This week, several users asked me how to assess one project with several tools. Here is a general guide and best practices.
First, some foundational info:
- Tools show up as rows
- Designs are represented as columns
- The software assumes that a design is intended to have all the same materials, energy consumption etc. (essentially all inputs to queries) for all tools added to it. This means that if you add/delete a resource in one tool of a design, this change is reflected in any other tools that you have added for this design.
If the tools you want to work with are compliant (same data standard and scope)?
→ Simply add another row with the second tool and work in the same design.
If the tools you want to work with are non-compliant?
→ It is best to create a new design and work with each tool in a separate design.
→ Otherwise, if you work with non-compliant tools in the same design, data that is allowed in one tool will be added to the other, even if it doesn’t fit the data standard required there (with a warning sign next to it).
→ Why is this? If you copy the initial design, and start working with the second tool in the copied version, seeing the initial datapoints (with warning signs if non-compliant) helps when replacing the non-compliant data.
How do I add another tool?
- To add another tool, please click on “Available calculation tools” your project’s page.
How do I add another design?
- Most relevant for this post: Creating and copying designs
- Create a design from Carbon Designer 3D
- Create a design during data import
! Please note: Adding another tool or another designs requires manager rights to the project.