4.1 ModifierSet Schema

While assigning Radiance modifiers to individual Faces, Apertures, Doors, and Shades is a valid way to set set up a Honeybee Model for Radiance simulation, it can quickly become tedious for large models. It also limits the edit-ability of Models if, for example, you want to swap out the modifier used for all skylights in the model.

To address this, ModifierSets allow you to specify default modifiers for different types of Faces, Apertures and Doors within a single object that can be applied broadly across the Model.

ModifierSet logic

ModifierSets are assigned to individual Honeybee Rooms. In order to determine the modifier of a given Face, Aperture, Door or Shade, the following logic is applied:

1. Is there a modifier assigned specifically to the Face, Aperture, Door or Shade? If so, use that. If not, continue.
2. Is there a modifier for this type of object (Wall, Aperture, etc.) assigned to the parent Room's ModifierSet? If so, use that. If not, continue.
3. Use the Honeybee Default Generic_Interior_Visible_Modifier_Set to assign a modifier to the object.

Note that, thanks item 3., all objects in Honeybee ALWAYS have a Modifier assigned to them and there is no need to ever worry about Radiance simulation errors resulting from missing modifiers. However, the Honeybee Generic_Interior_Visible_Modifier_Set is not representative of a particular building standard and (as its name suggests) is intended only for studies of visible light and not full-spectrum solar irradiance. It is therefore recommended that users make a ModifierSet that is geared towards the type of study they are running and conforms to a standard or an office-wide basis of design.

Definitions of object types

While the slots underneath WallSet, FloorSet and RoofCeilingSet are pretty clearly set by "face_type' and '"boundary_condition"of aFace, the properties that define the different types of Apertures, Doors, and Shades` are less obvious. For this reason, they are defined below:

ApertureSet

• window_modifier: A Modifier for apertures with an Outdoors boundary condition, False is_operable property, and a Wall face type for their parent face.
• interior_modifier: A Modifier for all apertures with a Surface boundary condition.
• skylight_modifier: : A Modifier for apertures with a Outdoors boundary condition, False is_operable property, and a RoofCeiling or Floor face type for their parent face.
• operable_modifier: A Modifier for all apertures with an Outdoors boundary condition and True is_operable property.

DoorSet

• exterior_modifier: A Modifier for opaque doors with an Outdoors boundary condition and a Wall face type for their parent face.
• interior_modifier: A Modifier for all opaque doors with a Surface boundary condition.
• exterior_glass_modifier: A Modifier for all glass doors with an Outdoors boundary condition.
• interior_glass_modifier: A Modifier for all glass doors with a Surface boundary condition.
• overhead_modifier: A Modifier for opaque doors with an Outdoors boundary condition and a RoofCeiling or Floor face type for their parent face.

Shade

• exterior_modifier: A Modifier for all shades assigned to the outdoorsof a parent Room, Face, Aperture or Door.
• interior_modifier: A Modifier for all shades assigned to the indoors of a parent Room, Face, Aperture or Door.

Note that the modifiers in the shade set are only applied to Shades that have a parent Room, Face, Aperture or Door. Orphaned Shades (typically representing context) are unaffected by ModifierSets and, if they don't have a Modifer assigned specifically to them, they will use the Honeybee default of a 0.2 albedo, diffusely-reflective material.