System Parameters Dialog, Tabbed Sections and Toolbar

 

The System Parameters dialog displays data applying to both system level and zone level. 

A few basis system-level parameters, including the system name, option to autosize the system, fundamental type of configuration, variable-air-volume (VAV) vs. constant-air-volume (CAV), edit mode, current layer, access to the Edit Multiplex dialog, and a toggle for IP vs SI units are provided at the top of the dialog so as to remain visible and accessible whenever the dialog is open.

The tabbed middle section provides access to most user inputs, options, and autosized or derived values. The remainder of this user guide is dedicated mainly to describing each of these in detail.

Text color is used to indicate values that are from Space Data (magenta), will be directly autosized (light blue), have been autosized (green), edited and differ from the same parameter on other layers (orange), or are in error and must be addressed (red). These colors can be customized via the ApacheHVAC Preferences dialog.

Conditional formatting is used to highlight certain fields containing values that will significantly influence the system minimum outside air or that may bring into question the system capability to provide this at all times.

The bottom section provides access to the Zones Tabular Edit dialog described below (also accessible via the toolbar), along with copy & paste functions to copy all data for a tab from one layer to another, two save options for saving edits without applying them, and ‘Assign’, which applies values to the components and controls on the associated system network.

 

Zones Tabular Edit is a customizable spreadsheet-like dialog for viewing and editing all parameters from the System Parameters dialog (excepting only systems Schedules) for all zones on the system in a single view. This is also the means by which data can be exported for documentation or manipulation in spreadsheets, etc., and can be imported specifically with respect to editable columns of data.

Fields or ‘cells’ for select zone-level parameters use conditional formatting color scheme to draw attention to the zones that are driving system minimum ventilation rates or to draw attention to a value that may be of concern, but which is not strictly speaking in error.

Both the System Parameters dialog and its counterpart, the Zones Tabular Edit dialog, are organized with tabs for system- and zone-level parameters. These are more or less the same tabs and provide access to all of the same parameters; however, the Zones Tabular Edit dialog excludes the system-level ‘Schedules’ tab, subdivides some of the tabs to make the number of default columns more manageable, and places ‘Loads Data’ first.

 

 

System Parameters dialog tabs (fixed):

 

 

Zones Tabular Edit dialog tabs (customizable):

 

 

Toolbar buttons for ‘System Parameters’, ‘Zones Tabular Edit’, and ‘Global System Parameters Assignment’ are the 2^nd, 3^rd, and 4^th buttons on the system sizing section of the ApacheHVAC toolbar shown below:

 

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The first two simply open the System Parameters and Zones Tabular Edit dialogs, as described elsewhere. The ‘Global System Parameters Assignment’ simultaneously assigns values from system parameters dialogs for all HVAC networks in the currently open ApacheHVAC file to the components and controllers in those networks.