# Error message when I use the indoor view factor calculator

**URL:** <https://discourse.ladybug.tools/t/error-message-when-i-use-the-indoor-view-factor-calculator/357>\
**Category:** old forum\
**Created:** [February 21, 2015, 4:05am UTC](https://discourse.ladybug.tools/t/error-message-when-i-use-the-indoor-view-factor-calculator/357 "2015-02-21T04:05:00Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 20\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![RaniaLabib](https://discourse.ladybug.tools/user_avatar/discourse.ladybug.tools/ranialabib/32/6185_2.png) [@RaniaLabib](https://discourse.ladybug.tools/u/RaniaLabib)\
**Post date:** [February 21, 2015, 4:05am UTC](https://discourse.ladybug.tools/t/error-message-when-i-use-the-indoor-view-factor-calculator/357/1 "2015-02-21T04:05:00Z")

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Hi everyone, I get the following error message " 1. Getting rid of interior walls has caused the connected zone geometry to not be closed. Try connecting all zones of your building or all zones for each floor." when I connect all my zones to the indoor view factor calculator component (my building is one floor only) . What can be wrong and how do I fix that?

Thanks

[Base\_caseHB.3dm](https://discourse.ladybug.tools/uploads/default/original/2X/e/e4d4c0ff2afc3888c2e494af378616a0bae5eee7.3dm) (1.22 MB)  
[Base\_caseHB.gh](https://discourse.ladybug.tools/uploads/default/original/2X/d/da20f2c74e67afea53a193217145e31b453e79da.gh) (706 KB)

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<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![TheodorosGalanos](https://discourse.ladybug.tools/user_avatar/discourse.ladybug.tools/theodorosgalanos/32/5_2.png) [@TheodorosGalanos](https://discourse.ladybug.tools/u/TheodorosGalanos)\
**Post date:** [February 21, 2015, 4:35am UTC](https://discourse.ladybug.tools/t/error-message-when-i-use-the-indoor-view-factor-calculator/357/2 "2015-02-21T04:35:00Z")

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Hi CD2005,

I was getting the same mistake recently. If you created your zones from individual surfaces then the problem is that one zone is probably not closed. You can quickly verify that if you have an open brep in your list of breps. Try hiding all zones and then visualize each zone surface by surface to find the culprit. At least that was the issue in my case.

Edit: It could also be that a wall is referenced twice in one zone.

Hope that helps!

Kind regards,

Theodore.

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<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![RaniaLabib](https://discourse.ladybug.tools/user_avatar/discourse.ladybug.tools/ranialabib/32/6185_2.png) [@RaniaLabib](https://discourse.ladybug.tools/u/RaniaLabib)\
**Post date:** [February 21, 2015, 12:28pm UTC](https://discourse.ladybug.tools/t/error-message-when-i-use-the-indoor-view-factor-calculator/357/3 "2015-02-21T12:28:00Z")

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Hi Theodoros,

Thanks for your response, I checked each individual zone over and over again to make sure they are closed but I still have the same problem. So I decided to just make my building as a one zone building, it is an open plan office building anyway, and I made sure it closed , I used the custom preview component to visualize the zone and looks fine, and still having the same issue. I’m attaching the file that has that one zone. The zone is grouped with orange background. is anyone here in this forum willing to troubleshoot the issue. I think I’m going crazy, I’ve been up since last night trying to make this work .Thanks in advance.

[Base\_caseHB3.3dm](https://discourse.ladybug.tools/uploads/default/original/2X/5/55dbe8a9b1f1c2a4d55778e24e2d7ccb3fc0fb6f.3dm) (1.22 MB)

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<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![RaniaLabib](https://discourse.ladybug.tools/user_avatar/discourse.ladybug.tools/ranialabib/32/6185_2.png) [@RaniaLabib](https://discourse.ladybug.tools/u/RaniaLabib)\
**Post date:** [February 21, 2015, 1:39pm UTC](https://discourse.ladybug.tools/t/error-message-when-i-use-the-indoor-view-factor-calculator/357/4 "2015-02-21T13:39:00Z")

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Here is th GH file

[One\_zone\_Base\_caseHB.gh](https://discourse.ladybug.tools/uploads/default/original/2X/1/15e5adda0e2fdfd3079f31382c7523c6c23292f2.gh) (814 KB)

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<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![chris](https://discourse.ladybug.tools/user_avatar/discourse.ladybug.tools/chris/32/10179_2.png) [@chris](https://discourse.ladybug.tools/u/chris)\
**Post date:** [February 21, 2015, 5:09pm UTC](https://discourse.ladybug.tools/t/error-message-when-i-use-the-indoor-view-factor-calculator/357/5 "2015-02-21T17:09:00Z")

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Hi CD3005,

Thanks for reporting and I’m taking a look at your file now. It might be that not all of your components are up to date.

-Chris

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<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![RaniaLabib](https://discourse.ladybug.tools/user_avatar/discourse.ladybug.tools/ranialabib/32/6185_2.png) [@RaniaLabib](https://discourse.ladybug.tools/u/RaniaLabib)\
**Post date:** [February 21, 2015, 6:01pm UTC](https://discourse.ladybug.tools/t/error-message-when-i-use-the-indoor-view-factor-calculator/357/6 "2015-02-21T18:01:00Z")

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Hi Chris,

Thanks for your help. What components are you talking about ? Honeybee components or other GH components that exist in my file?.

Rania

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<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![chris](https://discourse.ladybug.tools/user_avatar/discourse.ladybug.tools/chris/32/10179_2.png) [@chris](https://discourse.ladybug.tools/u/chris)\
**Post date:** [February 22, 2015, 2:21pm UTC](https://discourse.ladybug.tools/t/error-message-when-i-use-the-indoor-view-factor-calculator/357/7 "2015-02-22T14:21:00Z")

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CD2005 (sorry I got your name wrong last time and for getting back do late),

There are three big things that are wrong with your file:

1. Your zones are not closed volumes in the file that I have opened. This image shows the problem:

[![](http://api.ning.com:80/files/QxYZWE5p2qvSwQkr6ykkmwSFy**FdI0rC0N6bFywDero*b--HxR1gJ-B0UPqd2SXSvEho3Raca-CZqHoRyn*Fk0Zr6lBx8TQ/OpenBreps.PNG?width=721)](http://api.ning.com:80/files/QxYZWE5p2qvSwQkr6ykkmwSFy**FdI0rC0N6bFywDero*b--HxR1gJ-B0UPqd2SXSvEho3Raca-CZqHoRyn*Fk0Zr6lBx8TQ/OpenBreps.PNG)

If this is not what you are seeing on your own machine when you hook up your HBZones to a panel, then you have not uploaded the right Rhino and Grasshopper file.

1. You have not run your HBZones through an EnergyPlus simulation. You need to do this in order to get data with which to construct the indoor temperature map. I would strongly recommend following along through the first 8 videos of this tutorial series before trying to construct an indoor radiant temperature map of your own project ([https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLruLh1AdY-SgW4uDtNSMLeiUmA8Y…](https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLruLh1AdY-SgW4uDtNSMLeiUmA8YXEHT_))

2. You are using components from the last stable release, which is fine but you should know that there has been a lot of development on the indoor temperature map workflow in the last 20 days (there is now a much cleaner workflow that integrates the air and radiant temperature with comfort alanyses now on the github). If you imagine using this workflow frequently, I would recommend updating with the Ladybug\_Update Ladybug and Hopneybee\_Update Honeybee components. See the attached recent file for how the workflow is currently structured.

-Chris

[Indoor Temperature Map20.gh](https://discourse.ladybug.tools/uploads/default/original/2X/a/a16ee531ae3966ee6d827bcd03d885fc02592203.gh) (635 KB)

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<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![RaniaLabib](https://discourse.ladybug.tools/user_avatar/discourse.ladybug.tools/ranialabib/32/6185_2.png) [@RaniaLabib](https://discourse.ladybug.tools/u/RaniaLabib)\
**Post date:** [February 22, 2015, 10:57pm UTC](https://discourse.ladybug.tools/t/error-message-when-i-use-the-indoor-view-factor-calculator/357/8 "2015-02-22T22:57:00Z")

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Chris,

Thank you so much for the tips. I watched the first 12 videos, over the last week. Great videos and an awesome grasshopper plug-in, thanks a bunch. I grabbed all the new components from github, then tried again, but I still have no luck. So what I did is I modeled the building again in Rhino and reduced the curves then I imported the geometry into GH and used the HoneyBee zone by surfaces component , but I noticed that after I grabbed the new components I get a “NULL” if I plug a panel to the final zone. Finally I decided to model a very simple box and grab all its surfaces to create a zone , and to my surprise I still get “NULL” Am I doing something wrong ? here are what I did to create this one zone box

1- modeled a 3d box in Rhino

2- Exploded it

3- In grasshopper I created HB-surfaces ( Floor, Ceiling, 4 individual walls and added I glazing by ratio to one of the walls)

Here is an image, also I attached the file, the box components are grouped with an orange background. Now I’m convinced that I have a bug or something because it can’t get easier than creating a zone from a simple box and yet I get a “NULL” message.

[![](http://api.ning.com:80/files/GutZeHmFpMti-tD3Hyoo*BgqK1uQhbNj9tqnDmU9KhnScGzwpdxATJJMaFyCjfCt9CndI20G-lZipjoxbnWUQfEAwTQ8MqD9/Canvasat234140.png?width=721)](http://api.ning.com:80/files/GutZeHmFpMti-tD3Hyoo*BgqK1uQhbNj9tqnDmU9KhnScGzwpdxATJJMaFyCjfCt9CndI20G-lZipjoxbnWUQfEAwTQ8MqD9/Canvasat234140.png)

[BOX.gh](https://discourse.ladybug.tools/uploads/default/original/2X/3/361f4477d0df6fe6f11d29c575959bc6ce136d03.gh) (1.47 MB)  
[Base\_case\_All-zone.3dm](https://discourse.ladybug.tools/uploads/default/original/2X/3/30336ac15b4998c26fce1bf52f9896e309a0a480.3dm) (387 KB)

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<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![TheodorosGalanos](https://discourse.ladybug.tools/user_avatar/discourse.ladybug.tools/theodorosgalanos/32/5_2.png) [@TheodorosGalanos](https://discourse.ladybug.tools/u/TheodorosGalanos)\
**Post date:** [February 22, 2015, 11:34pm UTC](https://discourse.ladybug.tools/t/error-message-when-i-use-the-indoor-view-factor-calculator/357/9 "2015-02-22T23:34:00Z")

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Hi Rania,

You need to flatten the surface inputs in the CreateZone component. That should fix it.

Kind regards,

Theodore.

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<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![AbrahamYezioro](https://discourse.ladybug.tools/user_avatar/discourse.ladybug.tools/abrahamyezioro/32/3_2.png) [@AbrahamYezioro](https://discourse.ladybug.tools/u/AbrahamYezioro)\
**Post date:** [February 22, 2015, 11:52pm UTC](https://discourse.ladybug.tools/t/error-message-when-i-use-the-indoor-view-factor-calculator/357/10 "2015-02-22T23:52:00Z")

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And probably input a name for the zone(s).

-A.

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<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![RaniaLabib](https://discourse.ladybug.tools/user_avatar/discourse.ladybug.tools/ranialabib/32/6185_2.png) [@RaniaLabib](https://discourse.ladybug.tools/u/RaniaLabib)\
**Post date:** [February 23, 2015, 6:13pm UTC](https://discourse.ladybug.tools/t/error-message-when-i-use-the-indoor-view-factor-calculator/357/11 "2015-02-23T18:13:00Z")

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Thank you Theodoros and Abraham, I flattened the inputs and assigned a zone name and that fixed the problem. I thought I’m going crazy.

Chris sorry for doubting the plug-in, I thought it had a bug. It turned out it is an awesome plug-in, it has everything I need for this project.

I have two more questions:

1- Can I use " conceptual shading using EC glazing in Energy Plus simulations? and how do I setup that?

2- Do you have any videos posted that talk about daylighting simulations? or, it would be helpful if someone have a GH definition setup for daylighting workflow and can share the definition with me, I’m interested in DA and glare simulations. I’m currently using Diva, but I love the way HB provide clear and professional visualization.

Rania

Rania

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<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![RaniaLabib](https://discourse.ladybug.tools/user_avatar/discourse.ladybug.tools/ranialabib/32/6185_2.png) [@RaniaLabib](https://discourse.ladybug.tools/u/RaniaLabib)\
**Post date:** [February 23, 2015, 6:20pm UTC](https://discourse.ladybug.tools/t/error-message-when-i-use-the-indoor-view-factor-calculator/357/12 "2015-02-23T18:20:00Z")

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Oh, and by the way, I was able to get my building to work into one zone that has a closed Berp. However, I had trouble assigning the windows using the “child and parent component” so I used the " glazing based on ratio" component instead and it worked. Thank you everyone .

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<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![chris](https://discourse.ladybug.tools/user_avatar/discourse.ladybug.tools/chris/32/10179_2.png) [@chris](https://discourse.ladybug.tools/u/chris)\
**Post date:** [February 23, 2015, 7:24pm UTC](https://discourse.ladybug.tools/t/error-message-when-i-use-the-indoor-view-factor-calculator/357/13 "2015-02-23T19:24:00Z")

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Hi Raina,

Glad to hear that things are starting to work out. So that you are aware of the full range of video tutorial resources, you can find all of my tutorial series here:

[https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCc6HWbF4UtdKdjbZ2tvwiCQ/playlists](https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCc6HWbF4UtdKdjbZ2tvwiCQ/playlists)

And Mostapha made a tutorial series on daylight from his workshop at Penn that you can find on this page:

[https://www.youtube.com/user/MostaphaSad/playlists](https://www.youtube.com/user/MostaphaSad/playlists)

If the child and parent component does not work, it should give you an error about what is going wrong. If not, make sure that the inputs are not in separate data trees branches (flatten the inputs). List alignment, list management, and data tree structures are really important for anything in Grasshopper and it might be a good idea to see if you can find some videos explaining these concepts.

You can account for shades in your EnergyPlus runs by using the “Window Shade Generator” component. You will have to create your own CSV schedules showing when the blinds are pulled that is aligned with the conceptual shading schedule (see videos 20 and 21 on the HB Energy Modeling playlist).

-Chris

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<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![RaniaLabib](https://discourse.ladybug.tools/user_avatar/discourse.ladybug.tools/ranialabib/32/6185_2.png) [@RaniaLabib](https://discourse.ladybug.tools/u/RaniaLabib)\
**Post date:** [February 25, 2015, 8:55pm UTC](https://discourse.ladybug.tools/t/error-message-when-i-use-the-indoor-view-factor-calculator/357/14 "2015-02-25T20:55:00Z")

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Chris,

Thank you so much for your help. I’ve watched Mostafa’s videos, I think they are a little hard to follow mainly because the video were targeting a live workshop audience and not online audience. I think I got the daylighting workflow, I have good background in daylighting simulations.

I have a question for you

Do you think daysim will be able to handle a Radiance material that has BTRD function, such as this one that I created using optics6

Here is an example material created by Optics 5

void glass Solarglaze 70 DS\_glass  
0  
0  
3 0.670 0.713 0.688

void BRTDfunc Solarglaze 70 DS\_front  
10  
0.094 0.095 0.093  
0.615 0.654 0.631  
0 0 0  
.  
0  
9 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0

void BRTDfunc Solarglaze 70 DS\_back  
10  
0.104 0.105 0.101  
0.615 0.654 0.631  
0 0 0  
.  
0  
9 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0

I have another question, about the EC glazing, I would like to setup Honeybee so that when window surface temperature becomes larger than a specific value the glass changes to tinted one with low transmissivity , how do I go about that? can this be accomplished by setting up a schedule?

Thanks

Rania

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<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![chris](https://discourse.ladybug.tools/user_avatar/discourse.ladybug.tools/chris/32/10179_2.png) [@chris](https://discourse.ladybug.tools/u/chris)\
**Post date:** [February 28, 2015, 7:08pm UTC](https://discourse.ladybug.tools/t/error-message-when-i-use-the-indoor-view-factor-calculator/357/15 "2015-02-28T19:08:00Z")

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Hi Rania,

The BTRD question is definitely one that Mostapha or another expert with Radiance should answer. My expertise is really on the EnergyPlus side, which does mean that I can make some suggestions for the second part of your question with EC glazing.

EnergyPlus does not have an object for Electrochromic glazing but it does have one for thermochromic glazing, which sounds very similar to what you are trying to do in your situation. We have not made a Honeybee component for this thermochromic glazing yet but you can assign this material to your Honeybee objects by inputting a string in IDF language like so:

[![](http://api.ning.com:80/files/Vfj0TqHwhiswpOLTaW2pyZvIIyzPMtzvQpw9GaUPE*y9xLHN*lrym93T2T4sCcpjXTg7VGs8W2C11voIq8ll60LJz8YmQdfv/ThermochromeConstruction.PNG?width=721)](http://api.ning.com:80/files/Vfj0TqHwhiswpOLTaW2pyZvIIyzPMtzvQpw9GaUPE*y9xLHN*lrym93T2T4sCcpjXTg7VGs8W2C11voIq8ll60LJz8YmQdfv/ThermochromeConstruction.PNG)

See attached GH file for the example in the image.

-Chris

[Thermochromic Glazing.gh](https://discourse.ladybug.tools/uploads/default/original/2X/2/2625caa4973870659cbffc4cc760a71c32462841.gh) (491 KB)

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<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![chris](https://discourse.ladybug.tools/user_avatar/discourse.ladybug.tools/chris/32/10179_2.png) [@chris](https://discourse.ladybug.tools/u/chris)\
**Post date:** [February 28, 2015, 7:15pm UTC](https://discourse.ladybug.tools/t/error-message-when-i-use-the-indoor-view-factor-calculator/357/16 "2015-02-28T19:15:00Z")

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Small correction to the response that I just gave. It does seem possible to model electrochromic glazing (and not just thermocrhromic glazing or glazing that changes trasmittance in response to its temperature). For electrochromic glazing, it seems that you would have to use the Construction:ComplexFenestrationState object to describe the window:

[![](http://api.ning.com:80/files/Vfj0TqHwhit5RwyIoldLSo1-7Lefm2fB-xxSCrwIrX6DrOtkg6UVVBTFTZNgE1wxsXBS0U9xi-ETVpTKycMvJYAz27cFjoMh/HowtoECGlazing.PNG?width=721)](http://api.ning.com:80/files/Vfj0TqHwhit5RwyIoldLSo1-7Lefm2fB-xxSCrwIrX6DrOtkg6UVVBTFTZNgE1wxsXBS0U9xi-ETVpTKycMvJYAz27cFjoMh/HowtoECGlazing.PNG)

It looks like this object is made to work with LBNL’s WINDOW software.

-Chris

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<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![AbrahamYezioro](https://discourse.ladybug.tools/user_avatar/discourse.ladybug.tools/abrahamyezioro/32/3_2.png) [@AbrahamYezioro](https://discourse.ladybug.tools/u/AbrahamYezioro)\
**Post date:** [March 3, 2015, 12:19am UTC](https://discourse.ladybug.tools/t/error-message-when-i-use-the-indoor-view-factor-calculator/357/17 "2015-03-03T00:19:00Z")

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Hi Chris,

True that this is the option described in the I/O Reference (looks complicated for now …). Though in the examples file there is one (PurchAirWithDaylighting.idf) which shows, probably, an older option for EC glazing. It uses WindowShadingControl (see attached at the bottom of your example).

Do you think it is viable?

-A.

[ThermochromicGlazing\_AY.gh](https://discourse.ladybug.tools/uploads/default/original/2X/1/1786a15050fbf7dedde853b7aa0fa63a223b2100.gh) (551 KB)

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<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![chris](https://discourse.ladybug.tools/user_avatar/discourse.ladybug.tools/chris/32/10179_2.png) [@chris](https://discourse.ladybug.tools/u/chris)\
**Post date:** [March 6, 2015, 8:48am UTC](https://discourse.ladybug.tools/t/error-message-when-i-use-the-indoor-view-factor-calculator/357/18 "2015-03-06T08:48:00Z")

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Thanks for posting, Abraham!

This looks like a a much simpler/easy-to-understand way to do it. So you would assign your material to a HB window and plug the shading control object into “additionalStrings” of the Run Simulation component. I imagine a lot of other cases where this might be useful such as cases where the insulation of the glazing is changing, etc.

Thanks again for letting us all know about it.

-Chris

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<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![AbrahamYezioro](https://discourse.ladybug.tools/user_avatar/discourse.ladybug.tools/abrahamyezioro/32/3_2.png) [@AbrahamYezioro](https://discourse.ladybug.tools/u/AbrahamYezioro)\
**Post date:** [March 6, 2015, 9:55am UTC](https://discourse.ladybug.tools/t/error-message-when-i-use-the-indoor-view-factor-calculator/357/19 "2015-03-06T09:55:00Z")

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Hi Chris,

The remaining question is where or how to input in the FenestrationSurface:Detailed object the line regarding the Shading Control Name (WIN-CONTROL-GLARE in the example i sent).

I understand the WindowProperty:ShadingControl object can be generic for many cases/window objects, so you can register it through the additionalStrings", right?

-A.

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<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![chris](https://discourse.ladybug.tools/user_avatar/discourse.ladybug.tools/chris/32/10179_2.png) [@chris](https://discourse.ladybug.tools/u/chris)\
**Post date:** [March 10, 2015, 5:05pm UTC](https://discourse.ladybug.tools/t/error-message-when-i-use-the-indoor-view-factor-calculator/357/20 "2015-03-10T17:05:00Z")

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Abraham,

Sorry for responding so late. I just changed the way that the additionalStrings input works yesterday since I realized that the previous manifestation made it very difficult to input new lines of text from Grasshopper.

I did not realize that you actually had to change the means by which the window fenestration surface was written into the IDF (not just the construction and the writing of the shading control object).

You can use the new additional strings input to get around this by not including the window as a HBSurface and writing it separately into the additionalStrings input. You then have to write all of the constructions and materials with the additional strings input. Attached you can find your file with the correctly-formatted way of writing the additional lines into the IDF. It’s a huge hassle to use the shading control object, though, so I would really recommend my previous example.

Also, I do not know how to write the daylighting control object into the zone and you are going to have to figure that out for me to get this method to work.

-Chris

[ThermochromicGlazing\_AY\_CWM.gh](https://discourse.ladybug.tools/uploads/default/original/2X/3/3d0fe813ab098acf217bf1378a70ccb28c45bc45.gh) (541 KB)

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