• Revit
  • Insight

Define metric factors

Define factors and associated value options for use in custom metrics.


00:04

Factors provide values that are used in metrics during an analysis of your model.

00:08

Insight offers a list of default factors for your convenience,

00:12

but you also have the option of creating custom factors based on the design performance aspects you want to analyze,

00:19

and to see how they impact metrics.

00:22

Once the assumptions of a sustainability analysis are defined, from the navigation bar,

00:28

click Manage Factors to open the Manage Factors dialog.

00:32

Here, you can select from predefined factors under Get Started, or click Add to create your own.

00:38

In this example, a new factor with the name “PV-Array Coverage” is created to represent the area of PV-array at the roof level.

00:47

The Unit Type and Display Unit are required fields, and here,

00:52

they are set to a Custom unit of percentage (%).

00:56

In the Values group box, you can define a minimum of 1 and a maximum of 5 factor values.

01:04

These are the options that you will be able to choose from using the factor drop-down card on the custom dashboard.

01:11

Click Add New Row to add a value, and then complete the Name and Value columns to define each option.

01:18

In this case, four options are defined for 10%, 25%, 50%, and 75% coverage,

01:27

with associated Values of .1, .25, .50 and .75.

01:35

Click Save, and the new factor now appears under My Factors.

01:40

Once factor values are defined, they can be edited as needed.

01:44

With the factor selected under My Factors, in the toolbar, click Edit.

01:49

Click the value you want to change, and then type a new one, as in this case, where the first value is changed to 15%.

01:58

To delete a value, click Edit, and then click the associated trashcan icon.

02:04

You can also add new factors at any time.

02:07

Here, once 75% is recreated and 90% is added, the maximum number of values is reached.

02:16

Click Save to save all changes.

02:19

You can continue to create custom factors, as in this example,

02:23

where two more factors are defined.

02:26

The first is PV-Array Output, or the Energy produced by the PV-Array, with a Unit Type of Energy Intensity, and a Display Unit of kWh/m2.

02:37

In the Values table, three options are defined for Low, Average, and High production,

02:44

with values of 100, 200, and 300 kWh/m2, respectively.

02:50

The second factor, “System Efficiency”, or PV-Array Efficiency, is set up with a Custom Unit Type and an unspecified Display Unit (-).

02:59

Two values of Low and High efficiency are defined for this factor, with values of .15 and .25.

03:07

Once factors are defined, you can combine them to create new metrics,

03:12

such as a metric that represents renewable energy,

03:15

which can then be used in formulas to create custom metrics.

Video transcript

00:04

Factors provide values that are used in metrics during an analysis of your model.

00:08

Insight offers a list of default factors for your convenience,

00:12

but you also have the option of creating custom factors based on the design performance aspects you want to analyze,

00:19

and to see how they impact metrics.

00:22

Once the assumptions of a sustainability analysis are defined, from the navigation bar,

00:28

click Manage Factors to open the Manage Factors dialog.

00:32

Here, you can select from predefined factors under Get Started, or click Add to create your own.

00:38

In this example, a new factor with the name “PV-Array Coverage” is created to represent the area of PV-array at the roof level.

00:47

The Unit Type and Display Unit are required fields, and here,

00:52

they are set to a Custom unit of percentage (%).

00:56

In the Values group box, you can define a minimum of 1 and a maximum of 5 factor values.

01:04

These are the options that you will be able to choose from using the factor drop-down card on the custom dashboard.

01:11

Click Add New Row to add a value, and then complete the Name and Value columns to define each option.

01:18

In this case, four options are defined for 10%, 25%, 50%, and 75% coverage,

01:27

with associated Values of .1, .25, .50 and .75.

01:35

Click Save, and the new factor now appears under My Factors.

01:40

Once factor values are defined, they can be edited as needed.

01:44

With the factor selected under My Factors, in the toolbar, click Edit.

01:49

Click the value you want to change, and then type a new one, as in this case, where the first value is changed to 15%.

01:58

To delete a value, click Edit, and then click the associated trashcan icon.

02:04

You can also add new factors at any time.

02:07

Here, once 75% is recreated and 90% is added, the maximum number of values is reached.

02:16

Click Save to save all changes.

02:19

You can continue to create custom factors, as in this example,

02:23

where two more factors are defined.

02:26

The first is PV-Array Output, or the Energy produced by the PV-Array, with a Unit Type of Energy Intensity, and a Display Unit of kWh/m2.

02:37

In the Values table, three options are defined for Low, Average, and High production,

02:44

with values of 100, 200, and 300 kWh/m2, respectively.

02:50

The second factor, “System Efficiency”, or PV-Array Efficiency, is set up with a Custom Unit Type and an unspecified Display Unit (-).

02:59

Two values of Low and High efficiency are defined for this factor, with values of .15 and .25.

03:07

Once factors are defined, you can combine them to create new metrics,

03:12

such as a metric that represents renewable energy,

03:15

which can then be used in formulas to create custom metrics.

Was this information helpful?