Reference Guides

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  • About Airflow

    Orbital Stack’s Airflow analysis examines a location’s wind patterns by evaluating winds one direction at a time, revealing potential issues with usability, comfort, and safety when winds originate from the given direction. Ground level winds and spatial streamlines are mapped onto a virtual model of a proposed design in the context of the local built…

  • About Cladding Pressures

    Surface pressures (or cladding pressures) are crucial in the structural analysis of building designs as they quantify the effects of wind pressure on different surfaces of a structure. This data is often calculated as a set of pressure coefficients. Pressure coefficients are dimensionless numbers that represent the ratio of the pressure exerted by the wind on…

  • About Pedestrian Wind Comfort

    What is Pedestrian Wind Comfort? Put simply, pedestrian wind comfort is a measure of how local wind patterns impact the pedestrian experience. The speed, direction, and gustiness of winds can all affect how comfortable pedestrians will feel in a certain space. As a general rule of thumb, higher wind speeds and – in particular –…

  • About Solar

    Sunlight and solar radiation are fundamental drivers of the outdoor climate. Solar conditions impact how pedestrians perceive comfort and experience outdoor spaces. As an example, shading from nearby buildings or trees can reduce the solar energy that reaches pedestrians, affecting one’s perception of warmth and coolness. The path of the sun also varies throughout the year,…

  • About Thermal Comfort

    Orbital Stack’s Thermal Comfort analysis provides objective metrics (e.g., SPMV*, UTCI) and vivid imagery that show how outdoor spaces meet their desired usage profiles. Thermal comfort is a complex concept as it accesses an individuals perception of temperature which are reliant on both physiological/environmental causes and psychological factors. The thermal comfort analysis combines wind and…

  • Accessing a Shared Project

    Getting Started Logging in Add New Project Add New Scenario Navigating The Viewer Understanding Results 1. Locate the Project Sharing Email Look for the Project Sharing invitation email from no-reply@orbitalstack.com. Choose one of the following approaches to access your project: 2. Logging in to the Application 2.1 Accessing via One-Time Password Click the Access Now…

  • Activity Types

    A breakdown of the various Activity Types. The activity that a person is expected to be doing in a given space has an important impact on how comfortable they will feel under different conditions.  The more vigorous the activity, the more heat their bodies will generate which in turn will impact their perception of thermal…

  • Add New Project

    This page will walk you through how to Submit a New Project to the Orbital Stack Portal.

  • Add New Scenario

    This page explains how to create and submit scenarios for both AI and CFD simulations.

  • Automatic Generation of Surrounds

    A surrounds model is one of the four geometry files needed in order to run a simulation. This context model includes all the buildings that surround the building that you are studying. We understand that as a designer you may not have access to the surrounding buildings and as such we have provided you the…

  • Choosing Your Simulation Approach – AI vs CFD

    Orbital Stack offers two unique options for microclimate simulations – AI and Rapid CFD. Knowing the strengths and limitations of these models is essential for making the right selection for your project. From a high level, the AI engine is appropriate for early-stage evaluations where massing changes and large-scale mitigation strategies are being evaluated. This…

  • Clothing Profiles

    Clothing Profiles are separated into 3 different climate types; Northern Temperate, Northern Moderate, and Tropical. First choose which climate works best for your site based on its geolocation, then choose the Clothing Profile (i.e. Casual, Business Casual, or Business etc.) that aligns best with the intended activity of your site. Note: you can see throughout…

  • Company Administration

    This guide explains how to view and/or manage your subscriptions, user permissions, and share groups through the Company Administration page. Getting Started On your Projects home page, navigate to the top right corner of the screen and click “Company Administration”. Subscriptions and Usage Management Orbital Stack manages usage via a credit (or token) system.  There…

  • Directional Pressure Coefficient Plots 

    The Orbital Stack Viewer enables users to visualize Directional Pressure Coefficients within Cladding-AI simulations using a four-point pressure coefficient graph. This graph displays the Min, Max, Mean, and RMS pressure coefficients for each wind direction at selected points on a building’s façade.    What are Wind Pressure Coefficients?  Wind Pressure Coefficients (Cp) are a non-dimensional way…

  • Directional Wind

    Directional Wind Orbital Stack provides directional wind results on presentation plane surfaces as well as volumetric streamlines. Each of these results has its own color scale.   Climate Scaled Wind Speed results use a horizontal color legend and are 80th percentile scaled. This means that the results shown consider wind speeds in the 80th percentile for that wind direction – qualitatively these are what can…

  • How To Choose Your Thermal Comfort Simulation Parameters

    Thermal Comfort When thinking about thermal comfort, you want to consider the intended use of the space(s). How are occupants going to use the space? Will they be walking? Will they be dining? Will they be playing a sport? Select the Activity that best describes your intended usage. Click here for Activity Types Available How…

  • Logging In

    This page will walk you through how to Login to the Orbital Stack Portal

  • Modeling Landscaping Features

    Landscaping is often added to a location to provide a more comfortable environment for users of outdoor spaces. In a CFD simulation, the landscaping is modelled as a porous region. Special cells (regions) are placed into the model where the landscaping is meant to be which alter the behaviour of the simulation. For wind, this…

  • Modeling Terrain

    The terrain model, also known as the ground plane, is one of the geometry files required to complete your simulation.  It’s most appropriate to include minimal detail in your terrain model.  A representative flat plane is ideal if the gradient is insignificant. Otherwise, the topography should be simplified to only include the important grading around…

  • Navigating The Viewer

    This guide explains how to navigate the Orbital Stack 3D Viewer, explore simulation results, and use its tools and features to analyze your project.

  • Preparing Geometry Guide

    Full step-by-step video guiding you on how to Prepare Your Geometry 1. Requirements on Input Geometry Orbital Stack accepts the input geometry in the form of .stl files. Please ensure that the geometry aligns with the following parameters; 2. Tools that Support STL Orbital Stack can accept Binary or ASCII formatted .stls. There are many programs that…

  • Sharing Your Project

    Video Tutorial – How to Share a Project 1. Locate the Project to Share To share a project, start by locating it on your Orbital Stack Dashboard. Alternatively, if you are in the Viewer, select the Properties from the menu items and navigate to Share Settings. 2. Manage Share Settings and Permissions The share status…

  • SPMV

    SPMV* In an outdoor environment, the “Standard Predicted Mean Vote Modified” (SPMV*) metric is used as it can effectively account for the physics associated with elevated solar exposure and humidity ranges present outdoors. SPMV* is a modified version of the ASHRAE PMV metric which better accounts for the larger range of outdoor conditions. Thermal comfort is a useful concept and SPMV*…

  • Statistical Wind (Wind Cooling Potential)

    What is Statistical Wind?  Statistical Wind is a metric that provides the average wind speed of a location at an indicated time. It is generally understood that wind reduces the perceived temperature people experience in a given location. In the summer, a nice breeze on a hot day acts as a cooling agent. However, in…

  • Subscription Management

    Congratulations on subscribing to Orbital Stack!   We are thrilled to support your team to optimize climate comfort throughout your projects. Subscription credits operate differently than trial credits. They are allocated to one user at a time but can be reassigned anytime through the Company Administration Page. See below for brief instructions on assigning and…

  • Understanding Bundles, Subscriptions and Credits

    Orbital Stack manages usage via a credit (or token) system. There are two types of credits, AI Credits and CFD Credits. See the table below to determine the number of credits required for each type of simulation.  Bundles Bundles can be purchased at any time, and are ideal for testing new design ideas, supporting project…

  • Weather Station Selection

    When it comes to conducting simulations within the Orbital Stack Application, choosing the right weather station is crucial. The accuracy and reliability of the data collected can greatly impact the results of your project. In this post, we will explore the different options available and provide recommendations for optimal outcomes. Measured Data: The Preferred Option…

  • Wind Directions and Terrain Considerations

    When submitting a new scenario, you will be required to choose the Wind Directions for your analysis as well as the Terrain types found in the areas adjacent to your project site. Choosing Wind Directions In general, choose a minimum of 6 wind directions up, however 8 are preferred. Choosing 8 directions help ensure that…

  • Wind Rose

    Wind Roses are helpful tools which display wind speed and direction at a specified season and location. What is it measuring? The Wind Rose displays three types of information:  Wind direction (where wind is blowing from, not towards) is displayed in a compass configuration. The shade of each ‘spoke’ of the wind rose indicates a…

  • Worst Case Pressure Coefficients

    The worst-case pressure coefficient is determined by identifying the lowest minimum Cp or the highest maximum Cp among all simulated wind directions at each location on the building. As with the directional Pressure Coefficients, this is a non-dimensional value and has no units.

  • Worst Case Pressure Estimates

    The Worst Case Pressure Estimates are the envelope of the estimated peak positive and negative surface pressures in kPa. Like the Worst Case Pressure Coefficients, this is the lowest minimum or highest maximum pressure coefficient among all simulated wind directions at each location on the building, but factored by the gradient height wind pressure and…