VISUAL PROGRAMMING FOR BUILDING INFORMATION MODELING: ENERGY AND SHADING ANALYSIS CASE STUDIES

INTRODUCTION

Although visual programming is being broadly implemented in other disciplines, it has only relatively recently become an important supplement to three-dimensional modeling programs in the architecture, engineering, and construction industry. Currently, Grasshopper in conjunction with Rhino is a leading example of a visual programming environment that is strongly supported by a user community that is developing additional functionality, but Grasshopper does not yet work directly with building information modeling (BIM) software. Dynamo is relatively new, but shows considerable promise in becoming a constructive tool to complement BIM, 3D modeling, and analysis programs because it includes parametric geometries and works with Revit, a leading BIM software program. Three case studies are described: extensibility of Dynamo through the use of a building energy simulation package, controlling a virtual model's response through light level sensors, and interactively updating shading components for a building facade based on solar angles. They demonstrate that one can work directly within building information models (BIM) using a visual programming language through updating component parameters. These case studies demonstrate the feasibility of a workflow for sustainable design simulations that is different than that more commonly used -- having a separation between design and analysis models and using a neutral file format exchange such as IFC or gbXML to transfer data. As visual programming languages are still a bit uncommon in the building industry, a short background is provided to place them within the tool set of other customizable tools that designers have been developing.