An observation about reading carefully the simulation file location messages during the LBT update process

ladybug-tools
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Kia ora koutou

I ran into an interesting result of half-reading information during the manual update/installation process today. (My only excuse was I was creating a live video for the class! Trying to instill resilience in what to do during installation). If this is too simplistic for this forum, I am happy to delete.

I ran the Ladybug version widget on my work desktop.
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I then confirmed that I had version 1.4 installed by dropping a tool on the desktop.

Then I exited from Grasshopper and Rhino and restarted them.

When I ran a version 1.4 script, it reported an error that it was trying to use v9.5 instead of 9.6 of E+. Panic! Not what I wanted to demonstrate to my student colleagues. It was supposed to be a demonstration of how simple this process is.

Checking the Compatibility matrix (https://github.com/ladybug-tools/lbt-grasshopper/wiki/1.4-Compatibility-Matrix) again, and after a palm-to-forehead moment, I installed v3.3 of OpenStudio.

Exiting from Grasshopper and Rhino and restarting did not fix things! More panic (My only excuse for not being more careful next).

I now rebooted the computer and restarted Rhino and Grasshopper. But, the HB_Config widget still reported that it was using v3.2 of Open Studio.

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BIG CLUE staring me in the face. (I confess it took me a long time to realise this and sideline activities included removing the C:\OpenStudio-3.2 folder and - finally - installing UrbanOpt v0.7) The key was last time the software was updated I took the advice of the Github guide to install the software in the C:\users\username\ladybug_tools\ location

However, it has been my habit to install E+ or OS or Radiance in their default C:\ locations as this has created less stress with using the software over the past 2 decades! That is what I did this time. So OSv3.3 was in its C:\ default location but OSv3.2 was in this lady_tools directory. And naturally LBT used the latter.

A simple process of removing the following three directories from the C:\users\username\ladybug_tools\ location fixed the problem (the v1.4 script also ran!)

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The HB_Config widget was much more reassuring now.

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I feel a video edit coming on.

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Hi @MichaelDonn! I just wanted to make sure that you know that you can use the Pollination Grasshopper single click installer to install the latest version of Ladybug Tools too with all the simulation engines. We do the due diligence to ensure all the versions that comes with the installer are already compatible with the corresponding installation of Ladybug Tools.

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Kia ora @mostapha.

Yes, I am aware, thanks. My thought in this small tutorial was to assist resilience of the Masters students by showing them how to run updates etc. I just ran into a tiny “read the information carefully” moment I thought worth putting out there.

It’s up there with informing them that the help information on what each input does is really, really educative and up there with one of the most significant features of the whole LBT eco-system. But that this should always be tempered with common sense: e.g.

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Is right next to:

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And, probably one is more relevant than the other. I want people to leave the class able to work out for themselves where to go from where they are, not just to follow my instructions on how to model x or y.

M

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Ah, good catch there with the faulty component description, @MichaelDonn . I just fixed the “LB Degree Days” one in the latest version of the plugin:

You should be able to get it with the Versioner in an hour or so.