Vendor Test Case Documentation (Georgia Tech - 2019)
What are gbXML Test Cases?Geometry benchmark tests (or gbXML test cases) help to ensure that, as building geometry produced by building designers becomes more complex, the geometry produced for energy and heating and cooling loads analysis maintains the integrity of information that is required for a proper analysis. gbXML.org maintains this battery of benchmark tests for vendors and other interested parties to ensure compliance with gbXML.org’s standards for geometry accuracy and completeness. These tests are prescriptive and serve as marks of excellence that identify the ability of a technology to translate geometry properly from its native format to gbXML.
Currently, there are 3 levels of gbXML certification:
- Level 1 compliance involves validating that a gbXML file is a well formed XML (per the W3C ISO Standard) and also conforms to the gbXML XSD (from gbXML versions 0.37 to 6.01, depending upon which version the software tool currently exports).
- Level 2 compliance involves validating a gbXML file against 8 to 10 geometric “test-cases” that are based upon ASHRAE Research Project 1468, “Development of a Reference Building Information Model (BIM) for Thermal Model Compliance Testing”. This research project contains the rules and guidelines for mapping a given Building Information Model (BIM), created with BIM authoring tools such as Autodesk Revit, into a Building Energy Simulation (BES) description for energy simulations. The test cases provide the instructions for a software vendor to create specific geometric models that are then submitted to an online validator hosted at gbXML.org that checks for compliance At this time, only NREL’s Open Studio software tool is validated for Levels 1 and 2 compliance.
- Level 3 compliance has yet to be fully defined. However, Level 3 does involve certain levels of vendor tool automation that goes far above and beyond Levels 1 and 2 compliance. We are currently working with Autodesk to better define Level 3 compliance.
Each test case includes a PDF document describing the test and a sample gbXML file that represents the correct end-result of the test. The PDF document describes the geometry that the vendor should attempt to replicate and provides visuals and step-by-step instructions. Below is a list of all of the test cases. As the become available, the links will become enabled so you can view more information about each test case. If you are interested in validating your software to become gbXML compliant, please contact us here. (Click here to go to the online validator for the test cases listed below.)
Test Name
Description
Certification Type/Level
Test 1
Work-in-Progress
Geometry Level 3 Test
Test 2
Work-in-Progress
Geometry Level 3 Test
Test 4
Work-in-Progress
Geometry Level 3 Test
Test 5
Work-in-Progress
Geometry Level 3 Test
Test 10
Work-in-Progress
Geometry Level 3 Test
Test 11
Work-in-Progress
Geometry Level 3 Test
Test 28
Work-in-Progress
Geometry Level 3 Test
Whole Building Test 1
Work-in-Progress
Geometry Level 1/2 Test
Whole Building Test 2
Work-in-Progress
Geometry Level 1/2 Test
Additional Test Case Development
gbXML Test Case Documentation (Georgia Tech - 2018)
Download a zip file of this test case documentation.
Georgia Tech University's Digital Building Laboratory (DBL) developed additional test case documentation with the eventual goal of developing Level III test cases.
Phase II gbXML Test Case Documentation (PNNL - 2014)
Download a zip file of this test case documentation.
Pacific Northwest National Laboratory (PNNL) funded gbXML to develop a series of test cases that allow vendors to develop tools that export valid gbXML files.
Phase I gbXML Test Case Documentation (DOE - 2013)
Download a zip file of this test case documentation.
The U.S. Departmant of Energy funded gbXML to develop a series of test cases that allow vendors to develop tools that export valid gbXML files.