This guide is for Autodesk Revit modellers to facilitate a successful transfer process to IES Virtual Environment. Autodesk Revit is primarily known for being a design coordination software and the Virtual Environment or VE as a whole building performance tool.
The key to leveraging as much as possible from the building design is considering the connection between the two software’s as early as possible in the design process. This should be discussed as part of the BIM execution plan (Building Information Modelling) before the project commences to make sure the design team is aware of what is required to make the process successful.
Linking the two software tools allows for a more integrated design development that will facilitate faster decision making on important design aspects such as energy and carbon. These are important to consider as earlier as possible to ultimately reduce the operational costs of assets and ultimately reduce their impact on the environment.
When creating an analytical model there is only a low level of detail that is actually required graphically as the majority of information within these models is non-graphical data. The essential model geometry/graphical data required can be encapsulated simply as the walls, floors, ceilings and roofs. To add to this there are three possible opening types attached to these; windows, doors and holes (openings for spatial zoning in a model).
This lends itself to being introduced at stage two concept design/LOD100/200 or stage three/LOD300 design phase when the models are at a low level of detail making the process simpler and the gains much greater.
NB: This guide is written for modellers with a basic level of knowledge using Autodesk Revit.
