Welcome to frads Discussions!

[taoning]

👋 Welcome!

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• Ask questions you’re wondering about.
• Share ideas.
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To get started, comment below with an introduction of yourself and tell us about what you do with this community.

[adalbertogc1]

Hello Frads group,
My name is Adal and I work as a Building Physics Engineer. I am constantly looking for tools for evaluating the effectiveness of blind control algorithms. I look forward to exchanging ideas and hearing about how you use Frads in your projects.

[koepferl]

Hi,

I am currently working through this tutorial.

https://lbnl-eta.github.io/frads/how-to/guide_rad1/

(base) ...@... ~ % gen room 12 14 3 \
-w 0.4 1 2.5 1.8
-w 3.3 1 2.5 1.8
-w 6.2 1 2.5 1.8
-w 9.1 1 2.5 1.8 \
-t 0.1 -n aroom

does not work. It returns me the following error:

usage: gen room [-h] [-w start_x start_z width height] [-n NAME] [-t Facade thickness] [-r ROTATE] width depth flrflr flrclg
gen room: error: the following arguments are required: flrclg

Just to be sure, I currently have version:

In [1]: import frads

In [2]: print(frads.version)
0.2.10

However the installation of the below did not quite work, because a file was missing:

pip install git+https://github.com/taoning/pyenergyplus_wheels
Collecting git+https://github.com/taoning/pyenergyplus_wheels
Cloning https://github.com/taoning/pyenergyplus_wheels to /private/var/folders/c2/tthc2_6j741c3rvx9vpjppwh0000gn/T/pip-req-build-ihxnqfnq
Running command git clone --filter=blob:none --quiet https://github.com/taoning/pyenergyplus_wheels /private/var/folders/c2/tthc2_6j741c3rvx9vpjppwh0000gn/T/pip-req-build-ihxnqfnq
Resolved https://github.com/taoning/pyenergyplus_wheels to commit 664456bc5428ad50ace2c2bc729bbc486afa0435
Preparing metadata (setup.py) ... done
Collecting pyenergyplus@ https://github.com/taoning/pyenergyplus/raw/main/wheels/darwin/pyenergyplus-23.1.0-py3-none-macosx_10_13_x86_64.whl
ERROR: HTTP error 404 while getting https://github.com/taoning/pyenergyplus/raw/main/wheels/darwin/pyenergyplus-23.1.0-py3-none-macosx_10_13_x86_64.whl
ERROR: Could not install requirement pyenergyplus@ https://github.com/taoning/pyenergyplus/raw/main/wheels/darwin/pyenergyplus-23.1.0-py3-none-macosx_10_13_x86_64.whl from https://github.com/taoning/pyenergyplus/raw/main/wheels/darwin/pyenergyplus-23.1.0-py3-none-macosx_10_13_x86_64.whl (from pyenergyplus-wheels==0.1.0) because of HTTP error 404 Client Error: Not Found for url: https://github.com/taoning/pyenergyplus/raw/main/wheels/darwin/pyenergyplus-23.1.0-py3-none-macosx_10_13_x86_64.whl for URL https://github.com/taoning/pyenergyplus/raw/main/wheels/darwin/pyenergyplus-23.1.0-py3-none-macosx_10_13_x86_64.whl

[koepferl]

changing it to gen room 12 14 3 0 \ did work.

[koepferl]

However, it does not seem to find the next module within python

from frads import matrix
from frads import parsers
from frads import sky
from frads import utils
from frads.types import WeaData
from frads.types import WeaMetaData

fpaths = ["Objects/materials_aroom.mat",
"Objects/ceiling_aroom.rad",
"Objects/wall_aroom.rad",
"Objects/floor_aroom.rad",
"Objects/window_00_aroom.rad",
"Objects/window_01_aroom.rad",
"Objects/window_02_aroom.rad",
"Objects/window_03_aroom.rad",
]

room_octree = "aroom.oct"
matrix.oconv(*fpaths, room_octree)

---

AttributeError Traceback (most recent call last)
/var/folders/c2/tthc2_6j741c3rvx9vpjppwh0000gn/T/ipykernel_70799/2306175151.py in
17
18 room_octree = "aroom.oct"
---> 19 matrix.oconv(*fpaths, room_octree)

AttributeError: module 'frads.matrix' has no attribute 'oconv'

​

[koepferl]

BTW I fixed the other issues, there are small bugs in the tutorial regarding datetime

[koepferl]

However, then within python it does not seem to find matrix.oconv

`from frads import matrix
from frads import parsers
from frads import sky
from frads import utils
from frads.types import WeaData
from frads.types import WeaMetaData

fpaths = ["Objects/materials_aroom.mat",
"Objects/ceiling_aroom.rad",
"Objects/wall_aroom.rad",
"Objects/floor_aroom.rad",
"Objects/window_00_aroom.rad",
"Objects/window_01_aroom.rad",
"Objects/window_02_aroom.rad",
"Objects/window_03_aroom.rad",
]

room_octree = "aroom.oct"
matrix.oconv(*fpaths, room_octree)`

`---------------------------------------------------------------------------
AttributeError Traceback (most recent call last)
/var/folders/c2/tthc2_6j741c3rvx9vpjppwh0000gn/T/ipykernel_70799/2306175151.py in
17
18 room_octree = "aroom.oct"
---> 19 matrix.oconv(*fpaths, room_octree)

AttributeError: module 'frads.matrix' has no attribute 'oconv'
`

[taoning]

Hi @koepferl, there are some mistakes in this tutorial, we will fix the tutorial asap.

[koepferl]

@taoning I looked through your fixes. I spotted a few things:

1. Objects/windows_0?_aroom.rad have an extra row of zeros.
2. gen_perez_sky there are a few issues with input, see the fix below

``date_time = datetime.datetime(2024, 12, 21, 12, 0)
wea_data = fr.WeaData(time=date_time, dni=800, dhi=100)

city = 'city'
county = 'county'
latitude = 37
longitude = 122
time_zone = 120
elevation = 0

wea_meta = fr.WeaMetaData(city, county, latitude, longitude, time_zone, elevation)

sky_descr = fr.gen_perez_sky(wea_data, wea_meta)``

3. pr.oconv gets me now this weird error

``room_sky_octree = f'aroom_37_122_1221_1200.oct'
#room_sky_octree = f'aroom_{latitude}{longitude}{month:02d}{day:02d}_{hour:02d}{minute:02d}.oct'

with open(room_sky_octree, "wb") as f:
f.write(pr.oconv(stdin=sky_descr, octree=room_octree))``

``---------------------------------------------------------------------------
TypeError Traceback (most recent call last)
/var/folders/c2/tthc2_6j741c3rvx9vpjppwh0000gn/T/ipykernel_73642/1239290419.py in
3
4 with open(room_sky_octree, "wb") as f:
----> 5 f.write(pr.oconv(stdin=sky_descr, octree=room_octree))

~/opt/anaconda3/lib/python3.9/site-packages/pyradiance/anci.py in wrapper(*args, **kwargs)
20 def wrapper(*args, **kwargs):
21 try:
---> 22 result = func(*args, **kwargs)
23 except CalledProcessError as e:
24 errmsg = e.stderr or b""

~/opt/anaconda3/lib/python3.9/site-packages/pyradiance/ot.py in oconv(warning, stdin, frozen, octree, *paths)
53 cmd.append("-")
54 else:
---> 55 raise TypeError("stdin should be bytes.")
56 return sp.run(cmd, input=stdin, stdout=sp.PIPE, check=True).stdout

TypeError: stdin should be bytes.``

[koepferl]

@taoning also I see no windows with objview Objects/*aroom.mat Objects/*aroom.rad now

[taoning]

Sorry it's not yet ready, will let you know when. Also the some of the issues you are seeing are due to you having an older version of frads. So we need to sort that out first.

[koepferl]

Ok, sorry. Thanks for your help

[koepferl]

Thanks for your help, in the end it was a weird issue due to my installation of the wrong anaconda version (for intel) rather than (apple M1) which did not cause any issue in python, but in the connection with radiance the issue appeared. thanks.

[koepferl]

Hi, thanks for your help. I am looking for daylight factor simulation of a simple room. Is the daylight factor part of frads? Or can you point me towards any other (hopefully python based) solution.

Cheers, Christine

P.S. I am teaching programming for building technology engineers and I want to introduce them a little to daylight simulation. My background is maybe unusual I am a physicists and performed radiative transfer simulation in astrophysical environments but always in connection with python which I also teach. So I might have unusual questions.

[taoning]

daylight factor calculation has not been our focus but we could put together something in the tutorial.

also, If you want to use energyplus for building energy simulation you can use frads as well. We have built in energyplus object model and simulation utilities. when you install frads, you install both radiance and energyplus, so you don't need to set it up separately.

[koepferl]

This sounds great, the daylight factor is quite important for the focus of the lecture, as it is part of some of the EUs regulations.

[TammieYu]

@koepferl Please see our updated guide on the daylight factor here [https://lbnl-eta.github.io/frads/how-to/guide_rad7/].

[koepferl]

@TammieYu @taoning sorry I never replied, the semester started and I did not have time to give it a look. This looks wonderful. Great.

[koepferl]

@TammieYu @taoning Unfortunately it does not work. I have corrected a few typos

1. datatime -> datetime
2. stdin = sky_descr -> stdin=sky_scene

I hope this was the correct interpretation. However, there is a bug I can not fix following when setting up the sensors.

floor_primitives = fr.unpack_primitives("Objects/floor_aroom.rad")
print(floor_primitives[0])
floor_polygon = fr.parse_polygon(floor_primitives[0])
grid = fr.gen_grid(floor_polygon, 1, 0.75)

neutral_lambertian_0.2 polygon floor
0
0
12 0.0 0.0 0.0 12.0 0.0 0.0 12.0 14.0 0.0 0.0 14.0 0.0

---

ValueError Traceback (most recent call last)
/var/folders/c2/tthc2_6j741c3rvx9vpjppwh0000gn/T/ipykernel_75884/3123292342.py in
1 floor_primitives = fr.unpack_primitives("Objects/floor_aroom.rad")
2 print(floor_primitives[0])
----> 3 floor_polygon = fr.parse_polygon(floor_primitives[0])
4 grid = fr.gen_grid(floor_polygon, 1, 0.75)

~/opt/anaconda3/lib/python3.9/site-packages/frads/parsers.py in parse_polygon(real_args)
277 """
278 coords = real_args[1:]
--> 279 arg_cnt = int(real_args[0])
280 vertices = [geom.Vector(*coords[i : i + 3]) for i in range(0, arg_cnt, 3)]
281 return geom.Polygon(vertices)

ValueError: invalid literal for int() with base 10: 'neutral_lambertian_0.2'

[koepferl]

Hi, I experience a very interesting malfunction. This might be the reason will many of the tutorials are not working for me.

When I check for the frads version in the terminal I get 1.2.5

(base) greif@maccmg ~ % ipython
Python 3.11.5 (main, Sep 11 2023, 08:31:25) [Clang 14.0.6 ]
Type 'copyright', 'credits' or 'license' for more information
IPython 8.15.0 -- An enhanced Interactive Python. Type '?' for help.

In [1]: import frads

In [2]: frads.version
Out[2]: '1.2.5'

When I check in the Jupyter Notebook:

import frads
frads.version
'0.2.10'

Any ideas?

[taoning]

It's not immediately obviously to me. What's your grid and ird_results variable.

[koepferl]

Hi, I followed this tutorial. https://lbnl-eta.github.io/frads/how-to/guide_rad7/

ird_results = pr.rtrace(rays.encode(), room_sky_octree, params=option, header=False)

grid = fr.gen_grid(floor_polygon, 1, 0.75)

[koepferl]

How_to_calculate_daylight_factor.pdf

[koepferl]

I get back this:

[taoning]

Yes, can you print out those two variables?

[koepferl]

Terminal Saved Output.txt

[koepferl]

Do you have an idea why it I have a totally different version of frads in the Jupyter notebook. There I have 0.XX on the system I have 1.XX

[taoning]

Sounds like your jupyter notebook is picking up a different virtual environment. Have you tried to run !pip install -U frads inside? Maybe it's also using an older version of python.

[koepferl]

'0.2.10' if I do the pip install -U in the notebook (3.9.13)
'1.2.5' in the shell (Python 3.11.5)

Weird, I need to also say that in February you helped me because of the introduction of the M1 chip in Apple devices the initial anaconda installation I installed was not for M1, but I thought this was resolved. Do you have any ideas?

I enclose an image which I managed to make from your tutorials and adapted a daylight factor map.

Is there a way to increase the number of sensors in the grid?

[taoning]

I don't know why that's the case, but I am also not surprised given how difficult it is to manage python environment. I guess the only "solution" would be the construct a virtual environment for every project and installing fresh package in it. But I also understand that's pain if you want to work inside a notebook.

Thanks for including the image. You can decrease the spacing value from you gen_grid call to get more sensors.

[koepferl]

I solved the problem by entire getting rid of python from my computer. I had two running installations. After reinstalling everything seems to work - fingers crossed.