Getting Started with Uploading and Running a Model Using the UI
Navigate to http://localhost' for your Alfalfa deployment. You will see a prompt for upload of a model file from your local machine. Note the three tabs in the upper right corner of the home page: Sites, Completed Simulations, and API Docs.
Select a .zip file containing the model you would like to upload. This file must follow the structure outlined in Required Structure of OpenStudio Workflow for a successful upload. A sample directory with a model following this format is available here.
Once the model is uploaded, it will appear under the "Sites" tab. This grid will display the building name, Site ID associated with the simulation run, the run status, and the current simulation time. Since we have not began the simulation, it will say "Ready".
Select the building you have uploaded, as shown below, and press the "Start Test" button.
This will open a prompt which allows you to define simulation parameters for this run. Please see Simulation Clock Advancement Modes for more information on the different clock options. For this tutorial, we will select "Realtime Simulation".
Once the simulation has started, the status will switch to "Started" and the current simulation time displayed. For this simulation mode, we should see the clock advance 1 minute for every minute that occurs in real time.
At any point in the simulation, all available points can be viewed by clicking the 3 vertical dots on the right side of the building's entry on the "Sites" tab. Clicking the dropdown for a point will display the point ID, the point type, and the current value.
Once the simulation has completed, navigating to the "Completed Simulations" tab will allow you to select that building and download test results. This file will contain various output files, including EnergyPlus simulation results and logs from Alfalfa.
