Trace (Room)

Used to create the surfaces that define a room by tracing a floor plan. Above ceiling and below floor plenums can be created simultaneously. Typically, the Trace tool is used with referenced floor plan drawings, and can accurately lay out the room boundaries with the help of AccuDraw and keypoint snaps. When the boundaries of a room are fully traced, and the tool is exited, exposed walls, partitions, virtual walls (partitions above internal ceiling level), floor, ceiling, exposed roof, and plenum objects are automatically generated both graphically and in the room object hierarchy of the OpenBuildings Energy Simulator Project Tree.

Accessed from:

Ribbon: Energy Simulator > Home > Rooms > Trace

Setting	Description
Room type	Used to define the function of the room being traced. The Room types available in the list box are automatically determined based on the Building Type property set in the Building Properties properties panel.
Room name	Used to enter a name for the room. The name entered here is displayed in the OpenBuildings Energy Simulator Project Tree when the room boundaries are completely traced. If no room name is entered, the room is automatically named using a numeric naming pattern.
Floor height	Used to specify the floor to floor height of the room being traced. A default Floor height is provided, but can be overridden. Floor height is distributed between the room height and plenum heights. The sum of the plenums and room heights must equal Floor height, however Room height can exceed Floor height for rooms that span multiple stories (atria). The default Floor height is set for the project in the Defaults Manager’s Constructions Defaults.
Room height	Used to specify the height of the room being traced. A default height is provided, but can be overridden. Room height can be equal to (no plenums specified), but can exceed Floor height for rooms that span multiple stories (atria). Changing Room height changes plenum heights. For instance, changing Room height to be less than Floor height automatically enters the height difference as the Ceiling plenum height. The default Room height is set for the project in the Defaults Manager’s Constructions panel.
Rectangular	When on, the room being traced is locked into a rectangular shape. Checking the Rectangular option also enables the Rotated option. If the Rotated option is unchecked, the rectangular room’s width and height are aligned with the X and Y axes regardless of the AccuDraw Compass orientation. Tracing a rectangular shaped room without using the Rotated option requires entering two data points; the opposite diagonal corners of the rectangle.
Rotated	When on, the rectangular room being traced can be rotated about the first identified room corner. The second data point entered determines the angle of rotation, and also rotates the AccuDraw Compass. The third data point entered establishes the opposite diagonal corner of the rectangular room. The rotation, once established is independent of the AccuDraw Compass.
Ceiling plenum	Used to enter a height for a ceiling plenum. A default height is provided, but can be overridden. Changing Ceiling plenum height changes Underfloor plenum height, but does not change Room height or Floor height. The sum of the ceiling and underfloor plenums is always equal to the available plenum space (Floor height minus Room height). For instance, if Ceiling plenum height is set to zero, then Underfloor plenum height is automatically calculated to equal the available plenum space (Floor height minus Room height). The default Ceiling plenum height is set for the project in the Defaults Manager’s Constructions panel.
Underfloor plenum	Used to enter a height for an underfloor plenum. A default height is provided, but can be overridden. Changing Underfloor plenum height changes Ceiling plenum height, but does not change Room height or Floor height. The sum of the ceiling and underfloor plenums is always equal to the available plenum space (Floor height minus Room height). For instance, if Underfloor plenum is set to zero, then Ceiling plenum height is automatically calculated to equal the available plenum space (Floor height minus Room height). The default Underfloor plenum height is set for the project in the Defaults Manager’s Constructions panel.

Key-in: BBSENERGYANALYSIS ROOM TRACE

CAUTION: Adjacency requirement: - Due to excessive wall thicknesses and accuracy errors in referenced drawings, tracing adjacent rooms may yield unexpected results initially. Exposed walls are created rather than partition walls. If the wall thicknesses in referenced drawings exceed the Adjacent tolerance (defined in the Settings Manager), that setting should be increased. If exposed walls are still being created where partitions should be created, then the referenced drawing has an accuracy error. The referenced lines between adjacent rooms must be parallel in order for OpenBuildings Designer to consider them as being adjacent, and subsequently generate partitions between them. To avoid these problems, it is always best to employ AccuDraw when tracing rooms.

Tip: Units Display – Units are displayed using the default system of units that was defined for the project, but can be changed to display using alternative units.