Annual Data Visualization: A Cyclic Contour Plot

[武政孝治]

Hi.

I frequently use VI-Suite and consider it an extremely powerful tool for constructing performance analyses. I presented on the usefulness of VI-Suite at this year's Architectural Institute of Japan conference held at Kyushu University.

VI-Suite can display annual room temperature fluctuations using HeatMap. However, I find it difficult to interpret the overall trend, so I use a contour plot creation script written in Python. The contour plot I created this time processes both time (0-24 hours) and month (January-December) as “cyclical data.”

This allows the daily cycle and annual cycle to connect smoothly, enabling representation as a continuous, uninterrupted graph. Additionally, contours are created every 2°C, and the color map is generated every 1°C.

Changes in peak and bottom room temperature times by season are immediately apparent. The “undulations” and patterns of temperature changes throughout the year become visually easier to understand. The provided script is designed to read the standard 8760-hour single-column data handled by VI-Suite.

We hope this will be added as an additional visualization option alongside the existing heatmap.

Regard.

[VI-Suite]

Hi.

Thanks for the Python script. This looks good so I'll see if I can integrate this with the VI-Suite.

Ryan

[武政孝治]

Hi.

Thanks.

2025年10月19日日曜日 18:34:55 UTC+9 VI-Suite:

[VI-Suite]

Hi.

I have added a monthly average option to the heatmap node in master. This requires a complete years worth of data, so hour 0-23 and days 1-365.

Options for this plot are contour line thickness, starting value for the contours, and the interval between contours. Hopefully these options are self-explanatory, especially with a bit of experimentation.

Cheers

Ryan

[武政孝治]

Hi.

I was hospitalized for about ten days in November, during which I had limited access to the internet. I was finally discharged a few days ago and now have full internet access again. The wind speed contour map looks great. Actually, I've already created a Python script to generate contour maps for outdoor temperature, estimated global solar radiation, relative humidity, and wind direction/speed. I'll upload it tomorrow. I've named these charts the PASSIVE Climatic Chart.
I applied for the 2019 Good Design Award and received it. (URL: https://www.g-mark.org/en/gallery/winners/9e132612-803d-11ed-af7e-0242ac130002)

Since VI-Suite already implemented features like WindRose, I only introduced the indoor temperature. It would be an honor if outdoor temperature, estimated global solar radiation, relative humidity, wind direction, and wind speed could be implemented in VI-Suite. The PASSIVE Climatic Chart was featured in a review paper for the Architectural Institute of Japan (AIJ): DEVELOPMENT AND APPLICATION OF PASSIVE CLIMATE CHART J. Environ. Eng., AIJ, Vol. 82 No. 737, 653-662, Jul., 2017 DOI http://doi.org/10.3130/aije.82.653)

If possible, I would very much like to see a contour chart display function implemented in VI-Suite. The attached figure was created using Tokyo data.

2025年11月2日日曜日 1:14:23 UTC+9 VI-Suite:

[武政孝治]

Hi.
Understanding regional climate characteristics is crucial. I believe the appeal of Le Corbusier and Frank Lloyd Wright's architecture lies in how their designs reflect local climate conditions. To that end, I created illustrations that clarify these climate characteristics.
The contour maps were created following these rules:

(1) Ambient Temperature
The unit is °C. The temperature range is set from -15°C to 45°C. Contour lines are drawn at 2°C intervals, and the color map is created at 1°C intervals.
(2) Horizontal Surface Global Solar Radiation
The unit is W/m². The maximum value is set to 1000 W/m² considering the solar constant. Contour lines are drawn at 50 W/m², and the color map is created at 25 W/m² intervals.
(3) Relative Humidity
The unit is %. The color map range is created from 0 to 100%. Contour lines are drawn at 5% intervals, and the color map is created at 2.5% intervals.
(4) Wind Speed and Direction
Wind speed is measured in m/s. To facilitate observation of changes in wind speeds below 5 m/s, the color map is created with a maximum value of 5 m/s. Wind speeds exceeding 5 m/s are displayed in white, but contour lines are shown.
Wind direction is indicated by arrows, with the top of the map representing north. Arrows are shown only for wind directions exceeding 30% frequency; those below 30% are not displayed. Arrow length indicates frequency. If two or more directions exceed 30%, multiple arrows are shown. Contour lines are drawn at 0.2 m/s intervals, and the color map is created at 0.1 m/s intervals.
Note that azimuth is shown clockwise from 0 (north) at 360 degrees for each time. 0 and 360 indicate winds blowing from the north. In Japan, wind direction is generally shown using a 16-point compass. The “16” in 16 points means the wind is blowing from the north. Azimuth 1 indicates a wind blowing from 22.5°, and Azimuth 2 indicates a wind blowing from 45°. 360 corresponds to 16 in the 16-point compass system. To convert to the 16-point system, divide the bearing by 22.5 and round to the nearest integer. If the wind direction value is 0 and the rounded integer value is also 0, the bearing is considered 16. This processing is performed monthly for each time.

We would be delighted if you would consider adopting this as one of the features of VI-Suite.

Regards.

2025年11月2日日曜日 1:14:23 UTC+9 VI-Suite:

Hi.