Create IDA ICE models from Blender or Rhino
I just updated ICEBridge and now it is possible to send geometry directly from Blender to IDA ICE using scripts. The benefit of this is that you get almost instant feedback, and it makes it easy to add different optical properties for grouped objects. The windows in the linked video are created from the IFC-file and since there are no spaces in the IFC-file the thermal zone is created by extruding the floor slab. This is also done from Blender. I am looking into methods to automatize the zone creation using different methods like ray-tracing and voxel-based methods but I have still not found a robust method. If you have any working example of creating thermal zones from semi closed geometrical objects like walls and floors, please let me know. Preferably in Blender or Rhino/grasshopper.?
On related defeaturing work to support automated analytical model generation I happened upon the open Analysis Situs project. The Analysis Situs project includes a CAD voxelization utility. It may be worth evaluation: https://www.analysissitus.org/stories/stories.html In general, Analysis Situs and Topologic are the types of projects the building design community needs to cross the CAD / CAE scope boundary with confidence & reliability. In my opinion and experience, BIM is CAD. Whether or not BIM can be made to natively support high quality/value CAE processes is an open question. My guess is the probability is low given the way the industrial community crosses process scope boundaries.
In Revit I use detailed elements (walls, floors, roofs) to create an exterior shell then partition the internal volume with Space Separation lines to make Spaces. Space solid geometry is then post processed to remove coplanar faces and fed back into Revit to produce clean Space referenced Masses. Revit is then able to export a geometrically clean gbXML against Space referenced Masses. I have found that Computer Aided Design (CAD) models like typical architectural BIM models must be defeatured to yield Computer Aided Engineering (CAE) models. Strategies like voxel-based methods are a step in the wrong direction in that they add geometric features. Handling addied geometric featuring requires extremely capable defeaturing utilities. In Revit's case, the defeaturing utilities are incapable of handling the added geometric featuring its voxel-based method generates. While the building industry seems to be at a loss for how to handle the CAD to CAE transition, adjacent industries that manufacture products have processes in place. Please see Open Cascade's CAD Processor utility as one informative example. Defeaturing and healing figure prominently in CAD to CAE transitions.