FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS

Q1: What is the best way of finding answers to questions about the buildingEXODUS software?
A: The user manual contains most of the answers to questions typically asked by users. The manual is supplied in PDF form on the installation disk supplied with buildingEXODUS. The manual is actually five documents rolled into one. The main components of the manual (V3.0) are:
a) a theoretical description of the capabilities and limitations of the software (Chapter 2),
b) a user guide for the software (Chapters 3-7),
c) advice into how to use the software and interpret results (Chapters 8 and 9),
d) a collection of tutorials (Appendix B), and
e) a user guide for the askEXODUS utility (Appendix E).
If you cannot find the answer to your question in the manual and you have taken out software support, send us an email at exodus@gre.ac.uk.

Q2: The update.exe utility fails to successfully update the licence information on the dongle, what do I do?
A: Make sure that you run the update.exe utility on the computer where EXODUS is installed and the dongle is attached. The utility will not work on a computer where EXODUS is not installed. If all these are verified and the update.exe utility still doesn't work please report any error messages to your system manager or email us directly at exodus@gre.ac.uk

Q3: Why are the scenario set up conditions printed in output files by default?
A: The results produced by buildingEXODUS should always be accompanied by details concerning the scenarios that generated them. This is vital in understanding the assumptions made concerning the scenarios and therefore the context in which the results were produced.

Q4: Is the buildingEXODUS software restricted to simulating emergency response?
A: The buildingEXODUS software is able to reproduce many types of human behaviour. Furthermore, with the introduction of the itinerary function (V3.0), occupants can be made to perform numerous tasks that can be associated with normal circulation patterns. This is particularly useful in assisting in the understanding of how the structure and population may interact in normal usage. Finally, behavioural settings appropriate for non-emergency circulation can also be set in the behavioural library, simplifying the set-up process.

Q5: What advantage does buildingEXODUS present over hand calculations that may be simpler to use and quicker to calculate?
A: Hand calculations tend to make simplifying assumptions relating to the behaviour of occupants, either assuming a distributed effect of the behaviour or ignoring occupant behaviour entirely. In contrast, buildingEXODUS is able to examine the impact of a number of different factors upon a particular scenario, examining the impact of altering specific parameters (behavioural, procedural, environmental and configurational) upon the results generated. In addition, buildingEXODUS can demonstrate the results of a simulation graphically, allowing a more straightforward means of explaining the results of a simulation.

Q6: What is the quickest way to run a buildingEXODUS simulation?
A: The quickest way to run a buildingEXODUS simulation is in batch mode. By not drawing the graphics, buildingEXODUS saves a considerable amount of time. If you need to look at the simulation make sure that you have fast node enabled (on each floor) and Person Shape should be deselected. Your graphic should also be as zoomed out as possible. The larger the magnification level appears on the screen, the longer the simulation takes to run. Finally, maximise the geometry window that you are currently examining, so that it occupies the entire workspace.

Q7: How do I randomise occupants in a controlled manner during the Batch Mode process?
A: The best way to do this is randomise the occupants within their compartments as normal and then save the file as a new .EXO. The multiple versions of the .EXO can then be loaded into the Batch Mode process rather than loading in a single file and randomising the location of the occupants.

Q8: What is the best way to node-flood my DXF file?
A: Follow these steps for the fastest node-flood:
(1) Zoom out the geometry window so you can see the whole DXF file.
(2) Switch off the "Arcs" option (View Menu/Arcs Off)
(3) Switch on the fast nodes option (View Menu/Fast Nodes)
….. And flood your DXF!

Q9: How do I modify certain nodes without having to display all the nodes?
A: To display small numbers of nodes for interrogation or modification, firstly switch off fast nodes (if they are switched on). Select an area containing the nodes, and then the Node Display option from the View menu. When modifications are complete switch fast nodes back on if required. The same method works for arcs. This is particularly useful when working with very large geometries as not all the nodes need to be displayed.

Q10: How do I get buildingEXODUS graphs into my document for a presentation?
A: There are two possible ways, (1) use a utility to capture the graph as a graphic and paste it into your document. This is the quickest approach, but not very flexible as you cannot control the presentation of the graph. (2) Save the graph data and re-draw the graphs in a spreadsheet package. In V3.0, to save the graph data, go to SIMULATION MODE, select Data Output Options from the RuleBase menu, press Graph and configure the options. You can save the graph data into an output file and use the askEXODUS utility supplied with buildingEXODUS V3.0 to extract the individual graphs into separate files. You can then import these into a spreadsheet program and re-construct the graphs. This approach allows you to control the presentation of the graphs and compare different simulation results.

Q11: What is the best way of interrogating the data generated by buildingEXODUS?
A: Using buildingEXODUS it is possible to generate a vast amount of data, either from a single simulation or from multiple simulations. This data is best analysed using spreadsheet software (e.g. Microsoft Excel). The askEXODUS utility supplied with buildingEXODUS V3.0 can be used to manipulate the output files (i.e. *.SIM) into a form that is readily useable by the spreadsheet software. Alternatively the simulation (*.SIM) files can be exported into a database (e.g. Microsoft Access) so that the attributes of occupants can be stored as individual records. This allows complex queries to be designed, enabling a more detailed understanding of the factors involved in the simulation. For example, Microsoft Access could be used for the following type of inquiry: “How many male occupants, over 45 years old, survived the simulation?”.

Q12: What is the best way to run and view my simulation?
A: For repeated runs of the same scenario where it is not necessary to interact with or watch the behaviour of the occupants Batch mode should be used. This results in the shortest run times. Prior to using the Batch mode however it is advisable to visually examine the events of a scenario using the 2-D graphical interface to ensure that the occupant movement and the connectivity of the geometry are satisfactory. The 2-D graphical interface is particularly useful for examining the behaviour of the occupants. For relatively small cases, which are computationally inexpensive, this representation can be enhanced by using the Person Shape option. For larger cases this should be switched off to minimise the computational costs. For presentation purposes, the 2-D view should be used in order to represent specific behavioural activities of the occupant population. For users with Level 2 software, this can be enhanced through the use of the 3-D virtual reality interface which enables a degree of flexibility in the perspective from which the simulation can be viewed (see Figure 9).


Low Detail	Person Shape	Virtual Reality interface

Note that there are a number of other viewing options available relating to displaying the environmental conditions, population density and the spread of the potential map throughout the geometry.

Q13: When generating a population the model returns the error message that there is not enough space to generate the specified population?
A: It is quite easy to accidentally select a single node when manipulating a geometry. The user should make sure that this is not the case when generating a population and that they have selected the area in which the population should be situated. If the population can occupy any location within a given window make sure that no nodes are selected by clicking outside of the geometry within the given window.

Q14: How can I view the 2-D animation of a simulation, as when it is run the simulation is over too quickly for useful analysis?
A: By holding down the shuttle key the speed of the simulation can be controlled.

Q15: Why is the DXF file that I have imported into buildingEXODUS not displayed or displayed incorrectly?
A: buildingEXODUS V 3.0 will only read AutoCAD files up to version 14. Therefore, you must ensure that the DXF file you have is compatible with the version of buildingEXODUS you are using. You may need to regenerate your file by exporting it again from your existing CAD package using version 13 or 14 DXF file formats.

Q16: Why does buildingEXODUS appear to display information in my imported DXF file that does not appear in the drawing when displayed in the CAD package?
A: buildingEXODUS will display all the layers in a DXF file regardless of their status in your CAD package. Therefore, it is necessary to remove all redundant data from the drawing before exporting it as DXF. To display all layer data in AutoCAD select the Format Layer option from the tool menu in AutoCAD and then turn all layers on.

Q17: When imported into buildingEXODUS, why is only part of my DXF file displayed?
A: buildingEXODUS positions the DXF file on the screen in relation to the limits specified in the DXF file. If these limits are incorrect they will need to be adjusted. A program called DXFTidy - supplied with buildingEXODUS is provided for this propose. Simply run DXFTidy to generate a new version of your DXF file with the limits adjusted correctly for use in buildingEXODUS.

vrEXODUS F.A.Q TOP

Q1: Why don’t I have a copy of vrEXODUS?
A: buildingEXODUS Level 1 cannot generate VR files and so vrEXODUS is not provided.

Q2: What is the best way of finding answers to questions about vrEXODUS?
A: The user manual contains most of the answers to questions typically asked by users. The manual is supplied in PDF form on the installation disk supplied with vrEXODUS. The manual also contains a tutorial to get you started using vrEXODUS. If you cannot find the answer to your question in the manual and you have taken out software support, send us an email (exodus@gre.ac.uk).

Q3: Why are occupants sometimes observed to pass through each other during VR playback?
A: This is because the current version of vrEXODUS does not have the ability to represent the buildingEXODUS capability of allowing people to slip past each other when they swap nodes or cross paths. This will not affect the outcome of the simulation in any way when displayed in vrEXODUS. Simulation results will be identical to those generated by buildingEXODUS.

Q4: My buildingEXODUS simulation includes people crawling on the floor. Why can’t I see this happening in vrEXODUS?
A: This is because the current version of vrEXODUS does not have the ability to represent the buildingEXODUS capability of crawling. This will not affect the outcome of the simulation in any way when displayed in vrEXODUS. Simulation results will be identical to those generated by buildingEXODUS.

Q5: Netscape sometimes gives an error “Failed to create document.” What can I do about this?
A: This is an error with Netscape and depends upon your system as to whether you experience it or not. If you do, switch to using Internet Explorer for running vrEXODUS.

Q6: When using vrEXODUS, nothing appears to happen when I press a button?
A: vrEXODUS is processor intensive, so sometimes mouse commands may not be registered. Try holding down the left mouse button for a few seconds then release.

Q7: When I load in my geometry to vrEXODUS, the stairs are all wrong?
A: In buildingEXODUS make sure that you have used landing nodes to connect flights of stairs.

Q8: When I play the VR simulation, occupants move through walls to get to exits.
A: In order to create the impression of a door you have to delete the lines in buildingEXODUS boundary mode before running and saving the simulation.

Q9: Sometimes during VR playback people seam to disappear and then reappear, even though they are not moving between floors or on/off staircases?
A: This can happen when there are a large number of objects being viewed on the screen at one time, especially when using high detailed Avatars to represent the occupants. When this happens reduce the distancing point in the options menu or reload the simulation with low detailed Avatars.