EzPlus -- an EnergyPlus Interface Toolkit

Step 1 -- To Download EzPLus, click on:  EzPlus.zip  

You should first download the zipped file listed above.

This is the 1st step in an 11 step download/installation/use process described below.

EzPlus integrates the following files into a "project:" an EnergyPlus input file; a weather file; a DOS batch file (for controlling the EnergyPlus runs); one or more parametric value text input files; several input/output utilities and; one or more results files. The files can originally be located in multiple places. EzPlus will create new versions within the designated "project" directory.

A user can generate and maintain multiple "projects" under EzPlus. Each project has its own set of directories. Once a project file is created, then users can then easily access, modify, run and debug each one of them. The parametric input and output files are opened in MS Excel, while the DOE-2 input file can be edited via a specially designed editor that contains with syntax assistance via colored text in which all keywords, comments, numbers and strings are shown in different colors for easy reading.

The file you can download at this time contains all of files you need to generate parametric EnergyPlus results for a typical multifamily residential building in Egypt. We plan to generate additional project files soon.

EnergyPlus parametric analysis can be difficult. You need to link, run and edit multiple files that can be located anywhere on your computer. This can be a source of confusion. Further complexities can occur in trying to learn E+, a new simulation tool. To help simplify this process, we have created EzPlus to try to reduce file organization and editing problems. EzPlus is an MS Windows-based tool. It permits you to run, edit and link all the related input and output files together in the same window.

Features:

• DrawEzPlus
• Syntax coloring editing of EnergyPlus input files.
• AWK utility programs for output reformatting
• Excel connection for report charting

Below, we present a step-by-step description of using EzPlus:

1. A step-by-step description of installing and using EzPlus.
2. A description of EzPlus features.
3. A selection of hints for using EzPlus on a project.

As we are routinely improving this tool, before your download, you may want to check out our newly updated features.

System requirements: before you download, you should make sure you have:

• EnergyPlus Installed: Copy "EnergyPlus.exe" and "EPMacro.exe" to <Installed Directory>\EPlus.
• At least 100 MB of hard disk space available.
• MS Excel installed on your PC, since the current version of EzPlus uses MS Excel as an output processor.

Step 2 -- Unzip and install the downloaded file

Unzip the downloaded file to a convenient location on your hard disk.

You should unzip all of the files into a directory where you want to keep all of the parametric analyses. for example, you might create a directory such as D:\EzPlus

If you unzip the file in this directory, the unzipped directory file structure will be:

<installed EzPlus "root" directory>

EzPlus

[files in the root]
     EzPlus.exe: main executable
     runeplus.bat: dos batch file for running EnergyPlus
     prefs.txt: preference file storing EnergyPlus binary directory name and DOS batch file name
     Inptool.xls:  MS Excel spreadsheet used to generate Parametric (Text) Files.
     Energy+.idd:  EnergyPlus input data library file.
     Energy+.ini:  EnergyPlus configuration file.

[subdirectories to the "root" directory]
     AWK-UTIL: AWK programs, files, and AWK documentation (MS Word file)
     DOC:         Place holder for all the documentation.
     EPlus:      EnergyPlus binary executable files and supporting files.
     Notes: Copy "EnergyPlus.exe" , "EPMacro.exe" and "Energy+.idd" to this directory.
                If the directory does not exist, you should create it.
     PROJECTS: Directory for storing data for all the projects.
                     Files for each project are stored within a subdirectory to "PROJECTS:"
             Sample:    This project has its own set of subdirectories and files.
     WEATHER: weather files

Step 3 -- Initiate the Project files on your PC

You need to initiate the set of project files for the location you have chosen on your PC.
If you do not do this, then the program will not run properly. This is because, in the downloaded zipped file, the file directory paths are from originating computer. When you initiate the files for a project on your computer, all of the directory paths will be automatically reset based on the root directory that you have selected.

To initiate the project files, do the following:

• Go to the EzPlus "root" directory.
• Double-click on the EzPlus.exe. file to start the program.

You should see the following screen.

Note: You can adjust the size of the EzPlus window(s) to suit your needs.

Next Step:

Cilick on "Next >", you will see a list of project names in the following window, pick one of them and the project file will be automatically opened.

The Other Way to Open a Project:

1. Click on "Project | Open " at the left of the menu bar at the top of the EzPlus main window.
2. Browse to the "PROJECTS \ Sample" directory
3. Click on the "Sample.prj" project file to open this project.

All of the paths will be reset to the current ones on your PC.

Click on the OK button on the dialog box.
You will see a list of the project files that have been assembled by EzPlus. This is shown below.

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Step 4-- Check out all the buttons

This step describes key features about each menu item and each button in the EzPlus main window, which is shown in the previous step.

Buttons from left to right:

"I" ---- open and edit the EnergyPlus input file, the syntax coloring feature makes EnergyPlus file reading much easier.

"O" --- open and edit the OUTPUT, or Results, file in Microsoft Excel.

Note: Excel must be pre-installed.

"P" --- open and edit the parametric file in Microsoft Excel.

Note: Excel must be pre-installed.

"B" --- open and edit the DOS batch file

"Go" --- run it!

"SW" --- switch any of the files in the current "Project." You may switch the weather file, EnergyPlus input file, parametric text file and the AWK input and output files

"3D" -- view the three dimensional drawing of the building, similar to DrawBDL

"i-AWK" --- open and edit the input AWK file

"o-AWK" --- open and edit the output AWK file

"H-AWK" --- open and edit the header AWK file

All three AWK file are also syntax colored, based on the AWK language.

"o-BDL" -- open and edit the temporary BDL output, for debugging purpose

Note 1: If errors are identified in the BDL output, the corrections must be made to the INPUT file, not to the BDL file.

Note 2: If the runs are successful, but you still want to look at the BDL file, the file may be too large to view within the EzPlus program (max size is 2 MB). If you receive a message that the BDL file is too large to open, you can still open and view the file, but you must do so outside of the EzPlus program. You should use MS Explorer or some similar program to go directly to the "temp.out" file, which will show the latest version of the BDL file. The "temp.out" file is located in the root directory where you have located the EzPlus program.

"o-SIM" -- open and edit the EnergyPlus output, for debugging purpose

Step 5 -- Run the Installed Project and Parametric Files to Test the EzPlus Installation

1. Select the Sample project.
2. Click the "GO" button.

EzPlus will run one or more parametric runs on EnergyPlus using the (1) parametric input text file that specifies the number and type of runs to do, (2) the EnergyPlus input file, (3) the selected weather file, and (4) the output file(s).

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Step 6 -- Specify the report variables either to list or to sum

In a DOS prompt window, an AWK output reformatting program first lists all the report variables in the Energy+ input file, then asks for which set of them needs to be either listed or summed. Users can pick individual variables by inputting "1,2,3" or select a bunch by inputting "1-3", or simply put in "all" to take all of them. For those variables, like electricity uses, users may want to sum them all up throughout the whole year or the whole design days, then they should put them in the sum choices.

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Step 7-- Output results in Excel

An Excel window will be automatically popped out if user click on "O" button after the run. After this, it's all up to the user's own talents to chart, compute or whatever they like to wrap up a decent report.

Optional Step 8 -- Create a New Project

EzPlus defines a "project" as the set of all files for running EnergyPlus for a given set or sets of parametric options. Thus, EzPlus has a dialog box which allows you to define the set of pointers to all the files for the project. See the dialog box below.

The created project file is a text-based file and is editable. After clicking on the menu "Project | New", the dialog box shown below will let you create a new project. You must first input a unique project name. EzPlus will create a new subdirectory under the "PROJECTS" directory under the EzPlus "Root" directory on your PC. Thus, the project name must use only legitimate characters and sequences for file directories.

Once you have defined the new project name, then you may use the "Browse..." buttons to select a weather file, a EnergyPlus input file, a parametric file, an parametric input AWK file and an output AWK file. You may select that are located anywhere on your computer. EzPlus will files loThese 

The tool will automatically create a new directory under the "PROJECTS" directory with the following subdirectories:

AWK-UTIL: stores the AWK files
INPUTS: stores the selected EnergyPlus input file
PARAS: stores the selected parametric text file
RESULTS: stores the selected Results, or output, files
VisDOE: stores the selected Visual DOE file

If you check the box "Copy EnergyPlus input, parametric file and AWK files to the new project directories", then new copies of all relevant files  files will be made and located within the appropriate subdirectories of the newly created project directory.

This is an important feature, for it allows you to save in one location ALL files used to produce a set of parametric energy and economic results. This includes even the EnergyPlus executable files, thus allowing a complete documentation of how the results were produced, so that they might be completely reproduced in the future, or used to make future revisions. This is especially useful for parametric "Projects" that become the basis for requirements used in the energy code. 

2. Validate all the files

You should use the buttons on the toolbar to open and examine each file before running the parametrics.

3. Run EnergyPlus

Click on "GO".

4. Debug

Click on "o-bdl" or "o-sim".
 

Optional Step 9-- Open an Existing Project

After using the top "Browse..." button to locate a project file, which is usually located under "PROJECTS", you will find that all of the rest text boxes are automatically updated. However, these file paths and names may not be the most updated, so examine them carefully before clicking on "OK", else the tool will tell you what files are wrong.

Optional Step 10 -- Using the Excel Spreadsheet "Inptool.xls"

EzPlus keeps track of all the files you use for doing the parametric analyses for each project.
However, it does not include the original Excel spreadsheet you can use to create the "Parametric File." (This is the text file used by EzPlus). You need to keep track of the Excel spreadsheet yourself.

The MS Excel file being included with the EzPlus files is "Inptool.xls"
It in the "root" directory of EzPlus.

Five different "Parametric Files" have been included with the 21 May 2002 version of EzPlus. All five files have been generated using the MS Excel file "Inptool.xls".

Optional Step 11 -- "Switching" Parametric Files Within a Project

You may use the "Inptool.xls" spreadsheet (or other means) to generate multiple sets of parametric runs. Some might might contain a few, or many, EPlus runs.

If you store all of these Parametric (text) Files in the PARAS sub-directory for a project (say the Sample project) then you may do multiple sets of parametric runs by "switching" parametric files. To do this, you should:

1. Open the existing Project File by clicking:  Project > Open and browsing to find "Sample.prj"
2. Browse to find the multiple files stored within the PARAS subdirectory, and select a different file.
3. Click OK at the bottom of the dialog box.
4. Close the "Project File" and then re-open it, to "refresh" the files that are listed,
   since it is not automatically updated when you switch parametric files.
5. Click "Go" to run the set of parametric files just selected.

All of the results files are stored in the RESULTS subdirectory.

Other Items -- System Settings

EnergyPlus Executables files location: "EnergyPlus" listed in thee dialog box above is used as a relative path.

DOS Batch File: the default location is right at the root directory, although you can move it somewhere else, but it must be specified here.

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Updates:

06/2002:

• Cleaned up several errors in the "runeplus.bat" and created the empty "eplus" folder in the zip file
• Added surface type filter into DrawEzPlus
• Added DrawEzPlus
• Fixed the project file window update problem after files have been switched
• Existing BDL or DOE-2 output windows will be automatically closed and a new window will be opened with the newest file, after "o-bdl" or "o-sim" is hit again.
• Fixed the "Find" dialog box disappearing problem after hitting return
• Fixed the same DOE-2 input file opened multiple times when "I" button is hit multiple times

05/2002:

• Fixed the windows 95/98 command line length limit problem
• Added the syntax coloring of EnergyPlus files and AWK files.
• Added the project opening wizard.
• Fixed the large output file opening problem.

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