Apparatus and method for evaluation of design

Abstract

A method of evaluating a design model, including: providing a design model; simulating a behavior of at least one digital user in said model; simulating at least one environmental effect modulated by said model and affecting or affected by at least one of said at least one digital user; and evaluating said design model based on a result of said simulations.

1 . A computerized method of evaluating a design model using a processor, comprising:
 providing a design model representing a physical space;   simulating, using said processor, a behavior of at least one digital user in said design model, said behavior being set by a processing unit;   simulating at least one environmental effect modulated by said design model and affecting or affected by said at least one digital user; and   automatically evaluating said design model based on a result of said simulations.   
     
     
         2 . A method according to  claim 1 , wherein said at least one digital user comprises a plurality of digital users. 
     
     
         3 . A method according to  claim 1 , wherein said evaluating comprises interactive evaluation during modification of said design model. 
     
     
         4 . A method according to  claim 3 , wherein said interactive evaluation comprises continuously changing at least one property of an object of said design model. 
     
     
         5 . A method according to  claim 4 , wherein said object is at least one of an architectural object and an object movable in real world. 
     
     
         6 . A method according to  claim 1 , wherein simulating at least one digital user comprises simulating at least 100 digital users. 
     
     
         7 . A method according to  claim 1 , wherein simulating at least one digital user comprises simulating at least one of a non-emergency scenario for said at least one user and a queuing behavior of said at least one user. 
     
     
         8 . A method according to  claim 1 , wherein simulating at least one digital user comprises changing at least one of a goal and a goal priority of a user during said simulating. 
     
     
         9 . A method according to  claim 1 , wherein evaluating comprises showing an indication of presence of a digital user. 
     
     
         10 . A method according to  claim 9 , wherein said indication comprises one or both of a track and a bubble of movement of said at least one user. 
     
     
         11 . A method according to  claim 1 , wherein said at least one user comprises a plurality of users and said evaluating comprises graphically showing statistics of said plurality of users coded, per user, by a primary task of said user. 
     
     
         12 . A method according to  claim 1 , wherein said environmental effect comprises an effect from outside of said design model. 
     
     
         13 . A method according to  claim 1 , wherein said environmental effect comprises an effect from inside of the design model; said inside effect comprises one or more of internal gains, artificial lighting and heating and cooling. 
     
     
         14 . A method according to  claim 1 , wherein said environmental effect comprises one or more of sunlight, temperature, noise, humidity, wind and daylight. 
     
     
         15 . A method according to  claim 1 , wherein said environmental effect is affected by said at least one user. 
     
     
         16 . A method according to  claim 1 , wherein said at least one user acts different when affected by said environmental effect. 
     
     
         17 . A method according to  claim 1 , wherein said simulations include a cascade effect caused by interaction between at least two of said design model, said at least one user and said environmental effect. 
     
     
         18 . A method according to  claim 1 , wherein said evaluating comprises automatically changing said design in response to said simulations. 
     
     
         19 . Apparatus for model evaluation, embodied in a device, comprising:
 a model editing module which creates and edits a design model representing a physical space;   a computing unit which simulates a behavior of at least one digital user;   a digital user simulation model which simulates the interaction of said at least one digital user with said model;   an environmental simulation module which simulates an effect of an environment on said model and on said at least one digital user;   an output module configured to generate an output reflecting an outcome of said effect.   
     
     
         20 . Apparatus according to  claim 19 , comprising a database storing therein model properties including environmental interaction properties and spatial properties. 
     
     
         21 . A computerized method of evaluating a model design using a processor, comprising:
 providing a model design representing a physical space;   providing at least one digital user simulation and an environmental simulation computed by a computing unit;   simulating, using said processor, an interaction of said model design with said at least one digital user simulation and an environmental simulation; and   immediate and automatic utilization of said simulation to modify said model design.   
     
     
         22 . A method according to  claim 21 , wherein said immediate utilization comprises manual manipulation of said model design during said simulation. 
     
     
         23 . A method according to  claim 21 , wherein said immediate utilization comprises automatic manipulation of said model during said simulation. 
     
     
         24 . A method according to  claim 21 , wherein said simulating comprises simulating the interaction between a digital user and an environmental effect. 
     
     
         25 . Apparatus for model evaluation, embodied in a device, comprising:
 a memory which stores a model design representing a physical space;   a model editing module which edits said model design;   a computing unit which computes at least one digital user simulation; and   a simulation module which simulates one or both of said at least one digital user in said model design and an environmental effect on said model design;   wherein said model editing module is configured to modify said model during said simulation.   
     
     
         26 . Apparatus according to  claim 25 , comprising a design module configured to automatically modify said model design in response to said simulation.