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<p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif";
color:#1F497D'>Thank you for your thoughts Bruce, Nick, and Carol. <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif";
color:#1F497D'><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif";
color:#1F497D'>I would like to be able to find a work flow, even similar to
EnergyPlus and SketchUp, that allows for one building geometry model to be
built then either export or import across various tools. Our company’s situation
would dictate these tools to be Trace and eQuest. Because eQuest is visually
reassuring and less time intensive to build a model, it would be a huge time
saver to take the eQuest energy model and export it to XML, which Trace can
then import.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif";
color:#1F497D'><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif";
color:#1F497D'>I’m like Nick, the few times that I’ve tried
GreenBuilding Studio I’ve experienced unusable, or mangled results. And since
it appears that GBS can go one way, Revit XML to eQuest INP, why can’t it
go the other way: INP to XML for Trane to be able to use. The biggest hurdle appears
to be naming but should be a minor inconvenience (I think?).<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif";
color:#1F497D'><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif";
color:#1F497D'>If anyone has any ideas or is working with this same
workflow I’d appreciate your thoughts. Thanks<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif";
color:#1F497D'><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<div>
<p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif";
color:#1F497D'>Matthew Higgins, ASHRAE-HBDP, LEED-AP<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><i><span style='font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif";
color:#1F497D'>Energy Engineer<o:p></o:p></span></i></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><b><span style='font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Arial","sans-serif";
color:#0F0F65'><o:p> </o:p></span></b></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><b><span style='font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Arial","sans-serif";
color:#0F0F65'>Bridgers & Paxton Consulting Engineers, Inc.<o:p></o:p></span></b></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Arial","sans-serif";
color:#0F0F65'>4600-C Montgomery Blvd. NE<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Arial","sans-serif";
color:#0F0F65'>Albuquerque, NM 87109<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Arial","sans-serif";
color:#0F0F65'>505-883-4111<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Arial","sans-serif";
color:#0F0F65'>505-888-1436 Fax<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif";
color:#002060'>mwhiggins@bpce.com <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif";
color:#1F497D'><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><b><span style='font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif";
color:#4F81BD'>www.bpce.com<o:p></o:p></span></b></p>
</div>
<p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif";
color:#1F497D'><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<div>
<div style='border:none;border-top:solid #B5C4DF 1.0pt;padding:3.0pt 0in 0in 0in'>
<p class=MsoNormal><b><span style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Tahoma","sans-serif";
color:windowtext'>From:</span></b><span style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:
"Tahoma","sans-serif";color:windowtext'> Bruce Easterbrook
[mailto:bruce5@bellnet.ca] <br>
<b>Sent:</b> Friday, July 16, 2010 3:48 PM<br>
<b>To:</b> Nick Caton<br>
<b>Cc:</b> Carol Gardner; Matthew W. Higgins; eQuest user forum<br>
<b>Subject:</b> Re: [Equest-users] eQuest Wiki & Other Question<o:p></o:p></span></p>
</div>
</div>
<p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p>
<p class=MsoNormal> I just wanted to add my 2 cents worth on
the Trace HAP issue and Nick's comment they should add compatibility to
eQuest. I fully agree they should. More and more of my specifying
work is required to be generic. I refuse to pay either Carrier or Trane
to use their program and do all their work for them. Both programs are
very good but they are basically an auto-size program for either Carrier or
Trane products. You have to admire the marketing aspect but with eQuest
being a free generic program both companies have lost the war. The
specifying engineer pays good money to use their proprietary program, does all
the work getting the project model built and working, sends the model to them,
they press the button and the whole job is itemized and costed, they just have
to fill out the bid forms. The company which lost has to take the paper
spec, build the model in their proprietary program, get it running and then
output the job with their units. I'm not sure how a lot of this works now
as I'm mostly in the generic world but in decades past Trane and Carrier would
battle to be the named manufacturer on a job. There was major assistance
from their engineers in doing the spec. In recognition of the assistance,
if you were willing to load their auto-size program for them you could/would
receive a free seat. Your recognition for them is their name on the
project units and the job input handed to them on a platter. The downside
of this system is both companies know each others units intimately. Some
jobs can be configured/manipulated to put the other company at a disadvantage,
sometimes to the detriment of the owners system. As software, eQuest does
compete with HAP and Trace. But the money for a modelling program pales
compared the the real work of winning a job. This is why both Trane and
Carrier will give their program away free to their favourite specifying
engineers. They just off loaded a major part of the work to be able to
bid a job. Their major competitor is behind the 8 ball because they are
starting from scratch to bid the job (and every other smaller company).
eQuest could actually make everyones job easier, maybe Carrier and Trane could
throw some money or expertise into eQuest to help make it better and compatible
with their programs. The modelling job would only get done once, each
company could take the file and convert it to their program, press the button
and be ready to bid the job. It would also get the owner a better
job. Both Carrier and Trane can easily check and tweak the job, probably
provide some very good ideas to make the project better. Face it both
those companies have some major engineering horsepower, and can provide
valuable input. They would lose a marketing device but in the end I believe
it would save them a lot of money reworking jobs they didn't get the
specification on. Ultimately they would be able to bid more jobs, sell
more units, make more money. The customer would get a better system as
well because money wasted on the dance could be applied to making the job
better. Equest could be made better faster with their help. I think
everyone would benefit.<br>
Nice shot Carol<span class=moz-smiley-s1> :-) </span>.<br>
Bruce Easterbrook P.Eng.<br>
Abode Engineering<br>
<br>
On 16/07/2010 10:54 AM, Nick Caton wrote: <o:p></o:p></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif";
color:#1F497D'>Carol I think I can fill in a response:</span><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif";
color:#1F497D'> </span><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif";
color:#1F497D'>More often than not, big complicated energy modeling projects
typically result in another individual doing the HVAC design. When that
other person regularly uses HAP and/or Trace to run sizing loads, we ultimately
have to butt heads to be sure eQuest is arriving at similar answers, and it
usually is off in one zone or another by a big factor. Quirks like
unexpectedly huge people densities or particular OA requirements get missed by
eQuest’s occupancy libraries.</span><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif";
color:#1F497D'> </span><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif";
color:#1F497D'>The concept of being able to get to a certain point of the
energy model, avoiding inputting any system sizing parameters (Auto-size
CFM’s, capacities, etc), and then import such information from
another’s work (rather than doing it by hand from cryptic output reports),
is really appealing as that’s a part of the job that’s both un-fun
and drawn out. It does encourage using the model to tweak the HVAC design
process to a more intimate degree than we might otherwise, once the two sets of
results are calibrated to each other, which I think is great.</span><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif";
color:#1F497D'> </span><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif";
color:#1F497D'>Envisioning this, I think it would manifest as an option in
Trace or HAP (or similar loads program) to create a text file (*.inp)
containing the variables you’d want to import located under the
respective zones/systems. There would have to be some graphic/visual
means of telling Trace/HAP the cryptic zone/system names generated by eQuest to
make this a time-efficient feature.</span><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif";
color:#1F497D'> </span><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif";
color:#1F497D'>To Matthew’s question, I’m afraid this concept will
be remaining in perpetual la-la-land unless Trane or Carrier decide/realize
they might get a lot more business by assigning this interoperability feature
to their respective software developers. As they both perceive their
software packages as “competitors,” to eQuest, I don’t see it
happening anytime soon, but I’ve been wrong before!</span><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif";
color:#1F497D'> </span><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif";
color:#1F497D'>I have heard scattered reports (and even seen a few screenshots)
of people in the “real world” managing to get GBS/Revit to
interface via export into eQuest – but my personal attempts (3 times)
have all failed along the way… it seems rooted to model manipulations
that Revit MEP cannot do, which Architectural can (and we don’t have the
budget for) that are required for a clean export. To my limited
understanding, with this process you’re getting geometries (polygons,
surfaces) defined, and possibly spaces/zones and constructions, but beyond that
you’re left to do everything else without the wizards.</span><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif";
color:#1F497D'> </span><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif";
color:#1F497D'>~Nick</span><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif";
color:#1F497D'> </span><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif";
color:#1F497D'>PS: If any man wants to contribute woman-hours (or vice versa, I
won’t judge!) to making that eQuest-wiki concept happen, then make it
known =). By contributing, I’m explicitly suggesting being willing
to write up one or more articles, mini-guides, or how-to’s.</span><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif";
color:#1F497D'> </span><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif";
color:#1F497D'> </span><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif";
color:#1F497D'><img width=119 height=37 id="Picture_x0020_1"
src="cid:image001.jpg@01CB2717.51E93480" alt="cid:489575314@22072009-0ABB"></span><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><b><span style='font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Stylus BT","sans-serif";
color:#2D4D5E'> </span></b><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><b><span style='font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Stylus BT","sans-serif";
color:#2D4D5E'>NICK CATON, E.I.T.</span></b><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:7.5pt;font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif";
color:#CC9900'>PROJECT ENGINEER</span><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif";
color:#2D4D5E'>25501 west valley parkway</span><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif";
color:#2D4D5E'>olathe ks 66061</span><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif";
color:#2D4D5E'>direct 913 344.0036</span><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif";
color:#2D4D5E'>fax 913 345.0617</span><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><i><span style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif";
color:#2D4D5E'>Check out our new web-site @ </span></i><span style='font-size:
11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif";color:#1F497D'><a
href="www.smithboucher.com" title="blocked::www.smithboucher.com"><span
style='font-size:10.0pt'>www.smithboucher.com</span></a></span><u><span
style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif";color:blue'> </span></u><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif";
color:#1F497D'> </span><o:p></o:p></p>
<div style='border:none;border-top:solid windowtext 1.0pt;padding:3.0pt 0in 0in 0in;
border-color:-moz-use-text-color -moz-use-text-color'>
<p class=MsoNormal><b><span style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Tahoma","sans-serif"'>From:</span></b><span
style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Tahoma","sans-serif"'> <a
href="mailto:equest-users-bounces@lists.onebuilding.org">equest-users-bounces@lists.onebuilding.org</a>
[<a href="mailto:equest-users-bounces@lists.onebuilding.org">mailto:equest-users-bounces@lists.onebuilding.org</a>]
<b>On Behalf Of </b>Carol Gardner<br>
<b>Sent:</b> Thursday, July 15, 2010 10:05 PM<br>
<b>To:</b> Matthew W. Higgins<br>
<b>Cc:</b> eQuest user forum<br>
<b>Subject:</b> Re: [Equest-users] eQuest Wiki & Other Question</span><o:p></o:p></p>
</div>
<p class=MsoNormal> <o:p></o:p></p>
<p class=MsoNormal style='margin-bottom:12.0pt'>Sorry, Matthew, but I can't
resist this: if they were "woman-hours" at stake there would be fewer
and the outcome better. You left yourself wide open for that one!<br>
<br>
Related to your second paragraph, can you give me an example of why you would
want to go from eQUEST to XML/Trace? I am stumped as to why you want to do such
a thing.<br>
<br>
Carol<o:p></o:p></p>
<div>
<p class=MsoNormal>On Thu, Jul 15, 2010 at 1:51 PM, Matthew W. Higgins <<a
href="mailto:MWHiggins@bpce.com">MWHiggins@bpce.com</a>> wrote:<o:p></o:p></p>
<div>
<div>
<p class=MsoNormal>Seems like a lot of the traffic lately (past month or so)
could be lightened by the eQuest Wiki that was mentioned. Anything come of
that? Of course, keeping respectful of the fact that these are man-hours at
stake to create it all.<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class=MsoNormal> <o:p></o:p></p>
<p class=MsoNormal>Also, unrelated, I’m aware of the workflow using
GreenBuilding Studio to go from Revit to eQuest and the ability to bring XML
into Trace, but is there a workflow to go from eQuest BDL to Trace or back out
to an XML, file then into Trace? Seems like GBS could go from eQuest to
XML/Trace, primarily for time savings when creating geometries.<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class=MsoNormal> <o:p></o:p></p>
<p class=MsoNormal>Thoughts? Thanks.<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class=MsoNormal> <o:p></o:p></p>
<p class=MsoNormal>Matthew Higgins, ASHRAE-HBDP, LEED-AP<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><i>Energy Engineer</i><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><b><span style='color:#0F0F65'> </span></b><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><b><span style='color:#0F0F65'>Bridgers & Paxton
Consulting Engineers, Inc.</span></b><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:10.0pt;color:#0F0F65'>4600-C
Montgomery Blvd. NE</span><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:10.0pt;color:#0F0F65'>Albuquerque,
NM 87109</span><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:10.0pt;color:#0F0F65'>505-883-4111</span><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:10.0pt;color:#0F0F65'>505-888-1436
Fax</span><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><span style='color:#002060'><a
href="mailto:mwhiggins@bpce.com" target="_blank">mwhiggins@bpce.com</a> </span><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class=MsoNormal> <o:p></o:p></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><b><span style='color:#4F81BD'><a href="http://www.bpce.com"
target="_blank">www.bpce.com</a></span></b><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class=MsoNormal> <o:p></o:p></p>
</div>
</div>
<p class=MsoNormal style='margin-bottom:12.0pt'><br>
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To unsubscribe from this mailing list send a blank message to <a
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<p class=MsoNormal><br>
<br clear=all>
<br>
-- <br>
Carol Gardner PE<o:p></o:p></p>
<pre><o:p> </o:p></pre><pre><o:p> </o:p></pre><pre>_______________________________________________<o:p></o:p></pre><pre>Equest-users mailing list<o:p></o:p></pre><pre><a
href="http://lists.onebuilding.org/listinfo.cgi/equest-users-onebuilding.org">http://lists.onebuilding.org/listinfo.cgi/equest-users-onebuilding.org</a><o:p></o:p></pre><pre>To unsubscribe from this mailing list send a blank message to <a
href="mailto:EQUEST-USERS-UNSUBSCRIBE@ONEBUILDING.ORG">EQUEST-USERS-UNSUBSCRIBE@ONEBUILDING.ORG</a><o:p></o:p></pre><pre> <o:p></o:p></pre></div>
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