Honeybee Apply Properties

Use This Skill When

• The user wants room-level Energy or Radiance attributes assigned
• The user wants HVAC applied or inspected through controlled inputs
• The user wants room load objects or schedule resources updated
• The user wants facade, window, or shade properties assigned
• The user wants Radiance modifiers, modifier sets, sensor grids, or views updated
• The exact identifier is known or can be found using search_properties

Preferred Tool

apply

Description Unified property application bus for Honeybee, Energy, and Radiance operations.

Args

• operation: str
• target_type: str
• identifiers: list | None = None
• values: dict | None = None

Returns

• operation-specific dict
• usually status
• often updated_count or updated_room_count
• optional warnings
• optional auto_save

Supported Operations

room_attributes

Typical `values`

• construction_set_identifier
• modifier_set_identifier
• program_type_identifier
• is_conditioned
• reset_loads

Simple example

apply(
    operation="room_attributes",
    target_type="room",
    values={"program_type_identifier": "Office_Open"}
)

Scoped example

apply(
    operation="room_attributes",
    target_type="room",
    identifiers=["Room_1", "Room_2"],
    values={
        "construction_set_identifier": "Office_Construction_Set",
        "is_conditioned": True
    }
)

hvac

Typical `values`

• system_category
• system_type
• vintage
• name
• list_options
• economizer_type
• sensible_heat_recovery
• latent_heat_recovery
• demand_controlled_ventilation
• heating_limit
• cooling_limit
• radiant_type

Simple example

apply(
    operation="hvac",
    target_type="room",
    values={"system_category": "Ideal"}
)

Options example

apply(
    operation="hvac",
    target_type="room",
    values={"system_category": "AllAir", "list_options": True}
)

More complex example

apply(
    operation="hvac",
    target_type="room",
    identifiers=["Room_1", "Room_2"],
    values={
        "system_category": "AllAir",
        "system_type": "VAV",
        "vintage": "ASHRAE_2019",
        "sensible_heat_recovery": 0.7
    }
)

opaque_attributes

Typical `target_type`

• face
• door
• room

Typical `values`

• construction_identifiers — list of library construction identifiers to apply
• modifier_identifiers — list of Radiance modifier identifiers to apply
• custom_construction — dict for creating and assigning a new opaque construction inline

Library construction example

apply(
    operation="opaque_attributes",
    target_type="face",
    identifiers=["Face_1"],
    values={"construction_identifiers": ["Generic Exterior Wall"]}
)

Custom construction example

Create and assign a custom opaque construction in one step. Provide the custom_construction dict with name, layers (list of material dicts with name, thickness, conductivity, density, specific_heat):

apply(
    operation="opaque_attributes",
    target_type="face",
    identifiers=["Face_1"],
    values={
        "custom_construction": {
            "name": "HighInsulation_Wall",
            "layers": [
                {
                    "name": "InsulationMat",
                    "thickness": 0.1,
                    "conductivity": 0.04,
                    "density": 30,
                    "specific_heat": 1000
                }
            ]
        }
    }
)

window_attributes

Typical `target_type`

• aperture
• door
• face
• room

Typical `values`

• construction_identifiers
• modifier_identifiers
• custom_construction
• optional cross-scope identifiers

Orientation-based example

apply(
    operation="window_attributes",
    target_type="room",
    values={
        "construction_identifiers": ["NorthGlass", "EastGlass", "SouthGlass", "WestGlass"]
    }
)

shade_attributes

Typical `target_type`

• shade
• aperture
• door
• face
• room

Known Issue (B-01): Applying modifier_identifiers to shades via shade_attributes may trigger a TypeError: unhashable type: 'dict' in certain scenarios when the shade was created via add (louvers). If this occurs, the underlying bug is in the apply service and needs a code fix.

Direct shade example

apply(
    operation="shade_attributes",
    target_type="shade",
    identifiers=["Shade_1", "Shade_2"],
    values={"modifier_identifiers": ["MetalModifier"]}
)

Room Load Operations

Each operation uses target_type="room" and accepts specific values:

people

apply(
    operation="people",
    target_type="room",
    identifiers=["Room_1"],
    values={
        "people_per_area": 0.2,
        "occupancy_schedule_identifier": "Office_Occ_Schedule"
    }
)

lighting

apply(
    operation="lighting",
    target_type="room",
    identifiers=["Room_1"],
    values={"watts_per_area": 10.0}
)

electric_equipment

apply(
    operation="electric_equipment",
    target_type="room",
    identifiers=["Room_1"],
    values={"watts_per_area": 12.0}
)

service_hot_water

apply(
    operation="service_hot_water",
    target_type="room",
    identifiers=["Room_1"],
    values={"flow_per_area": 0.1}
)

setpoint

apply(
    operation="setpoint",
    target_type="room",
    identifiers=["Room_1"],
    values={"heating_setpoint": 20, "cooling_setpoint": 26}
)

ventilation

apply(
    operation="ventilation",
    target_type="room",
    identifiers=["Room_1"],
    values={"flow_per_person": 0.006}
)

process_load

apply(
    operation="process_load",
    target_type="room",
    identifiers=["Room_1"],
    values={
        "process_identifier": "Process_A",
        "watts": 600
    }
)

Schedule Resource Operations

Update existing schedule resources. Use add to create new ones first.

schedule_type_limit

apply(
    operation="schedule_type_limit",
    target_type="schedule_type_limit",
    identifiers=["MyTypeLimit"],
    values={"upper_limit": 2.0, "numeric_type": "Continuous"}
)

schedule_day

apply(
    operation="schedule_day",
    target_type="schedule_day",
    identifiers=["MyDay"],
    values={"values": [0, 1, 0.5], "times": [[0, 0], [8, 0], [18, 0]]}
)

schedule_ruleset

apply(
    operation="schedule_ruleset",
    target_type="schedule",
    identifiers=["MySchedule"],
    values={"default_day_identifier": "NewDefaultDay"}
)

schedule_fixed_interval

apply(
    operation="schedule_fixed_interval",
    target_type="schedule",
    identifiers=["MyFixedSchedule"],
    values={"values": [0.5] * 8760}
)

Radiance Resource and Analysis Operations

Update existing Radiance resources. Use add to create new ones first.

modifier

apply(
    operation="modifier",
    target_type="modifier",
    identifiers=["TestPlastic"],
    values={"r_reflectance": 0.6, "g_reflectance": 0.6, "b_reflectance": 0.6}
)

modifier_set

apply(
    operation="modifier_set",
    target_type="modifier_set",
    identifiers=["TestModSet"],
    values={"wall_modifier_identifier": "NewWallMod"}
)

sensor_grid

apply(
    operation="sensor_grid",
    target_type="sensor_grid",
    identifiers=["Grid_01"],
    values={"sensors": [{"pos": [2, 0, 0.8], "dir": [0, 0, 1]}]}
)

view

apply(
    operation="view",
    target_type="view",
    identifiers=["View_01"],
    values={"direction": [0, 1, 0]}
)

Return Guidance

• Report updated_room_count for room or HVAC operations.
• Report updated_count for opaque, window, and shade operations.
• Surface resource_changes when schedules, constructions, modifiers, or modifier sets are created or updated as part of the operation.
• If status="skipped", explain why no valid targets or values were applied.
• If warnings exist, surface them explicitly.
• If auto_save exists, mention shared-memory writeback.

Error Handling

• If success=False, check the error field for details.
• Common failures: identifier not found, invalid values key, resource does not exist yet (use add first).
• For HVAC, use list_options=True first to discover valid system_type values before applying.

Workflow

1. Query current state or search identifiers first.
2. If the work involves reusable resources, check whether it should be add first and apply second.
3. Apply the narrowest valid scope.
4. Re-query to verify the applied result.