Learning Macros

[DeLayDesign]

Oh boy.  Learning Macros has my head spinning.  I feel it's the next step in my evolution with Chief Architect, but I have having a difficult time following the tutorial.  Does anyone have any recommendations on resources that might help?

For context, my goal is to try and build a Light and Vent Calculator that when placed in a room formulates the information I need.  I've utilized ChatGPT and it has gotten really close, but sadly can't pull the sq. footages from the windows 'associated' with the room resulting in a '0.0%' return.  I'm trying to delve deeper into how Chief populates information - but so far I haven't discovered how I can relay the information from the windows in a room to my code.

I've reached out to Chief for more insight, but any guidance from the community might help.

[plannedRITE]

I have a detailed setup for automating glazing & vent calcs. But first, I highly recommend using Rene's macro page on his site...it's extremely useful. https://www.rabbittdesign.net/macros

I spent quite a while creating this sucker but I'll share it...here you go:

I've attached a simple plan that has everything you need inside. It's pretty darn accurate, far more than any reviewer should care to see. Few things to know - 

1. If there is glass in a door, make sure to mark it as tempered in its DBX. However, if it's a hinged exterior door with its style being a symbol that uses glass, it'll always report 30% of its area as glazing. There is no way to accurately measure this since chief can't analyze a symbol like that. 30% is close enough for most doors we use but you can finagle the number yourself if you need to in either that door's custom object field or the glazing_door macro.

2. I keep the schedules in a CAD detail for my layout. You'll want to make a copy of that schedule template for each room that needs to report these values. In the schedule, select the room it's in and add the name of the room to the main title (I wish we could use a macro for the title to save time...).

Here's a video walkthrough: 

 

Glazing&Ventilation.zip

[Joe_Carrick]

This can be pretty complicated because there's no direct connection between the room and the windows.  It would require a macro to accumulate the windows into a $Global Hash (including the area & room NVPs).  Then a text placed within the room could be designed to display what you've shown along with one more macro to sum the window areas of all windows which are associated with the room from the Hash.  I would make the key in the Hash be the Room Name.

[Renerabbitt]

15 hours ago, Joe_Carrick said:

This can be pretty complicated because there's no direct connection between the room and the windows

What do you mean. Windows do report their room name and schedules can report windows by room

[Renerabbitt]

This is using one of my macros which Ethan asked me permission for, thank you ethan.
Its also letting loose a bit of info that I have largely kept to myself for the last year or so, that you can build a calc into a summed row total. This works particularly well for mixing and matching different objects into a total formulation.

[Joe_Carrick]

6 hours ago, Renerabbitt said:

What do you mean. Windows do report their room name and schedules can report windows by room

Yes, but rooms don't report the windows and doors contained in them.  That's why you need a way of collecting all the windows associated with the room names.

 

It would be very simple to use a room label or schedule to do what Adam's example indicated if the rooms had NVPs for their windows and glazed openings.  Without that, the only way I know is to create a Hash of all of them along with their room name as the key.  Even that requires all rooms have unique names.  Also note that if a window is in a wall between an interior and exterior room the "room" NVP will be for both rooms.

 

OTOH, it's really easy to use a room schedule or text box to show what the natural light and ventilation requirements are according to code.  I have been doing that for years.

[richoffan]

How would it calculate the "exceptions" for a room using half the opening s.f.to another room and reducing that rooms percentage? How about the window dbx / schedule has ability to calc. L&V based on the other info contained in the dbx? IE frame, sash, window type.....pretty easy to see if that would then meet code whether 4 or 5% and areas with mech. venting can just be ignored. 

[Joe_Carrick]

12 minutes ago, richoffan said:

How would it calculate the "exceptions" for a room using half the opening s.f.to another room and reducing that rooms percentage? How about the window dbx / schedule has ability to calc. L&V based on the other info contained in the dbx? IE frame, sash, window type.....pretty easy to see if that would then meet code whether 4 or 5% and areas with mech. venting can just be ignored. 

These questions are why I limit this type of calculation to the rooms.  Quite simply my Macros calculate the required areas for the rooms and let the Schedules display the actual areas of the windows & doors - including the openable area.

 

I do the same for foundation and attic vents.

 

You should also be aware that whole house HRVs (Heat Recovery Ventilation Systems) can typically reduce or even eliminate attic vents, and can result in energy savings.  They do need to be properly sized and designed to provide exhaust for bath rooms, etc.