Results and reporting

Inspect the calculated results

In the standalone editor, select geometry, temperature, heat flux or vapour diffusion to inspect the construction. In Rhino, use the result mode, plane and slice controls to inspect the solved field.

Review the material assignments, boundary conditions, reference quantities and mesh checks with the reported result. Window and bridge assessments use the document’s shared thermal study and report.

Continue with standalone results, Rhino result controls, bridge calculations or window calculations.

Surface temperatures and ISO 13788 check

The heat-flow calculation reports indoor surface temperatures and fRsi under the assigned boundary conditions. A separate surface-temperature case is available in Report… → Surface temperatures and mould risk → ISO 13788 check. Choose Solve now to run it with the stated indoor surface resistance; the heat-flow result is retained.

Later simulations include that check until As simulated is selected again. The report states the conditions used for each result.

Report preparation and export

Preparing the report is a step of its own, after the model is solved. Report… in the Koala panel opens a window with the project details and figures on the left and the pages, exactly as they will be written, on the right. A simulation needs no thermal bridge setup to be reported: every model with one indoor and one outdoor temperature gets its thermal coupling coefficient, mean U-value, surface temperatures with \(f_{Rsi}\) and drawings.

• 3D pictures come from Rhino named views: set up a viewport, save it as a named view, and the report takes its picture when you export.
• 2D drawings are cut planes through the solved model, each drawn with its materials, temperature, heat flux or humidity. Pick the plane's position in the model, or take over the slice shown in the panel.
• Export writes a PDF with the figures and every table ISO 10211 clause 14 asks for, or the tables as CSV and JSON. The preview says what is still missing for a complete report.

The example is the showcase model KoalaShowcase_Balcony.3dm: two cantilevered balconies on an insulated masonry wall, one cast straight through the insulation and one on a thermal-break module. Its complete report: KoalaShowcase_Balcony_report.pdf.

Save and load result fields

The Rhino document stores geometry, assignments, assessments and reference measurements. The panel’s Save results (.kvox) and Load results (.kvox) controls store and restore a converged solved field and its thermal summary.

A saved field is separate from the assessment inputs. After changes to geometry, assignments, mesh settings or reference measurements, calculate again to obtain current assessment results. Recalculate after reopening the document before using its scalar report.

Standalone exports

CSV and IDF export require a successful calculation for the current construction. Geometry-only figure export does not require a thermal solve. Figure export provides view selection, image width, palette and legend-range controls.

EnergyPlus export

EnergyPlus exports depend on the model and assessment. The standalone editor exports an equivalent layered construction. Rhino can export an opaque construction, a wall construction adjusted for window installation Ψ, or frame and glazing-edge properties from a suitable section assessment.

A whole-window Uw result is stated in the report. Window and cavity calculations are thermal-only; the applicable export depends on the available assessment quantities.

Standalone IDF construction

KOALA bridges the gap between detailed component analysis and whole-building energy simulation.

You can export your construction as an EnergyPlus Input File (.idf). This export generates an approximate "equivalent layer" representation of your complex 2D assembly that can be used in energy models.

How to Use in Energy Modeling

1. Export: in KOALA, go to `File > Export > EnergyPlus IDF`.
2. Import: Open your primary energy model (in tools like OpenStudio, ClimateStudio, or DesignBuilder).
3. Copy Objects: Copy the `Material` and `Construction` definitions from the exported IDF text file into your model's IDF file.
4. Assign: Assign the new construction to surfaces (Walls, Roofs) in your building energy model.

Note: This export uses "equivalent homogeneous layers" to mimic the thermal mass and resistance of the 2D assembly.

EnergyPlus export from Rhino

The IDF button turns a 3D detail into a layered construction for whole-building energy models. Koala traces the layer stack from the model itself:

1. Tracing: From every material face that touches an interior boundary, a ray is sent straight through the material to the exterior boundary. Rays that pass the same materials with similar thicknesses (within 2 mm or 5 %) are grouped.
2. Base construction: The group that covers the largest interior area is offered as the base construction (the clear wall); thermal bridges usually cover only a small share of the surface. Up to five alternatives covering at least 2 % of the area can be picked instead. Rsi, Rse and the temperatures are taken from the boundaries the rays hit.
3. Review and edit: The export window lists the layers (exterior → interior) and compares the base U-value with the 3D U-value. Edit in 2D editor… opens the traced construction in the full standalone editor, for example to add a membrane that was thinner than a grid cell. The edited construction is read back when the editor closes; if its U-value moves more than 5 % from the traced one, a warning says it no longer matches the 3D model. The export window does not block Rhino.
4. Scaling: Export IDF… writes the construction with all layer thicknesses and masses unchanged. Only the conductivity of the most insulating layer (or of the stud layer, where there is one) is scaled so that the construction's U-value equals the 3D U-value, including the extra heat loss of the thermal bridges. The base U, 3D U, reference area and extra heat loss are written as comments into the IDF.

Limits: rays follow the X, Y and Z axes, so the thicknesses of a slanted wall are approximate, and a layer thinner than a grid cell can go missing; use the 2D editor step to correct both. The scaled construction is only valid for surfaces with the same thermal bridge density as the modelled piece, which the IDF notes in a comment.

For a window-in-wall section, the export can apply installation Ψ over the stated window perimeter and wall area. A section with Uf and Ψg can provide a WindowProperty:FrameAndDivider object. The glazing construction is supplied by the building energy model.