Factor, and facade insolation. We're still working on key performance
indicators and benchmark values to be used to compare across cases, and
these indicators and benchmark values might be used to drive the design
optimization process.

Actually, Patrick will demo this workflow in a workshop in the upcoming CAAD
Future 2011 conference next month:
http://www.lucid.ulg.ac.be/conferences/caadfutures2011/Workshop3.html

Yes, Lars, I think you nurtured fans here in SDE, e.g. Daniel, who still
talks about your expertise in Radiance quite often. hehe.

- Cheers, Ji



On Tue, Jun 21, 2011 at 5:02 AM, Lars O. Grobe <grobe at gmx.net> wrote:

> Hi Ji!
>
>
>  Thank you very much for your prompt advice! Seems I need to bear in mind
>> that Radiance is developed in UNIX environment initially and a lot of
>> UNIX conventions can be utilized.
>>
>
> I would advice to spend a week-end on unix useage. It is the base of what
> can be done on any Linux/BSD/Solaris/Mac OS system these days, and has been
> for the last 30 years, which is due to its rather generic conceptual nature.
> Working with processes, inputs and outputs, redirection, filters, is all
> very useful here and works on all unix-based platforms.
>
>
>  Actually, most of the questions I post here were derived in the learning
>> process of connecting Houdini and Radiance (as well as other building
>> performance simulation software) via the Python interface built into
>> Houdini.
>>
>> Some of the work-in-progress can be found in Dr Janssen's teaching
>> website: http://patrickjanssenstudio.**blogspot.com/<http://patrickjanssenstudio.blogspot.com/>
>>
>
> Cool, thank you for sharing the link. Are you also going to use simulation
> results as input for modeling, such as design optimization? Maybe there will
> be some work shared on a coming Radiance workshop? Say hello to SDE folks,
> Shinya is references on the blog, too :-)
>
> Cheers, Lars.
>
>
> ______________________________**_________________
> Radiance-general mailing list
> Radiance-general at radiance-**online.org<Radiance-general at radiance-online.org>
> http://www.radiance-online.**org/mailman/listinfo/radiance-**general<http://www.radiance-online.org/mailman/listinfo/radiance-general>
>
-------------- next part --------------
An HTML attachment was scrubbed...
URL: <http://www.radiance-online.org/pipermail/radiance-general/attachments/20110621/09ce3d54/attachment.html>