BISCO - Previous versions

Version 12

(Scroll down for presentation on new functionalities)

BISCO v12.2.02

• Warning issued if converting colours upon reading project data file created with unavailable add-on modules (RADCON).
• Bugfixes:
  • Use system font in Load Material dialog box.
  • Load colour palette every time before opening DXF file.
  • File association.

BISCO v12.2.01

• Colours window: geometric heat flow direction updated based on calculation results also for EQUIMAT EN6946 (as already implemented for EQUIMAT EN10077)
• Column and row header of active cell (in tables in windows) highlighted with changed background color instead of bold font.
• Bugfixes:
  • Initialise individual colour when reading in from BSC from older version to avoid having lingering properties from the same colour number in previously opened file.
  • Split Zones (and EN10077 Preparation) corrected for when not enough free colours are available.
  • Tooltip uses correct font in table headers.
  • Allow double clicking to edit when the cell is too small to show all contents.

BISCO v12.2

• Split Zones function:
  • Avoid skipping free colour numbers for newly created colours.
  • Possibility to reuse the current colour number (if first new colour number equals current colour number).
  • Small zones colour thermal properties automatically set.
  • Small zones defined in mm².
• EN 10077 Preparation function:
  • Includes updates from Split Zones function as described above.
  • Additional option to split zones of already present colours of type EQUIMAT and standard EN10077.
  • Cavity of window frames with only 1 cavity set to correct type.

BISCO v12.1.04

• Always use default measures (pixel size and global triangulation size) when opening DXF and BMP files (Settings > Default Measures...).

BISCO v12.1.03

• Resolution of the bitmap that is automatically constructed when opening a DXF file directly in BISCO can be increased or decreased (Settings > Default Measures...).
• Retile windows every time the main application window size changes.

BISCO v12.1.02

• Allow panning of bitmap by holding mouse wheel while drawing a line or a rectangle.
• Replace Help > How To's with link to website's Knowledge Base (which contains more information).
• Bugfixes:
  • BC_SIMPL standard NIHIL subtype HI correctly read.

BISCO v12.1.01

• Temperature initialised to 0 or 20 when toggling BC_SIMPL EN6946 HI and HE in Colours window.
• Colour > Copy Row menu function available when editing Bitmap.
• Bugfixes:
  • Command line execution without licence dialog boxes.
  • Bitmap border automatically calculated U-value also shown when enforced U-value is attributed.

BISCO v12.1

• Bitmap window:
  • Pan by holding the mouse wheel.
  • Improved zooming by mouse wheel scroll.
  • Zoom out with right mouse click when zoom in is activated.
• Improved navigation of tables in windows:
  • Mousewheel scroll.
  • Tab and arrow keys to move to adjacent table cells.
• Additional keyboard shortcuts for menu commands.
• When loading DXF file directly in BISCO, layers with fill mode 'Fill Contours' are treated before those with 'Fill Lines'.
• Additional error messages (ill-conditioned system, BMP file problems, surface condensation).
• Simplified U-value in U-value window shown also when wall includes TRANSMAT, BC_FREE or BC_SKY (using non-temperature dependent simplified radiation coefficients).
• Licence information dialog boxes not shown when calculating from command line.
• Bugfixes:
  • BiscoDxf: avoid losing layer information of layers containing only very small ellipses, circles or arcs.

BISCO v12.0.05

• Increased calculation speed due to improved neighbouring nodes algorithm for viewfactor zones (RADCON)
• DXF extension adjusted to actual information in DXF file (minus ignored layers) in BiscoDXF
• Bugfixes:
  • Automatically switch Tmin and Tmax in Temperature Range dialog box if Tmin > Tmax

BISCO v12.0.04

• Bugfixes:
  • DXF with mirrorred drawing extents (Xmax < Xmin) correctly read when imported directly in BISCO
  • Error message shown when meshing fails because triangle pixel size is too large

BISCO v12.0.03

• Bugfixes:
  • BC_SIMPL HI_CAV_E and HI_CAV_I not split in EN 10077 preparation
  • Opening DXF files in BiscoDXF from BISCO
  • Saving BMP files in BiscoBMP when closing windows
  • Application settings cannot change after opening DXF file or colour database
• Cloud-based licences automatically activated when opening application

BISCO v12.0.02

• Bugfix: insulation panel length in automatic preparation EN10077 when grooves at the surface are detected
• Small bugfixes in converting colours from BISCO v11 files
• Off line activation of software licence keys added
• Cloud-based licences have the option to release the licence or not

BISCO v12.0.01

• Various trivial bugfixes (not related to functionality)
• Network floating licence viewer
• Major versions can coexist on computer
• Additional How To's

BISCO v12.0

• Graphic output of surface condensation and high relative humidity zones.
• Visualisation of radiative heat fluxes in cavities and at surfaces with RADCON.
• New feature to label output images with: colour name, thermal properties, X/Y dimensions, node temperature, min/max temperature, temperature factor, internal surface condensation, internal surface humidity, heat flow through polyline.
• Revised legend with indication of material names and clustered cavities per EN ISO standard. The colour for each cluster of cavities can be defined by the user.
• New parameter for automatic selection of boundary condition temperatures.
• Triangulation mesh only visible when image has relevant scale.
• Faster image processing algorithm for complex files.
• Revised Colour window to allow conformity with different EN standard. A new column ‘Standard’ is replacing the former columns ‘C1’, ‘C2’ and ‘C3’.
• Introduction of Colour database allowing to quickly adjust frequently used materials and boundary conditions (File → Open Colour Database…).
• New function to cluster type EQUIMAT with a user defined cluster resolution for thermal conductivity.
• Implementation of the equivalent thermal conductivities for screws according to ANNEX E of EN ISO 12631.
• Implementation of the equivalent thermal conductivities for air voids and layers according to EN ISO 6946.
• EN ISO 10077-2
  • Automatic detection and handling of surface grooves < 2mm;
  • Conversion of TRANSMAT to EQUIMAT (Colours → Convert TRANSMAT To EQUIMAT).
• Option to save Text Output in CSV format for post processing (e.g. MS Excel).
• Automated ‘Make report’ function copies and opens the report template in the current folder.
• Option to add 2 distances for calculation of derived thermal properties
• BiscoDXF:
  • Accessible from BISCO (File → Open DXF…).
  • Improved algorithms to avoid mirrored extrusion directions.
  • Error warning for open line ends and duplicates.
  • Option for layer selection when loading DXF files.
• Bitmap editing:
  • Drawing tool BiscoBmp accessible from BISCO (Bitmap → Editing using BiscoBmp…).
  • Snap to pixel when in ‘selecting’ or ‘drawing’ mode.
  • New drawing functions: rectangles and lines.
  • Cursor colour adjusted for background colour.
  • Pan: drag mode changed to ‘drag object’.
  • Function ‘Clean Colour…’ to delete pixel noise.
• Feature 'Unlimited nodes' replaces old 64-bit version.
• Documentation accessible from the BISCO menu ‘Help’: Manual, How to’s and Tutorials.
• More documentation (example projects, validation projects and training material) available via the online Physibel Portal (www.physibel.be/en/knowledge)
• Extended software protection options:
  • Hardware licence key (USB): stand-alone
  • Software licence key: stand-alone, network floating and cloud-based floating.

Version 11.0w

• Direct input of a DXF file in BISCO (without preparation in BiscoDxf).
  The bitmap is automatically created using the (default) layer definitions.
• A layer name in a DXF file starting with a number of 3 digits (000 up to 255) sets this number as colour number of the layer (also in BiscoDxf).
  A layer name of format “xxx_y_name” sets the colour number (3 digits xxx) and fill type (digit y, from 0 up to 3).
• New parameter “Use border colours” in function Bitmap > Size…
• Improved detection of grooves and interconnections in function Bitmap > Split Zones…
• Faster triangulation of bitmap (as initial step of thermal system calculation), because of elimination of graphic feedback.
• The radiation simulation in a TRANSMAT cavity at the bitmap border is improved.
• Graphic output of single isothermal line.
• Batch calculation starting from DXF files with included EN 10077 preparation.
• Creation of graphic report files also possible in batch calculation (from either BSC or DXF files).
• Show left top point coordinates of current colour from Measures window in status bar (to facilitate its location in the bitmap).
• New tool BiscoBmp to edit and prepare BMP files (containing move/copy of selection within bitmap).
• Multiple BISCO simulation results can be imported in one step in the Word report template.
• Word report template with improved style control of imported report items.

Version 10.0w

• Automatic preparation of the bitmap to minimise the user intervention for the calculation of the thermal transmittance of a window frame according to EN ISO 10077.
• New rules for type EQUIMAT (rules CEN_DIR_I and CEN_DIR_E), TRANSMAT (rule CEN_DIR_I) and BC_FREE (rule CEN_DIR_I) to calculate the thermal conductivity and convective heat transfer coefficient from the real heat flow direction.
  These extensions are in line with the standard EN ISO 10077-2:2017.
  The RADCON module needs to be installed to use these new rules.
• Distances and U values can be defined in a slanted direction (using Distances window).
  The Derived Thermal Properties dialog box is adapted to include possible references to those (slanted) distances and U values.
• Current split zone parameters can be set as default parameters (saved in the BISCO parameter file).
• Batch calculation and command line program execution with automatic report text and report index files generation.
• 64-bit option:
  With the 64-bit option the 2 Gbyte RAM limit of the standard 32-bit BISCO version can be exceeded.
  Bitmaps of up to 32767 x 32767 pixels are possible.
  The maximum number of nodes depends on the RAM installed.

Version 9.0w

• BiscoDxf: conversion of DXF file to BMP file
  • Bitmap size, placement and resolution can be modified at any timE
  • Load layer definition file of other data
• Read/write compressed 256-colours BMP files
• Faster response times when using drawing tools
• New bitmap editing functions:
  • Crop bitmap borders to remove border margin around drawing
  • Import BMP file into current bitmap
  • Delete colour preserves adjacent hard materials and expands adjacent soft materials (based on thermal conductivity)
• View/impose U values at bitmap borders
• Calculation of equivalent thermal conductivities of air cavities:
  • Optimisation of air cavities by detecting grooves and interconnections (smaller than 2 mm or 10 mm)
  • Editable surface emissivities
  • Automatic adjustment of heat flow direction
  • Use solution temperatures or default temperatures
  • Cavity at bitmap border mirrored or not (i.e. bitmap border is axis of symmetry or not)
• Thermal transmittance of window frame:
  • Frame with two glazings (i.e. two insulation panels)
  • Detect zones of reduced heat transfer (at internal boundary condition)
  • Initialisation of distances (based on window frame colour number)
  • Adjustment of distances with resize of bitmap or pixel
• Additional BISCO data template with more colour numbers for air cavities
• Text output: relative humidity for surface condensation
• Report generation:
  • Free definition of graphic report files (PNG or BMP)
  • Function "Make Report" generates text files and graphic files
  • MS Word template document with macro to import report files at bookmark locations

Version 8.0w

• More bitmap functions:
  • Insert/delete pixel band (e.g. to modify the width of a material layer)
  • Resize pixel without modifying the bitmap size (e.g. to get a rounded pixel size)
  • Delete colour in bitmap (e.g. to clean up the bitmap)
  • Merge colours (to reduce the number of colours having the same thermal properties)
  • Zoom in/out via mouse wheel
• More graphic output functions:
  • Automatic labelling of colour numbers in bitmap
  • Fill heat fluxes (to show the magnitudes of the local heat flow vectors)
• BiscoDxf: tool for fast conversion of DXF drawing (R14) to BISCO bitmap
  • Benefits: free definition of pixel size and bitmap size
  • Interesting for productive input of large amounts of well prepared DXF drawings
  • BiscoDxf only supports a limited set of DXF commands (e.g. 2D polyline)
  • No support is given (only resources are BiscoDxf manual and R14 DXF Reference)