Codestin Search App

SOLARCHVISION-BIM is a desktop software application designed and developed by Mojtaba Samimi (M.Arch) in the Processing language. It is available for GNU/Linux, macOS, and Microsoft Windows.

Clone using SSH

git clone [email protected]:archmoj/solarchvision_bim.git

or

git clone [email protected]:archmoj/solarchvision_bim.git --depth 1

Clone using HTTPS

git clone https://github.com/archmoj/solarchvision_bim.git

or

git clone https://github.com/archmoj/solarchvision_bim.git --depth 1

Requirements

Processing v4 must be installed, as SOLARCHVISION-BIM is a Processing sketch.

Before running the program

You should adjust the BaseFolder variable inside solarchvision_bim.pde.

String BaseFolder = "/home/solarch/org/solarchvision_bim";

Also to your screen resolution you may need to scale initial values of following variables and the size() function:

int SOLARCHVISION_pixel_H = 400;
int SOLARCHVISION_pixel_W = 724;

float MessageSize = 16.0;
int SOLARCHVISION_pixel_A = 24; // menu bar
int SOLARCHVISION_pixel_B = 44; // 3D tool bar
int SOLARCHVISION_pixel_C = 72; // time bar
int SOLARCHVISION_pixel_D = 72; // command bar

size(1848, 1016, P2D);

Run using Processing IDE

The solarchvision_bim sketch can be opened in the Processing IDE and executed using the Play button.

Run using command line

To compile and run the solarchvision_bim sketch, adjust <PATH-TO-PROCESSING> in the following command as needed.

Please note that the command must be executed from the parent directory containing the solarchvision_bim folder.

<PATH-TO-PROCESSING>/processing-java --sketch=solarchvision_bim --run

Download EPW files

To download EPW/TMY (Typical Meteorological Year) data for various locations, a script is provided inside the scripts folder.

You need to adjust the outFolder variable in the download_epw.js file to point to your installation directory.

In addition, node.js is required to run the script.

node scripts/download_epw.js

Download CWEEDS files

For locations in Canada, there is another database called CWEEDS, which includes multi-year climate data under the Engineering Climate Datasets (https://climate.weather.gc.ca/prods_servs/engineering_e.html).

The files for the region of interest can be extracted and placed inside the solarchvision_bim/input/climate/CWEEDS/ folder.

Copyright and license

The code and documentation are released under the GPL v2.

Graphical User Interface

Once loaded the UI would look like this:

Please note that in above example the Setup | 3D-model 1 option is selected. A person and a tree is also added close to the camera.

Adding an object to the scene

You can choose a desired object such as Houses, Parametric Surfaces, Box, Cushion, Cylinder, Sphere, Octahedron, Icosahedron, Tri, Hyper, Plane, Poly, Extrude, Surface, Polyline, Point, 3D-Tree, 2D-Tree, Person, and Camera from the 3D-create menu.

After selecting the desired object, you can use either right-click or left-click on a surface in the 3D viewport to add it to the scene:

Right-click adds the object to the land surface.
Left-click adds the object to the surface of existing 3D models.

The default parameters used for creating new objects can be found under Geometries & Space → Create.

Alternatively, you can use the command line to generate new objects. For example, the following command adds a section with width and height of 100 units at a distance of 0.1 units above the origin:

section u=100 v=100 z=0.1

See the Command line section for more information.

Selecting objects

You can use the 3D-select menu to select objects of different types, including Land, 1D, 2D, Group, Face, Vertex, Soft, Solid, Section, Camera, and Polyline.

You can also use the following selection methods:

Pick and Window selection modes to select or deselect objects
Add objects to or remove objects from the current selection
Select all and Deselect all options

It is also possible to convert one selection type to another. For example:

Groups >> Faces selects all faces belonging to the selected group(s)
Faces >> Groups selects all groups associated with the selected face(s)

Altering objects

You can use the 3D-alter menu to modify properties of existing objects.

After selecting a modification option, use the mouse wheel to adjust the object properties interactively.

Modifying objects

The 3D-modify menu provides several modifiers for editing 3D surfaces.

For example, the Insert Corner Openings modifier inserts an opening base parallel to the edges of the selected surface(s).

Matching and aligning objects

You can match and align objects using the 3D-match menu.

Quick layout and 3D setup

The Setup menu provides quick access to predefined:

Time viewport layouts
3D viewport models

You can enlarge the time viewport to expand and view complete layout graphs.

Climatic studies

General studies such as:

Wind pattern (active)
Wind pattern (passive)
Orientation potential (active)
Orientation potential (passive)
Hourly sun position (active)
Hourly sun position (passive)
Annual cycle sun path (active)
Annual cycle sun path (passive)

can be accessed from the Analysis menu. These studies are displayed in the time viewport.

For studies related to the 3D model, such as:

Urban solar potential (active)
Urban solar potential (passive)

you must pre-bake the selected Section or Camera using:

PreBake Viewport, or
Pre-bake Selected Sections

before running the analysis.

Weather layers

Two types of weather layers are defined:

General layers
- Available directly from weather data files
- Missing values may be filled using post-processing techniques
Developed layers
- Not available in the original weather files
- Generated through software post-processing

Location menu

You can use the Location menu to select a project location and download or load weather and geographic data.

By default, the software uses EPW/TMY (Typical Meteorological Year) data.

Additional supported datasets include:

Climate files containing multiple years of data (e.g., CWEEDS)
Ensemble forecast datasets (e.g., NAEFS) for visualization and simulation
Observation datasets (e.g., SWOB records)

Additional features include:

Land Mesh and Land Texture require an API key
Troposphere allows loading WMS forecast data to visualize hourly cloud formations using datasets such as HRDPS (High Resolution Deterministic Prediction System) or GDPS (Global Deterministic Prediction System)

User interface keyboard shortcuts

When the command bar is disabled (default mode), you can use keyboard shortcuts to perform various tasks.

General

TAB: Enable or disable the command bar
Shift+TAB: Switch between active and passive views inside the 3D viewport

Camera and viewport control

` and ~: Zoom in and out in the world viewport
+ and -: Zoom in and out in the 3D viewport
, and .: Move the camera closer and farther
2 and 8: RRotate the camera up and down
4 and 6: Rotate the camera left and right
1 and 3: Move the camera left and right
7 and 9: Move the camera up and down
5: Rotate the camera to look at the origin
0: Move the camera closer
/ and *: Move the camera toward and away from the selection
UP, DOWN, LEFT and RIGHT: Rotate the camera around the selection

Selection and scene interaction

DELETE: Delete selected item(s)
c and C: Switch the viewport to available cameras in the scene
ENTER: Rebuild global & vertex solar energy/impact data
SPACE: Record the frame

Time, weather, and impact visualization

d and D: Change the impact display day in the 3D viewport
t and T: Change the forecast hour used to display the troposphere

Layout and graph controls

Ctrl+UP and Ctrl+DOWN: Change the current weather layer displayed in the hourly graph (Layout 0 — default layout)
Ctrl+LEFT and Ctrl+RIGHT: Change the current impact layer displayed in the daily graph (Layout 0 — default layout)
Ctrl+PAGE_UP and Ctrl+PAGE_DOWN: Switch between layouts (enlarge the time viewport to view the full layout)
Ctrl+;: Show or hide the impact summary

Graph scaling and display options

Ctrl+' and Ctrl+": Adjust the vertical scale factor of the hourly time graph
< and >: Increase or decrease the number of joined days (30 days by default for monthly graphs)
( and ): Increase or decrease the number of displayed days
[ and ]: Increase or decrease the horizontal interval used for the probabilities graph
{ and }: Increase or decrease the vertical interval used for the probabilities graph

Graph visualization modes

s and S: Change the sky scenario ("All data", "Sunny", "Partly Cloudy", or "Cloudy")
v and V: Show or hide raw values on the hourly time graph
b and B: Show or hide probabilities on the hourly time graph
n and N: Show or hide statistics on the hourly time graph
m and M: Show or hide sorted values on the hourly time graph

Command line

Use TAB to enable or disable the command line, or click inside/outside the command line area (the dark region at the bottom).

Below is a list of available commands. Both lowercase and uppercase variants are accepted.

CLS: Clears the command line screen
OPEN: Opens a saved project
SAVE.AS: Saves the project with a new name
SAVE: Saves the project
HOLD: Holds the scene
FETCH: Fetches the scene
IMPORT: Imports an OBJ file
EXECUTE: Executes a script file containing multiple SOLARCHVISION commands
EXPORT.OBJ.TIMESERIES: Exports the scene in OBJ format at different hours (multiple files)
EXPORT.OBJ.DATESERIES: Exports the scene in OBJ format at different days (multiple files)
EXPORT.OBJ: Exports the scene in OBJ format
EXPORT.RAD: Exports the scene in Radiance RAD format
EXPORT.SCR: Exports the scene in AutoCAD SCR format
QUIT: Exits the software

Location

LONLAT: Sets the longitude and latitude of the location

LonLat ? ?

Selection and editing

SELECT: Selects various categories

Select all/last/nothing/invert/groups/model2ds/model1ds/vertices/faces/solids/sections/cameras/landpoint

DELETE: Deletes the selection or various categories

Delete all/selection/groups/model2ds/model1ds/vertices/faces/solids/sections/cameras

COPY: Copies the selection

Copy n=? dx=? dy=? dz=? rx=? ry=? rz=?

MOVE: Moves the selection

Move dx=? dy=? dz=?

ROTATE, ROTATEX, ROTATEY, ROTATEZ: Rotates the selection

Rotate[X|Y|Z] r=? x=? y=? z=?

SCALE: Scales the selection

Scale s=? sx=? sy=? sz=? x=? y=? z=?

Object creation

PERSON: Creates a person

2Dman m=? x=? y=? z=?

TREE: Creates a 2D tree using vertical and horizontal sections

2Dtree m=? x=? y=? z=? h=?

FRACTALTREE: Creates a parametric fractal tree in 3D

3Dtree m=? degree=? seed=? x=? y=? z=? h=? r=? tilt=? twist=? ratio=? base=? Tk=? Lf=?

BOX2P: Creates a box using two corner points

Box2P m=? tes=? lyr=? x1=? y1=? z1=? x2=? y2=? z2=?

BOX: Creates a box using center point, width, length, and height

Box m=? tes=? lyr=? x=? y=? z=? dx=? dy=? dz=? r=?

HOUSE1: Creates a house-like structure with roof folded in all directions

House1 m=? tes=? lyr=? x=? y=? z=? dx=? dy=? dz=? dh=? r=?

HOUSE2: Creates a house-like structure with roof folded in one direction

House2 m=? tes=? lyr=? x=? y=? z=? dx=? dy=? dz=? dh=? r=?

HOUSE3: Creates a house-like structure with roof folded in the second direction

House3 m=? tes=? lyr=? x=? y=? z=? dx=? dy=? dz=? dh=? r=?

CYLINDER: Creates a cylinder

Cylinder m=? tes=? lyr=? x=? y=? z=? dx=? dy=? dz=? deg=? r=?

SPHERE: Creates a sphere

Sphere m=? tes=? lyr=? x=? y=? z=? d=? deg=? r=?

SUPERSPHERE: Creates a supersphere (deforms from cube to star-like object)

SuperSphere m=? tes=? lyr=? x=? y=? z=? dx=? dy=? dz=? px=? py=? pz=? deg=? r=?

CUSHION: Creates a cushion-like object

Cushion m=? tes=? lyr=? x=? y=? z=? dx=? dy=? dz=? deg=? r=?

OCTAHEDRON: Creates an octahedron

Octahedron m=? tes=? lyr=? x=? y=? z=? dx=? dy=? dz=? r=?

ICOSAHEDRON: Creates an icosahedron

Icosahedron m=? tes=? lyr=? x=? y=? z=? d=? r=?

POLYGONMESH: Creates an equilateral polygon mesh

PolygonMesh m=? tes=? lyr=? x=? y=? z=? d=? deg=? r=?

POLYGONHYPER: Creates a hyperbolic surface based on an equilateral polygon

PolygonHyper m=? tes=? lyr=? x=? y=? z=? d=? h=? deg=? r=?

POLYGONEXTRUDE: Creates an extrusion from an equilateral polygon

PolygonExtrude m=? tes=? lyr=? x=? y=? z=? d=? h=? deg=? r=?

Mesh creation

MESH2 to MESH6: Creates meshes using 2 to 6 points

Mesh2 m=? tes=? lyr=? x1=? y1=? z1=? x2=? y2=? z2=?

Viewports

ALLVIEWPORTS: Displays all viewports
ENLARGE3D: Enlarges the 3D viewport

Camera control

Includes commands such as:

PAN, PANX, PANY
LOOKORG, LOOKDIR, LOOKSEL
TRUCKX, TRUCKY, TRUCKZ
ORBIT, ORBITZ, ORBITXY
CAMERAROLL, CAMERAROLLZ, CAMERAROLLXY
TARGETROLL, TARGETROLLZ, TARGETROLLXY
ZOOM, NORMALZOOM
PERSPECTIVE, ORTHOGRAPHIC

Views

TOP, FRONT, LEFT, RIGHT, BACK, BOTTOM
S.W., S.E., N.E., N.W.

Shading and rendering

SHADE.WIRE: Wireframe view
SHADE.BASE: Base shading
SHADE.WHITE: White shading
SHADE.MATERIALS: Material shading
SHADE.GLOBAL: Global solar values shading
SHADE.REAL: Per-vertex solar values shading
SHADE.SOLID: Solid parameter shading
SHADE.ELEVATION: Elevation shading
RENDER.VIEWPORT: Renders the viewport
PREBAKE.VIEWPORT: Pre-bakes the viewport

Name		Name	Last commit message	Last commit date
Latest commit History 3,299 Commits
doc/images		doc/images
input		input
scripts		scripts
.gitignore		.gitignore
LICENSE.md		LICENSE.md
README.md		README.md
solarchvision_bim.pde		solarchvision_bim.pde

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archmoj/solarchvision_bim

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