Is it possible to view the numeric outputs of the SunCast Solar Visualisation analysis?
When solar visualisation simulations are run on the Analysis tab of SunCast the results files are generated for use in the model viewer to allow the building surfaces to be coloured based on either Solar Exposure or Incident Solar Energy. No output of the values calculated for each surface is directly available as an output other than in the model viewer itself.
Solar Exposure calculations and results come from a SunCast shading file (shd), running the solar shading calculation in SunCast will produce a shading file that can be loaded in Suncast and then the exposures for the monthly design days may be inspected in the ModelIT workspace to analyse the results on each surface (interior and exterior)
Solar Energy calculations are performed by running an apache simulation with SunCast link enabled and the detailed incident radiation output options selected. After loading this result file into VistaPro you can select any surface or opening and view the incident solar radiation and flux values at any timestep on charts or table outputs.
Note on solvis results
The SunCast solar visualisation analysis produces results files from the calculations tagged with the name solvis (aps and had files) which should only be used when viewing results via the Model Viewer 2 3D display. When a hi-resolution grid output is displayed the results stored in the shading file and simulation results file tagged as solvis will contain results for each sub-surface which was created for the hi-res grid and these can only be viewed by the version of the model where the surfaces are divided.
Loading these files into SunCast or VistaPro as described above will give false results as the surface index number references stored in the files will not correspond to the correct surfaces in the model i.e. consider a wall divided into 4 surfaces, surface #1, 2, 3, 4 will all fall on that single east facing surface. If you were to select the West wall in VistaPro to view corresponding results it will load the results for surface #3 and so gives a false output with different exposure intensity and time that does not match the chosen simulation weather file for that surface orientation
One method to get a subsurface results breakdown in VistaPro is to use ModelIT tools to subdivide the space surfaces and then run the simulation so that each distinct surface can be selected for interrogation of the detailed results. It is anticipated you would do this for selected spaces and not on the whole model level which is applied when running solar visualisation analysis in ModelIT.
