Update 2018-02-04 ~ gbXML Viewer ~ edit file preview

[theo-armour]

@ladybug-tools/spiders

gbXML Viewer9 Editor Dev

Concept

GbXML file creation is still a young art and the various apps used to create gbXML data - and their users - may create files that contain errors. It may not always be convenient to go back to the app that created the file to fix the errors.

Viewing and locating errors in a gbXML file using a CAD grogram is not always an easy task.

Typical errors we have seen include

• Surfaces assigned to an incorrect surface type
• Surfaces with duplicate interior wall adjacencies
• Duplicate identical surfaces

An app that enables easy viewing of gbXML files, helps with locating and highlighting errors, enables fixing the errors and saving the data to a new file could be a useful addition the designer's toolkit.

Notes

This script is based on manipulating XML data. The other scripts in the gbXML Viewer series manipulate JSON data extracted from the XML data.

The difference is due to the new and added intention of being able to save an edited version of the XML data to a new file that apart from the edits contains an identical copy of the original XML data.

Other scripts the Spider repo do create building data and save to the gbXML file format, but do not contain shell or rectangular geometry let alone all the other gbXML elements the original file may have contained.

As of this writing, the way forward is not clear. The JSON format used here - which we call gbJSON - has enabled fast, simple relatively easy coding which has produced scripts with many features at a rapid pace.

There are a number of questions:

• Should we ditch gbJSON and learn how to do everything with gbXML - and ignore that more beginner programmers are familiar with JSON than with XML?
• Should we beef up the gbJSOn so that it can read all gbXML data past, present and future and write out new files in canonical gbXML format?
• Can we get the gbXML and the gbJSON to play nice together?

The next few releases should begin to provide some guidance in responding to these questions.

Mission

• View the IDs of all the surfaces in a list
  • Select the surface you want to edit
• View the names of all the surface types
  • Current surface type of selected surface is highlighted
  • Select a different surface type for the selected surface
• View the IDs of the adjacent spaces
  • Select different spaces for the selected surface

Wish list

• Highlight the selected surface 'in world' and make other surfaces nearly transparent
• Display the name and CAD ID etc of the selected surface in the menu
• Display the name and CAD ID etc of the selected space(s) in the menu
• Allow you to use all the error-locating tools in the gbXML Viewer Reports script
• Save the edits to a new file
  • Perhaps in gbJSON format as well as gbXML

More thoughts

• Add similar editing facilities for storeys, spaces, zones and so on
• Use a similar menu structure to export just portions of a project
• Allow import and export of multiple projects or spaces

Change Log

• Enable full menu with select elements
• Update Read me

[theo-armour]

@ladybug-tools/spiders

Full screen: gbXML Viewer9 Editor Dev R1.2

Before: surface type is InteriorWall

After: surface type is Roof

Still to be done

• Editing adjacent spaces
• Fitting all this into the current gbXML viewer - with its error finding reports - and/or creating a new viewer with a different UI

Change Log

• R1.2
• Tooltip for each select Surface item shows surface name
• Selecting a surface zooms and highlights the surface
• Selecting a surface type updates the surfaces type
• 'view previous update' zooms and highlights the surface previously updated
  • Currently a reset view of the entire building is required - which hides the surface previously edited
  • This could change in the future
• 'save edits' saves the updated data to a new gbXML file

[mdengusiak]

@theo-armour direction this is heading is absolutely brilliant.... this will be used by everyone who are producing and using gbXML format .. absolutely excellent! :trophy: I love selection and zoom in, can not wait for ability to save fixed files locally so can use it ...

[theo-armour]

@mdengusiak

can not wait for ability to save fixed files locally so can use it ...

In R1.2 the 'save edits' actually works: it save your edits to a new XML file using the normal file dialog box. Try it!

[mdengusiak]

@theo-armour this is deafult file... I open file and found issue and fix it adjacency 1 and 2 was the same aim2449 so I changed adjacency 2 to correct one.. I managed to save but when I open saved file in view could not see this fixed see atched export file

aim0016.zip

it is still broken one

[theo-armour]

@mdengusiak

In R1.2 updating and saving only works for surface type.

Adjacencies are for tomorrow. ;-)

[mdengusiak]

this is GREAT!!!!!!

ok I found one example for this

and then change to roof and now is

so it works obviously when we assign to roof, ground floor it automatically should make Adjacency 2 = None as default maybe you can add this ...

[mdengusiak]

I found something else this is AMAZING!!!... my original gbXML file was 48.3 MB when I save after fix is now 23.5 MB I imported to simulation tool and is fixed now

Also I have much less warnings

orignial file

after gbXML import from Revit

after fix gbXML import from Tool

@theo-armour this is :rocket:

[theo-armour]

@mdengusiak

File size and warnings

The browser is being used to convert the text file to XML. I guess that as it does the conversion it finds and fixes errors and deletes spaces etc.

You might experiment with loading an XML file in your browser and saving it to a new file. I think you will find the same fixing and file size reduction happening.

In any case, this was not my doing but is a really nice side benefit.

[mdengusiak]

@theo-armour definitely and also normals are fixed as well.... compare to Revit export

[mdengusiak]

@theo-armour can we add filter s so can quickly find surface with issue by typing in addition to scrolling and fix quickly

[theo-armour]

@ladybug-tools/spiders

gbXML Viewer9 Editor Dev

Looks like we have the beginning of a gbXML Editor

Should this functionality be added to the current Viewer or should this fork into a new stream?

Change Log

• R1.3
• Add input fields
• Add 'show' buttons
• Add 'update view' button
• Various updates to user experience

[mdengusiak]

This is over the top...

can we update ProductName text :pencil: when we Save Edits gbXML? we need to be proud and put stamp :)

From : <ProductName>Autodesk Revit 2018 BEES</ProductName> to: <ProductName>Autodesk Revit 2018 BEES updated by Ladybug Tools Spider gbXML Viewer on 2018.02.07 </ProductName>

[theo-armour]

@mdengusiak

Awesome idea!

The editor is not creating files (yet) so maybe it might be better to add a 'modified' element

http://gbxml.org/schema_doc/6.01/GreenBuildingXML_Ver6.01.html#LinkD1 http://gbxml.org/schema_doc/6.01/GreenBuildingXML_Ver6.01.html#Link15B

Would that be OK?

[mdengusiak]

@theo-armour sure as long it is our mark :bookmark: is there