On the Projects Dashboard, find your project tile and click “Add Scenario“.
Orbital Stack supports both AI and Rapid CFD within Microclimate simulations. For Cladding simulations, we exclusively utilize our AI engine.
Please select the type of scenario you want to create:
1. Microclimate
1.1 Add a New Scenario
There are several ways to create new scenarios:
- Dashboard: Click Add Scenario directly on the project tile
- Project Properties: Open the project and navigate to the Scenarios tab and click +Add Scenario
- Viewer: Open the Scenarios drop-down menu and select + Add Scenario (at the bottom of the list)
- Duplicate an Existing Scenario: In the Scenarios tab within Properties, click Duplicate to create a copy.
• Enter Name & Select Simulation Type
After selecting Add New Scenario from one of the available options, a pop-up window will appear. You’ll be prompted to:
- Enter a Scenario Name
- Select the Job Level (type of simulation) you’d like to run:
- AI Engine
- Rapid CFD
Learn more about the differences between AI and CFD by reading Choosing Your Simulation Approach – AI vs CFD.
• Select Output Metrics
Under the analysis section, choose Pedestrian Level Wind and select your metrics.
Thermal Comfort analysis is offered as a complementary option and must be specifically chosen as such.
Pedestrian Level Wind:
- RWDI Abridged: A modified version of RWDI’s Pedestrian Wind Comfort Criteria, simplified to acknowledge the more approximate results generated by AI simulations, or limited wind-direction CFD simulations.
- Directional Wind: Directional arrows, or glyphs, are used to visualize the directional flow by positioning 3-dimensional vector arrows at locations across the presentation plane.
- Streamlines: Volumetric wind flows are shown in three-dimensional, color-coded streamlines. This feature is available in all CFD simulations, but exclusively available to monthly subscribers for AI simulations.
Thermal Comfort:
- Solar Exposure: Identifies where shadows would generally fall for the given season and time or day.
- SPMV*: Standard Predicted Mean Vote Modified accounts for the physics associated with elevated solar exposure and humidity ranges present.
- SPMV % Time Acceptable
- SPMV % Time Comfortable
- SPMV* – Hot: Hot and Tropical Climates
- UTCI: Universal Thermal Comfort Index quantifies how people perceive given weather conditions by equating them to an equivalent temperature based on standard conditions.
- UTCI % Time No Thermal Stress
- Wind Cooling Potential: Provides the average wind speed of a location at an indicated time.
IMPORTANT: To learn more about the metrics available, please visit our knowledge base page.
• Review & Pricing of Scenario
This step provides a summary of your scenario configuration and shows the estimated AI or CFD credit cost for running the simulation once you submit your project. You will not be charged until the simulation is run.
You can select your preferred payment method—either using an existing subscription or pay-per-use credits.
In the example below, the user does not have an active subscription and will be charged using their pay-per-use credits.
AI simulations:
- Pedestrian Level Wind – 8 AI credits
- Thermal Comfort cost an additional 4 AI credits for 2 seasons or 8 AI credits for 4 seasons. Thermal Comfort must be added as a complementary analysis onto a Pedestrian Level Wind simulation.
CFD simulations:
- Pedestrian Level Wind – 7 CFD credits
- Thermal Comfort cost an additional 3 CFD credits for 2 seasons or 7 CFD credits for 4 seasons
Note: Pay-Per-Use must to be enabled for your account and for your company. If this option is not available, please contact your company administrator and/or set up an agreement through sales@orbitalstack.com.
When you are finished, click “Create” to begin setting up your simulation.
1.2 Upload and Categorize Geometry
To begin setting up your simulation, upload your geometry files into the corresponding buckets located on the left side of the screen.
All files must be exported from your CAD software in STL file format.
IMPORTANT: Before uploading, make sure your geometry is properly prepared. For quick tips and step-by-step instructions, refer to our Preparing Geometry guide.
You can upload your Geometry files by either dragging and dropping them into the buckets, or by clicking a bucket to browse and select files from your computer.
• Required Geometry Files
Upload the following STL Files:
- Study Building: The primary structure being analyzed in the simulation
- Surrounds/Context: Buildings and structures located within a 300m radius of the study building
- Ground Surface: The terrain covering the study building and surrounding area
- Presentation Plane(s): Surfaces where you’d like to visualize simulation results (e.g. street level, rooftops, podia, balconies).
- Must be raised 1.5m above the relevant surface.
- Export each plane separately or group them based on visualization (e.g. ground, podium, balcony). We recommend exporting separately to allow you the ability to toggle each surface on and off when reviewing results.
- Overlay: A streets and sidewalks layer for visualization only.
- This layer does not affect simulation results.
- Must be raised 1.7m above grade so it appears clearly above simulation results.
• Additional Files (CFD Simulations Only)
For CFD simulations, include the following files as needed:
- Vegetation: any large trees or large clusters of shrubs.
- Indicate the tree types (Deciduous, Evergreen or Winter Tree) in the file name and in the Scenario Notes.
- Special Features: any features that would be installed for mitigation measures (ex. screens, canopies etc.)
- Indicate porosity in the file name and Scenario Notes (e.g., canopy_50open)
- Choose the closest match: 30%, 50%, or 70% Open
As you upload your geometry files, they will appear in the viewing window to the right of the screen.
Within the viewing window, click the lightbulb icon at the bottom-left for tips on how to spin and rotate your model to make sure everything aligns as expected.
Once all geometry files are uploaded, click “Next” in the bottom right corner to move onto the next step.
• Review Geometry Integrity
Before finalizing your simulation parameters, we strongly recommend checking your files to confirm that they are formatted properly in accordance with the considerations which appear on the left of the screen. The viewer will ask you to check off each of these items before moving on to select simulation parameters, though this is not strictly necessary.
You are now prompted to “Run Geometry Validation”
The viewer will warn you of potential issues within your geometry, i.e. surfaces are volumetric when they should be a single flat surface or presentation planes are are not raised high enough. If this happens, you can click the button “Fix Geometry Files” which will take you back to the geometry upload page allowing you to remove your file and reupload a corrected file. If the issue persists, please reach out to our support team at Support@OrbitalStack.com.
If no issues were found in your geometry files, you can proceed by clicking “Next” in the bottom right of the screen.
IMPORTANT: You can move forward without rectifying your geometry during the validation process. However, it’s crucial to understand that depending on the issue, it may impact your results.
1.3 Select Simulation Parameters
For a Pedestrian Wind Analysis, you will be asked to select the RWDI Abridged and Wind Direction parameters.
If you have requested Thermal Comfort, you will also be asked to select the specific parameters for the metrics you have chosen, i.e. SPMV*, Solar, Wind Cooling Potential, and UTCI.
• RWDI Abridged Parameters
You are now required to set the parameters for your seasons under the RWDI Abridged tab. You may use the default settings, customize them to your preference or copy them from one of the other parameters that have already been selected.
IMPORTANT: Seasons must cover a range of at least 2 months. Time ranges must cover a range of at least 3 hours. Otherwise, an error message will appear near the bottom of the pop-up window.
• Wind Directions & Terrain
You can now navigate to the tab labeled Wind Directions to customize your wind parameters.
If you are only simulating a few wind directions, we recommend that you pick the ones that are most common at that site up to a maximum of eight. At any location, conditions are always dominated by the prevailing winds.
To ensure that you have some statistical confidence in the combined Pedestrian Wind Comfort results, it is recommended that there be a minimum of six directions (eight preferred) and that those directions correspond to the most common winds.
If you are unsure of which directions to choose, we recommend that you go with the default eight directions, spread evenly around the compass.
For each wind direction, you are required to select an upwind terrain (aka roughness). If you are unsure of which terrain type to choose, we recommend using a tool such as Google Maps to identify the terrain type adjacent to the site for each direction. For further guidance, check out: Wind Directions and Terrain Considerations (AI)
• SPMV* Parameters
This option will only appear if you have requested the complementary Thermal Comfort analysis at the scenario creation stage.
The SPMV* Parameters include Seasons, Time of Day, Clothing Profile and Activity.
- Seasons – can be customized, copied from other parameters, or you can choose the default options.
- Time of Day – can be customized or you can choose the default option. For additional guidance, please check out Time Slicing Profiles
- Clothing Profile – choose the clothing type that aligns best with the intended activity of your site. For additional information, check out: Clothing Profiles
- Activity – choose the activity that closest matches the intended use of your space. For additional information, check out: Activity Types
• Solar, Wind Cooling Potential, and UTCI Parameters
These options will only appear if you have requested the complementary Thermal Comfort analysis and their corresponding metrics at the scenario creation stage.
These Parameters include Seasons and Time of Day. All can be customized, copied from other parameters, or you can choose the default options.
1.4 Submission
Once you are satisfied, click “Submit“.
A pop-up window will appear confirming the total cost of the simulation (in credits). Once you have checked the box to confirm that you have read the Terms and Agreement, click “Submit Scenario“.
After submitting an AI simulation, the page will refresh and results will render within a few minutes*.
After submitting a CFD simulation, you will receive an email confirmation. All results should be available within 2-3 business days*. If we run into any issues, we will contact you directly.
*Note: If there are issues with your submission (i.e. unprepared geometry and/or unaligned Simulation Parameters), results may take additional time.
Please do not hesitate to Contact Us with any questions!
2. Cladding
2.1 Add a New Scenario
There are several ways to create new scenarios:
- Dashboard: Click Add Scenario directly on the project tile
- Project Properties: Open the project and navigate to the Scenarios tab
- Viewer: Open the Scenarios drop-down menu and select + Add Scenario (at the bottom of the list)
- Duplicate an Existing Scenario: In the Scenarios tab within Properties, click Duplicate to create a copy.
• Enter Name & Select Analysis Type
After selecting Add New Scenario from one of the available options, a pop-up window will appear. You’ll be prompted to enter a Scenario Name
• Select Output Metrics
Under the analysis section, choose Cladding AI and select your metrics.
For additional information on these metrics, please visit Cladding Pressures Explained.
If you do not have access to Cladding AI please reach out to your Orbital Stack Representative or contact Support@OrbitalStack.com.
• Review & Pricing of Scenarios
This step provides a summary of your scenario configuration and shows the estimated AI credit cost for running the simulation once you submit your project. You will not be charged until the simulation is run.
You can select your preferred payment method—either using an existing subscription or pay-per-use credits.
In the example below, the user does not have an active subscription and will be charged using their pay-per-use credits.
Each cladding AI simulations costs 16 AI credits to run.
Note: Pay-Per-Use must to be enabled for your account and for your company. If this option is not available, please contact your company administrator and/or set up an agreement through sales@orbitalstack.com.
When you are finished, click “Create” to begin setting up your simulation.
2.2 Upload and Categorize Geometry
To begin setting up your simulation, upload your geometry files into the corresponding buckets located to the left of the screen.
All files must be exported from your CAD software in STL file format.
IMPORTANT: Before uploading, make sure your geometry is properly prepared. For quick tips and step-by-step instructions, refer to our Preparing Geometry guide.
You can upload your geometry files either by dragging and dropping them into the buckets, or by clicking a bucket to browse and select files from your computer.
Required Geometry Files
- Study Building: The primary structure being analyzed in the simulation
- Surrounds/Context: Buildings and structures within a 300m radius of the study building
- Ground Surface: The ground covering the study building and surrounding area.
- Cladding AI assumes a flat ground geometry. For proper wind profile scaling, the intersection of the ground plane and study building should be at an elevation of z=0m. As with other simulations, please ensure building geometry fully penetrates the ground surfaces, as elevated or floating geometry will result in wind being simulated as passing underneath these buildings.
For additional info, please reference our Preparing Geometry Cheat Sheet.
• Review Geometry Integrity
Before finalizing your simulation parameters, we strongly recommend checking your files to confirm that they are formatted properly in accordance with the considerations which appear on the left of the screen. The viewer will ask you to check off each of these items before moving on to select simulation parameters, though this is not strictly necessary.
You are now prompted to “Run Geometry Validation”
The viewer will warn you of potential issues within your geometry, i.e. surfaces are volumetric when they should be a single flat surface. If this happens, you can click the button “Fix Geometry Files” which will take you back to the geometry upload page allowing you to remove your file and reupload a corrected file. If the issue persists, please reach out to our support team at Support@OrbitalStack.com.
If no issues were found in your geometry files, you can proceed by clicking “Next” in the bottom right of the screen.
IMPORTANT: You can move forward without rectifying your geometry during the validation process. However, it’s crucial to understand that depending on the issue, it may impact your results.
2.3 Select Simulation Parameters
• Pressure Coefficients
Input your Reference Height and select your Profile Correction from the drop-down list.
• Default Reference Height
Orbital Stack uses a default reference height of 609m. Therefore, by default, pressure coefficient results will be in reference to this height. During simulation setup, users can specify other reference heights and results will be scaled appropriately for each included height.
For simulations with multiple study buildings at different heights, we do not support setting reference heights per building – each result layer uses only one of the user defined reference heights. Setting one reference allows comparisons to be made between buildings and ensures all displayed results share a common reference height.
The AI was trained on scenarios with single study structures. As a result, we recommend analyzing only a single study at a time.
• Worst Case Pressure Estimates
Choose to enter either Internal Pressure (kPa) or Specify Building Roof Height.
For additional information on internal pressures, please visit Cladding Pressures Explained.
• Return Period Calculations
You can specify up to four return periods and Orbital Stack will determine pressure estimates for each. For each return period, you are required to enter four parameters:
For additional information on each, check out our post on Cladding Pressures.
• Wind Directions & Terrain Considerations
Choose between eight (8) and sixteen (16) wind directions.
For additional information on the different terrain types, check out our post on Wind Directions and Terrain Considerations.
2.4 Submission
Once you are satisfied, click “Submit“.
A pop-up window will appear confirming the total cost of the simulation (in credits). Once you have read and checked the box to confirm that you have read the Terms and Agreement, click “Submit Scenario“.
After submitting a cladding simulation, the page will refresh and results will render within a few minutes*.
*Note: If there are issues with your submission (i.e. unprepared geometry and/or unaligned Simulation Parameters), results may take additional time.
Please do not hesitate to Contact Us with any questions!