Design Alternatives Example:

Exploring Building Forms

Workspace:  Design Alternatives à Design Alternatives à Create/Edit

This example shows the basic steps needed to create two similar but different Design Alternatives in Simergy.  Using multiple Design Alternatives allows the user to do comparative analysis from the early stages through detailed design and into operations.  This example shows how to "branch" a design alternative into two different alternatives with slightly different building forms, but the same process can be used to test different HVAC systems, zone group assignments, glazing options, etc. on the same building and much more.  Choosing the right time to "branch" a model becomes the key to using this feature efficiently so that the number of times the same change needs to be made in different alternatives is minimized.

There is no limit to the number of design alternatives that can be incorporated into a Simergy file, but note that there is a practical limit based on the file size and the workability of the file.

1. Open a new file in Simergy, choose a location for the default Design Alternative

   

2. Go to the Buildings tab, in the Buildings Definition section of the ribbon choose the Create/Edit workspace

   

3. In this workspace, select the Building Stories tab.  Click New to start a new building.

   

4. Set the Num of Stories to "3" and Shape to "H-Shape".

   

5. Click Save to save the building and view it in the 3D viewport.

   

6. Go back to the Design Alternatives tab now.  The building you just created will still be in the 3D viewport.

   

7. Click Copy to create a copy of Design Alternative 1.  By default it will be called Design Alternative 2.

   

8. With Design Alternative 2 selected, go back to the Buildings tab.

   

9. In the Create/Edit Buildings workspace, select Story: Building Story 1 in the project tree.  This will enable editing of that story.

   

10. Change the Shape of that story to "Rectangle shape".  Click Save.

    

11. Go back to the Design Alternatives tab one more time and see the change you just made in the 3D viewport.

    

12. Select Design Alternative 1 to see that its model remains the same.  You now have two different Design Alternatives based on the same model.

    

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