Load Data from Template

Model Data Management

The Load Data from Template dialog allows bulk changes to be made by loading templates to selected locations in a model in a controlled way.

Access the Load Data from Template from:

1. The Toolbar
2. The Edit menu
3. Mouse right-click in the Model data. In this case, by default any template data loaded applies only to the selected model data attribute.

Quick view of the Load data from template tool in action

See also the Glazing and openings tutorial

You can select one or more data sources from the following template libraries:

• Construction template
• Glazing template
• Facade template
• Activity template
• Lighting template
• HVAC template

When at site level only one template can be loaded:

• Location template

When you select one of the above template libraries as a source of data you must also select the actual template from which to load:

In the above case, data will be loaded from the Energy code - Mediumweight Construction template to whichever objects are selected on the Target tab.

Target Object(s)

On the Target tab you can select the way you want to set data and, where appropriate, which model objects to load to.

• 1-Selected object(s) - choose this option if you want to load the same data to one or more building, block, zone or surface.  Check the boxes next to the target objects to select them as targets.
• 2-Reload templates - reloads template data for the current building and all its blocks, zones, surfaces and openings. Data is only loaded if the template selection is non-default. If the template inherits from the hierarchical level above, data is not loaded. See also Reload Templates.
• 3-Search & replace - allows you to search the model for objects having particular template setting(s) and replace with data from a template that you select. On the Search For tab check the checkbox relating to the data you would like to search for and on the Replace With tab check the template(s) to be loaded. If a data option is checked on the Replace With tab but not on the Search For tab then all searched objects will have the replace operation carried out. For example if no items are checked on the Search For tab and a heavyweight construction template is selected on the Replace With tab and all objects in the model have been selected then every object in the model will have the heavyweight construction template loaded. So the selections on the Search For tab can be thought of a filters to restrict the template loading.

Selection tools are available from the Info panel to allow you to control the selection of building objects:

• Select all selects all objects in the navigator.
• Select all down to zone level selects all buildings, blocks and zones.
• Select none clears the selection.
• Selection filter opens the Filter selection dialog.

Tip: The Filter selection tool provides a convenient way to select multiple objects such as zones, surfaces and windows which have properties in common.

Using the mouse right-click in Model data

When opening the dialog by right-clicking on a Model data item and selecting the Load data from template menu context menu option, by default any template data loaded applies only to the selected model data attribute, in the case below, the external glazing type. This behaviour can be changed by selecting the All Model data drop list option (screenshot below). In this case, when the All option is selected, data is loaded to all attributes on the tab in the same way as if the dialog had been opened from the Toolbar.

Making global lighting settings

If you are using the 2-Normalised power density Lighting gain units model option

 

When you load lighting data from template you should bear in mind that DesignBuilder sets the lighting output from the lights based on:

 

1. Normalised power density (W/m2-100 lux or W/ft2-fc) using data from the Lighting template and,
2. Illuminance levels required in the zone as set on the Activity tab.

If you are using the 3-Absolute zone power Lighting gain units model option

 

If you have many types of activity in the building you can load lighting data for each zone taking into account the required illuminance level in the zone by selecting the appropriate zones in the Target tab.