BISCO - Previous versions
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)