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Open source · BIM to BEM · HVAC

From BIM geometry to simulation-ready analytical models

SAM (Sustainable Analytical Model) is an open-source .NET toolkit that turns Revit and Rhino/Grasshopper geometry into reusable analytical building models — validated, attributed, and simulated with Tas as the primary engine, with psychrometric HVAC design workflows alongside.

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Analytical model as the shared engineering layer
Overview

What SAM Is

SAM is a modular, open-source .NET/C# toolkit for creating, cleaning, enriching, exchanging, and simulating analytical building models — the watertight panels, spaces, and adjacency data that energy and HVAC simulation needs. One shared JSON analytical model carries the project from BIM geometry to results, so information is reused instead of rebuilt for every study.

BIM to BEM

Generate analytical panels, spaces, shells, and adjacency clusters from Revit, Rhino, and Grasshopper workflows.

Simulation Ready

Attribute constructions, profiles, internal conditions, openings, and systems before connecting to Tas and results workflows.

Reusable Research Platform

Use JSON-based analytical objects, validation routines, and extension modules to test repeatable methods across projects and papers.

Core Analytical Concepts

Geometry

Planar geometry, faces, shells, apertures, and boundary representations used to derive simulation-ready spaces.

Panels

Walls, floors, roofs, apertures, constructions, and thermal properties represented as analytical objects.

Adjacency Cluster

The relationship layer for spaces, zones, panels, and their spatial/topological connections.

Analytical Model

The project container for geometry, location, profiles, materials, internal conditions, systems, and results.

1shared JSON analytical model
Revit + RhinoBIM hosts: Revit 2020–2026, Rhino 8/9
LGPL-3.0open-source core and modules
2021→peer-reviewed research lineage
Workflow

How SAM Works

Project inputs become one SAM analytical model, then move through validation, attribution, simulation, and HVAC comparison in a repeatable workflow.

01 Inputs Revit, Rhino, Grasshopper, IFC, gbXML, and project geometry.
02 SAM Analytical Model Panels, spaces, apertures, adjacency clusters, location, profiles, and libraries.
03 Validation + Attribution Watertight shells, cleaned geometry, constructions, loads, schedules, and system intent.
04 Simulation + Results Tas dynamic simulation, HVAC scenarios, result extraction, and post-processing.
Capabilities

Capabilities Today

Every capability links to the public repository that implements it. Status chips distinguish what is shipped from what is in active development — nothing in development is presented as finished.

Shipped In development Roadmap

Shipped and in daily use

BIM hosts: Revit & Rhino

Analytical-model generation in Revit 2020–2026 (SAM add-in and Rhino.Inside.Revit) and in Rhino 8/9 with a large Grasshopper component library. SAM_Revit · SAM_Rhino_UI

Shipped

Tas simulation & HVAC scenarios

Primary engine pathway: Tas TBD/TSD/T3D/TPD model exchange, overheating and compliance-oriented workflows (TM52, TM59, Part L), and reusable plant-room (EnergyCentre) templates for automated HVAC scenario comparison. SAM_Tas · SAM_Systems

Shipped

Psychrometrics & Mollier HVAC design

Moist-air calculations, Mollier chart plotting, air-process loads, and concept-stage HVAC exploration — numerically validated against published reference data (ASHRAE, PsychroLib, IAPWS). SAM_Mollier · SAM_Validation

Shipped

Model exchange

IFC, gbXML, IES VE GEM, BHoM, and Excel import/export, plus bidirectional Honeybee schema 2.6 round-trip exchange for Ladybug Tools workflows. SAM_IFC · SAM_gbXML · SAM_LadybugTools

Shipped

Desktop applications

Four Windows desktop apps — SAM Analytical, SAM Analytical Mollier, SAM Geometry, and SAM Weather — for model inspection, psychrometric design, geometry work, and weather data. SAM_UI

Shipped

One analytical model core

Panels, spaces, apertures, adjacency clusters, profiles, materials, internal conditions, and systems in a single JSON model, scriptable from Grasshopper. SAM

Shipped

In active development (2026)

SAM_OCCT — native watertight geometry

An Open Cascade geometry kernel inside SAM: sewing and healing of open shells into watertight solids, booleans, STEP/IGES exchange, cell complexes, and a 3D solver — with tests and CI, not yet wired into the SAM core model. SAM_OCCT

In development

Native OpenStudio conversion

Direct SAM-to-OpenStudio model generation: geometry, constructions, schedules, and thermostats with ideal-air loads (airside and plant HVAC not yet covered). OpenStudio remains a secondary, EnergyPlus-oriented pathway alongside Tas. SAM_OpenStudio

In development

SharpDX 3D viewport

A new GPU-accelerated viewport for the desktop apps, replacing HelixToolkit, with undo/redo support across the interface. SAM_UI

In development

Systems ↔ Mollier plant-room bridge

Connecting SAM_Systems plant-room schematics with Mollier psychrometric processes for air-handling and plant design workflows. SAM_Systems

In development

SAM supports engineering workflows that contribute to assessment methods. Compliance still depends on the complete project methodology and toolchain.

Roadmap

Research-Backed Maturity

Platform stages follow the published research line. SAM 4.0 and 5.0 are future directions; SAM_Mollier develops in parallel as a module, not a platform version.

SAM 1.0

Geometry creation, multi-method model generation, adjacency clusters, shell creation, and watertight boundary preparation. Shipped

SAM 2.0

Loads, attribution, material/profile/internal-condition libraries, dynamic simulation connectors, and BIM-to-BEM research validation. Shipped

SAM 3.0

Reusable HVAC system generation, JSON system references, Tas EnergyCentre templates, automated scenario execution, and result extraction. Shipped

SAM_Mollier Parallel module

Psychrometric points, Mollier and psychrometric charts, air processes, HVAC loads, and concept-stage system exploration.

SAM 4.0

Controls and control-strategy testing for HVAC system operation and scenario analysis. Roadmap

SAM 5.0

Digital twin direction: an updatable building representation with geometry, systems, assumptions, results, and project data. Roadmap

Ecosystem

SAM Ecosystem

Public repositories, grouped by their role in the analytical workflow. Modules that are currently private return here once they are public.

Core model

SAMCore analytical model objects and workflows.
SAM_ValidationNumerical validation against published reference data (ASHRAE, PsychroLib, IAPWS).

Geometry and solvers

SAM_OCCTNative Open Cascade geometry: watertight sew-and-heal, booleans, STEP/IGES, 3D solver. In development
SAM_TopologicTopological space and building representations.

BIM and exchange

SAM_RevitRevit and Rhino.Inside workflows (Revit 2020–2026).
SAM_IFCIndustry Foundation Classes exchange.
SAM_gbXMLgbXML import, export, and model transfer.
SAM_GEMIES VE GEM export workflows.
SAM_BHoMBHoM object model interoperability.

Simulation and HVAC

SAM_TasPrimary Tas EDSL simulation integration: TBD/TSD/T3D/TPD, TM52/TM59/Part L, plant-room templates.
SAM_OpenStudioSecondary OpenStudio model generation and exchange; native conversion in development.
SAM_LadybugToolsHoneybee schema round-trip and Ladybug Tools interoperability.
SAM_SystemsBuilding systems, plant rooms, and HVAC system concepts.
SAM_MultitaskerScenario orchestration and task execution.

Engineering physics

SAM_MollierMollier charts and psychrometric HVAC processes.
SAM_PsychrometricsMoist-air thermodynamic property calculations.
SAM_SolarCalculatorSolar position and irradiance utilities.
SAM_IAPWSWater and steam properties using IAPWS-IF97.

User layers and scripting

SAM_UIWindows desktop apps: SAM Analytical, SAM Analytical Mollier, SAM Geometry, SAM Weather.
SAM_Rhino_UIRhino plugin and command-based access.
SAM_Revit_UIUser-facing Revit add-in layer.
SAM_ExcelSpreadsheet exchange and post-processing.
SAM_PythonPython scripting access (early experimental module).
Get Started

Install

  1. Download the latest SAM installer.
  2. Run the installer and follow the prompts.
  3. Open SAM where you work: Grasshopper in Rhino, Rhino commands, the Revit add-in via Rhino.Inside.Revit, or one of the four desktop apps.
  4. Build from source in Visual Studio when developing or extending modules.

Requirements

  • Windows
  • Rhino 8 or 9 (for Rhino/Grasshopper workflows)
  • Revit 2020–2026 (for Revit add-in / Rhino.Inside.Revit workflows)
  • Tas EDSL (for simulation workflows)

Current installer releases are managed through the SAM_Deploy repository.

Typical Steps

Run A Study

  1. Import or generate geometry.
  2. Create panels, spaces, apertures, and adjacency clusters.
  3. Attribute constructions, profiles, internal conditions, and systems.
  4. Validate the analytical model and export or simulate.
  5. Compare scenarios, extract results, and document assumptions.
Research

Research & Publications

SAM is developed in the open and published through peer-reviewed building-simulation venues. Publications are listed with DOI or proceedings links where available; author profiles on ResearchGate carry the full list.

Numerical quality: psychrometric and steam-property calculations are tested against published reference data — ASHRAE Fundamentals tables, PsychroLib, and IAPWS-IF97 — in the public SAM_Validation suite.

Sustainable Analytical Model (SAM 3.0): A New Approach to Automated HVAC Simulation

M. Dengusiak, J. Ziolkowski, M. Dengusiak. BSA 2026.

SAM 3.0HVAC automationTas

Presented at BSA 2026 (Bozen-Bolzano, June 2026); proceedings forthcoming.

Full and up-to-date list: ResearchGate - Michal Dengusiak.

Docs And Community

Documentation, Support, Contribution

Team

Meet The SAM-BIM Team

Company: SAM-BIM on LinkedIn

Commercial services, training, and bespoke workflows are available through SAM-BIM.