[Bldgcomposer-developer] RE: Building Composer and BDA

[Woods, V. N. <Van...@nw...>]

Kostas,
 
I wanted to let you know I haven't forgotten about your response!  I will be
traveling to CERL next week and will be discussing the issues below with our
team.  One of the objectives of my trip will be to clarify our method of
interacting with others who are interested in using Building Composer as a
platform for development, considering your response below specifically.
Again I want to keep the momentum going on this, so I will work to craft up
a response to you following my trip to CERL.  
 
A couple of things I wanted to respond to directly now.  On the MicroStation
licensing issue, I encourage you to take a look at the Bentley Education
Network site ( http://www.benbentley.com/portfolio/
<http://www.benbentley.com/portfolio/> ).  Bentley offers
educational/research licenses for a reduced fee.
 
Secondly, to encourage group communication I would like to encourage your
group to feel free to correspond with anybody in our team via the
SourceForge mailing lists or forums.  I would encourage you to subscribe to
the mailing lists in order to be aware of any announcements or technical
issues that may come up.
 
Mailing list:
https://sourceforge.net/mail/?group_id=29600
<https://sourceforge.net/mail/?group_id=29600> 
 
Forum:
https://sourceforge.net/forum/?group_id=29600
<https://sourceforge.net/forum/?group_id=29600> 
 
I liked your idea of taking a little time to demonstrate the systems to each
other so that we can all more fully understand the capabilities and come up
with a better sense of objectives.  I would like to propose that we conduct
a NetMeeting videoconference meeting where we could do introductions and
both give demonstrations of our applications to each other.  Would you like
to try this?  If so, could you propose a date and time when your team might
be available.  I believe that our team's schedule is pretty flexible.  If
possible, take into consideration central time zone differences.
 
Thanks, and I look forward to discussing this further!
 
Van Woods
 
 

-----Original Message-----
From: Konstantinos Papamichael [mailto:K_P...@lb...]
Sent: Monday, May 20, 2002 3:55 PM
To: Woods, Van NWS
Cc: 'Vineeta Pal'; Stephen E. Selkowitz
Subject: Building Composer and BDA



Dear Van,

 

We have looked at the Criteria Composer, but did not have a chance to
explore the Layout Composer, because it needs Microstation (which we do not
have).  We also did not have a chance to review the Criteria Manager,
because we could not find it on the website.  Is it available?

 

Based on the review of the Layout Composer we have the following, very
preliminary thoughts:

 

There are several commonalities between the conceptual and philosophical
foundations of BDA and Building Composer which provide a great opportunity
for collaboration. 

- Both projects use a high level abstraction of the building project in
terms of objects described by parameters/criteria with values, units and
sources. 

- Both projects attempt to address the data and process requirements of the
entire life cycle of the building.

- Both projects attempt to provide integration of multiple performance
criteria and domains.

- Both projects maintain libraries of alternatives (for building systems,
components, or functions) in addition to specific design project libraries.

 

There are also several opportunities where the two projects could benefit
from each other's strengths or fill in each other's gaps in functionality.

- BDA could benefit from Building Composer's ability to add custom criteria
and from the Building Composer's model for the architectural programming
stages. It could also benefit from the more sophisticated graphical
interface for building layout and design, based on commercial CAD programs
(Microstation, AutoCad), and from its cost-estimating modules.

- Building Composer could benefit from BDA's capability of integrated
energy, daylighting and electric lighting simulation using DOE2.1E, DElight
and ECM tools. Building Composer could also benefit from BDA's idea and
mechanism for enabling multi-criteria graphical evaluation of multiple
design alternatives. 

- BDA and Building Composer could also add to each other's libraries of
building systems and components and functions.

 

There are some specific challenges and issues for collaboration:

- Programming languages and platforms - BDA is in C++, Building Composer is
in Java. We either need an interface between the two, or need to decide on a
common language / programming environment.

- Building model - Building Composer is IFC compliant, BDA model is not.
Some of the functionality required by BDA for energy and lighting simulation
is not available in IFCs. We could attempt a union of the two, where we
could implement a building model that is IFC complaint, and in addition has
the BDA model objects for the added functionality for simulation.

- Would we have an entirely new application, or would one project serve as a
base to which the other project's functionality is an add-on? Or would each
project retain its basic form and exchange data with the other through an
API or file-transfer?

 

Some possible scenaria:

- BDA or a BDA-derived new application can act as a simulation wizard
activated from the Building Composer.

- Criteria Composer could be added to the Building Browser in BDA through
the definition of new parameters/criteria and space functions. We could have
different views in the Building Browser with "architectural programming" as
one view. SGE can be replaced with the layout composer.

 

We would need to review the Layout Composer and Criteria manager, as well as
the software architecture of Building Composer in more detail, to come up
with a more comprehensive plan.  Maybe this could happen in a meeting where
each side can demonstrate software capabilities and features, followed by a
brainstorming session on project possibilities.

 

We also need to address funding issues, i.e., identify potential funding
sources and consider their interests, needs and priorities.

 

Best regards,

 

Kostas Papamichael

 

Konstantinos Papamichael, Ph.D., Staff Scientist

Building Technologies Department

Environmental Energy Technologies Division

Ernest Orlando Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory

1 Cyclotron Road, Mail Stop 90-3111, Berkeley, CA 94720

Phone: (510) 486-6854, Fax: (510) 486-4089, E-mail: K_P...@lb...