Tips & Tricks

Tips and tricks on using xStar effectively in your workflow.

Revit Preparation

1. When drafting in Revit or before starting to work in xStar, ensure your Revit families are named as clearly as possible to help you quickly identify key assembly elements and details for a faster buildout in xStar. Even if you don’t identify all the layers in your assembly, identifying key elements and naming in a way that is clear which assembly or assembly type you are talking about will help immensely in the xStar buildout process.

   1. Ex: Name for an interior wall family in Revit: “2x4 stick @ 24OC w. drywall & paint each side”

   2. Ex: Name for floor family in Revit: “4” slab-on-grade w. bamboo flooring, R-10 XPS subslab & 12” sand”

2. Ensure your door types are correctly identified as interior or exterior to help with identifying them in xStar.

3. Check to ensure you have included a ceiling layer in your model to ensure all elements are accounted for.

Assembly & Design Buildout in xStar

1. Ensure you include a zipcode in the design address to retrieve accurate cost multiplier and weather data.

2. Calculate concrete reinforcement quantities in advance (or find a % value you are comfortable with) to increase the speed and ease of building out assemblies with rebar reinforcement (typically foundation walls and footers).

3. To identify which xStar line item corresponds to a selected Revit element, use the “IDs of Selection” function in Revit (Manage tab, Inquiry panel). xStar line items are named by their Revit element ID.

   

4. Thermal Envelope Selection:

   1. Assess the thermal envelope in both 2D and 3D to ensure appropriate definition of the envelope. 2D plan view and sections are helpful for catching any issues.

   2. To aid with reviewing an editing the thermal envelope, use the “Temporary Hide/Isolate” Revit menu functions.

5. Remember to review the design’s energy properties within the View Design dialog to adjust ACH50, heating & cooling setpoints, climate zone & occupancy.

6. Review fixtures and HVAC categories in the project browser using Line Item view to make the processes easier and more clear.

Viewing Results & Analysis

• If you click a line item’s bar in the Total UA chart, the item will be selected in Revit automatically which is handy for reviewing envelope items in the model.

• To view graph data and metrics at the same time, change which graph is displayed at the top of xStar’s main window.