While working on a project, you can make some errors so that may make it impossible to conduct evacuation or fire dynamics simulation or may lead to unreliable simulation results and to an incorrect fire risk evaluation.
Since evacuation and fire dynamics simulation takes a long time, it is preferable to detect errors before running a simulation, so that you can avoid running another simulation after correcting all the errors.
Use a specific tool to check your project for errors.
For this, click the 
button on the control panel.
Additionally, you can automatically check the scenario before running evacuation or fire dynamics simulation. For more information, see General Settings.
The application checks scenario for critical and potential errors. If no errors are detected, the application displays the following message:
If errors are detected, the application displays corresponding messages at the bottom of the window:
All checks that can be performed, errors and inaccuracies, that they detect, can be classified in several ways.
By Impact to Evacuation and Fire Dynamics Simulation:
- Fire dynamics simulation checks. They allow you to identify errors and inaccuracies that affect the simulation of fire dynamics.
- Evacuation simulation checks. They allow you to identify errors and inaccuracies that affect the evacuation simulation.
- General checks. These checks allow you to identify errors and inaccuracies related to both the fire dynamics and evacuation simulation.
Despite the fact that some checks are classified as belonging to one of the groups (for example, evacuation checks), the errors they identify can have an indirect effect on the results of another simulation (for example, fire dynamics simulation results).
For example, the check for the Intersection of an exit with other objects belongs to checks aimed to find errors that affect evacuation. However, if there is a topology error, for example, there is an extra wall drawn intersecting an exit, then removing this wall may change the nature of the spread of dangerous fire factors.
By Severity:
- Checks to find errors. If there are errors, the simulation cannot be conducted. Errors require mandatory correction. Errors are marked with a
icon in the error bar. - Checks to look for potential errors or inaccuracies. If these errors are found in the project, then simulation can be conducted. However, the simulation may end with the status Error, or simulation results can be inaccurate. Therefore, it is recommended to ignore such warnings only when they do not affect simulation results. Potential errors and warnings have the
icon in the error panel.
By Relation to a Scene Element:
- Checks that are not related to a specific object on the scene. Typically, these are checks for the presence of elements that are necessary to conduct the evacuation and fire dynamics simulation (fire source, exit, person).
- Checks that are related to a specific object on the scene. For example, checking the door width. The error panel for these errors displays the element to which they apply. Moreover, an additional element may be specified that is associated with this error. To fix the error, you need to double-click the corresponding message in the error panel. The application displays the object on the scene the error applies to (the object will be selected and displayed in the center of the scene). After this, you can adjust the object on the scene to fix the error. If there is another object on the scene that is associated with this error, then you can display it by double-clicking the message in the error panel holding the Shift key.
Description of Project Checks
Below is a description of all the scenario’s checks for errors, warnings about the non-compliance of the scenario with the requirements of these checks, and recommendations for addressing warnings.
Checks that affect the modeling of fire development dynamics and the simulation of people evacuation
There are registering devices — a registering device is designed to determine the values of dangerous fire factors and the results of evacuation of people at their location. Therefore, for simulating the dynamics of fire development, and for simulating the evacuation of people, the scenario must contain at least one registering device. If the registering device is missing in the scenario, when attempting to start the simulation, the application displays the following warning: Registering devices are missing. Before starting the simulation, this warning should be addressed because, without the registering device present in the simulation, the application is not able to conduct measurements. To address the warning, place at least one registering device in the scenario.
Checks that affect the modeling of fire development dynamics
There is a calculation area — the calculation area in the application is the area in which the dynamics of fire development are simulated. During this check, the application checks whether you have placed such an area in the scenario. If the calculation area is missing in the scenario, then the application is not able to perform the simulation. In this case, the following warning is displayed: Calculation areas are missing. To eliminate the warning, activate the Calculation Area tool and specify the boundaries of the area on the scene where the simulation needs to be conducted.
There is a registering device in the calculation area — during the simulation of the fire development dynamics, the registering device is used to determine the value of the dangerous fire factors. Measurements are taken at the installation site of the registering device. Therefore, in the location of fire dynamics simulation, there has to be at least one registering device. If the registering device is missing, then the simulation cannot be performed, as measurements will not be conducted in the calculation area. In this case, the application displays the following warning: Registering device in the calculation areas are missing. To address this warning, place the registering device in the calculation area.
There is a fire source — in the application, a fire source means the maximum possible burning area. During this check, the application verifies whether this area is specified in the scenario. If the maximum burning area is not specified, the application displays the following warning: No fire source. To address this warning, activate the Fire source tool and specify the maximum possible burning area on the scene.
There is a fire source in the calculation area — the fire source (maximum burning area) must be located within the calculation area, i.e., directly in the place where the simulation will be conducted. When performing this check, the application verifies this requirement. If there is no fire source in the calculation area, the following warning is displayed: The fire source is located outside the calculation area. To address this warning, it is recommended to adjust the boundaries of the calculation area so that it includes the fire source.
Fire source is located on flammable object — the fire source (maximum burning area) should be located on a combustible or flammable object. Combustible characteristics of an object are determined by the value of the Material property. It is impossible to place a fire source in a application on an object made of non-combustible material. However, after placing a fire source on a combustible object, the material of this object can be accidentally changed to non-flammable. As a result, such an object will not burn. Therefore, if the fire source is located on a non-combustible object, the application displays the following warning: Fire source is located on a non-flammable object. To address this warning, change the object material to flammable.
Location of the fire source inside the object — the fire source (maximum burning area) must not be located inside the object. When placing a fire source on an object, it is always located on the upper surface of this object. However, when placing another object near it, the height of which exceeds the height of the object with the fire source, the contour of the neighboring object can overlap (fully or partially) the object with the fire source. If the fire source is located inside another (neighboring) object, the following warning is displayed: Fire source is located inside an object. You can ignore this warning and make a calculation. However, before starting the calculation, it is recommended to address the warning. To do this, move the neighboring object some distance away from the fire source (remove the neighboring object at a distance from the fire source).
Fire source is located near an object — the distance from the fire source to the object above the fire source must not be less than the cell size of the calculation area. Otherwise, when transferring a scene to FDS, this distance may become zero and will not be transferred. As a result, the fire source will be cramped between two objects, which can lead to unreliable simulation results. If during the check the application detects that the specified distance is less than the current cell size, the following warning is displayed: The fire source is located close to an object. You may ignore this warning and make a calculation. However, it is recommended to address the warning before starting the calculation. To do this, increase the distance from the fire source to the object above the fire source.
Ventilation damper size — when ventilation is used in the scenario, it is recommended that the size of the ventilation damper is not less than the size of the cell in the calculation area. Otherwise, when transferring the scene to FDS, the damper size may become zero and the ventilation will not be transferred. As a result, during the simulation of fire development dynamics, ventilation may not be accounted for, leading to unreliable simulation results. If during this check the size of the damper is found to be smaller than the cell size, the application displays the following warning: The ventilation damper size is smaller than the cell size of the calculation area. You may ignore this warning and make a calculation. However, before starting the calculation, it is recommended to address the warning. To do this, reduce the current cell size of the calculation area or place an additional calculation area with with a smaller cell size at the location of the damper.
Size of the object on which the ventilation damper is located — when ventilation is used in the scenario, it is recommended that the size of the object on which the ventilation damper is located is not less than the size of the cell in the calculation area. Otherwise, when transferring the scene to FDS, the size of the object with the ventilation damper may become zero, and the object will not be transferred. As a result, during the simulation of fire development dynamics, ventilation may not be accounted for, leading to unreliable simulation results. If during this check the size of such object is smaller than the cell size, the application displays the following warning: The ventilation damper is located on an object the size of which is smaller than the cell size of the calculation area. You can ignore this warning and make a calculation. However, before starting the calculation, it is recommended to address the warning. To do this, reduce the current cell size of the calculation area or place an additional calculation area with a smaller cell size in the location of the object with the ventilation damper.
Size of fire source — the size of the fire source (maximum burning area) must not be less than the size of the cell of the calculation area. Otherwise, when transferring the scene to FDS, the size of the fire source may become zero, and as a result, the fire source will not be transferred. If during this check the dimensions of the fire source are smaller than the cell size, the application will display the following warning: The fire source is smaller than the cell size of the calculation area. You can ignore this warning and make a calculation. However, before starting the calculation, it is recommended to address the warning. To do this, reduce the current cell size of the calculation area or place an additional calculation area with a smaller cell size at the fire source location.
Size of object on which fire source is located — the size of the object on which the fire source is located (maximum burning area) must not be less than the cell size of the calculation area. Otherwise, when transferring the scene to FDS, the dimensions of the object with the fire source may become zero. If during this check the dimensions of the object are smaller than the cell size, the application will display the following warning: The fire source is located on an object the size of which is smaller than the cell size of the calculation area. You can ignore this warning and make a calculation. However, before starting the calculation, it is recommended to address the warning. To do this, reduce the current cell size of the calculation area or place an additional calculation area with a smaller cell size at the location of the object with the fire source.
Fire development dynamics simulation time — to ensure the accuracy of the calculated fire risk results, the fire development dynamics simulation time must be set to at least 1.25 times longer than the evacuation time. Otherwise, it cannot be definitively stated that the simulation results remain unchanged if the fire development dynamics simulation time is increased to 1.25 times the evacuation time. If during this check the fire development dynamics simulation time does not exceed the evacuation simulation time by 1.25 times, the application displays the following warning: For accurate calculation of fire risk, the fire development dynamics simulation time needs to be 1.25 times longer than the evacuation time. You can ignore this warning and make the calculation. However, to be sure that the calculated results are accurate, it is recommended to increase the fire development dynamics simulation time. The application will suggest an appropriate value.
Checks that affect the simulation of people evacuation
There is an exit — there must be an exit to simulate the evacuation of people in a scenario. An exit in a application is an area where to people can evacuate. During this check, the application checks for an exit in the scenario. If there is no exit, the simulation cannot be performed, as there is nowhere for people to evacuate. In this case, the application displays the following warning: No exits. To address this warning, add an exit to the scenario.
There are occupants — there must be at least one person in a scenario to simulate the evacuation of people. During this check, the application verifies the presence of people in the scenario. If people are missing, the simulation cannot be performed, as there would be no one to evacuate. In this case, the application displays the following warning: No occupants. To address this warning, people must be added to the scenario (objects Occupants).
Intersection of an exit with other objects — for people to be able to evacuate through exits, exits must not intersect with other objects on the scene. If any object is located within the contour of an exit, such an object acts as an obstacle during evacuation, which may increase the evacuation time or lead to the impossibility of evacuating people through this exit. If during this check the application detects the intersection of the exit with other objects, the following warning is displayed: An object is located over the exit that could interfere with the evacuation of occupants. You can ignore this warning and conduct a simulation. However, it is recommended to address the warning before starting the simulation. To do this, move the object some distance away from the exit.
Door width — for people to be able to evacuate through doors, the width of the doors in the scenario must not be less than the minimum allowed width of escape routes, which is configured in the application settings (Evacuation Simulation - Parameters - Routes). If the door is too narrow, this can increase the evacuation time or make it impossible to evacuate people through such a door. If during this check the width of any door is less than the minimum allowed width of the escape routes, the application displays the following warning: The width of the door located on the wall is less than the minimum allowed width of the escape routes. You can ignore this warning and conduct a simulation. However, before starting the simulation, it is recommended to check whether you made a mistake when specifying the parameters of the door and whether the value you entered really corresponds to the actual width of the door on the object.
Stairway/ramp width — for people to be able to evacuate through stairways/ramps, the width of the stairways/ramps in the scenario must not be less than the minimum allowed width of escape routes, which is configured in the application settings (Evacuation Simulation - Parameters - Routes). If the stairway/ramp is too narrow, this can increase the evacuation time or make it impossible to evacuate people through such a stairway/ramp. If during this check the width of any stairway/ramp is less than the minimum allowed width of the escape routes, the application displays the following warning: The width of the stairway/ramp is less than the minimum allowed width of the escape routes. You can ignore this warning and conduct a simulation. However, before starting the simulation, it is recommended to check whether you made a mistake when specifying the parameters of the stairway/ramp and whether the value you entered actually corresponds to the real width of the stairway/ramp on the object.
Door height — as a rule, the height of the doors in the scenario must not be less than the minimum allowed height of the escape routes, which is set in the application settings (Evacuation Simulation - Parameters - Routes). If the door is too low, people is not able to evacuate through it. If during this check the height of any door is less than the minimum allowed height of the escape routes, the application displays the following warning: The height of the door located on the wall is less than the minimum allowed height of the escape routes. You can ignore this warning and conduct a simulation. However, before starting the simulation, it is recommended to check whether you made a mistake when specifying the parameters of the door and whether the value you entered actually corresponds to the real height of the door on the object.
Stairway/ramp level — for people to be able to evacuate from the horizontal section of the route to the stairway and vice versa, the upper and lower edges of the stairway/ramp must be at the level of the horizontal section of the escape route, that is, must be located on the same level with the floor, platform or overlay. During this check, the application verifies this condition. If the edges of the stairway/ramp are not at the level with the horizontal section of the escape route, then simulation cannot be conducted, because the level difference will prevent people from evacuating through such a stairway/ramp. The application displays the following warning: The upper/lower edge of the stairway/ramp is not on the horizontal section of the escape route. To address this warning, the upper/lower edge of the stairway must be aligned with the upper level of the escape route section.
Blocked doorways — for people to be able to evacuate through doors, all doorways on the scene must be accessible for passage, and they must not contain other objects. If there is an object in the doorway, then such an object serves as an obstacle that can increase the time of evacuation or make it impossible for people to evacuate through this doorway. If during this check the application detects an object in the doorway, the following warning is displayed: There is an object in the doorway. You can ignore this warning and conduct the simulation. However, it is recommended to address the warning before starting the simulation. To do this, remove the object from the doorway.
The relative position of stairways — for people to be able to evacuate from stairways/ramps to horizontal sections of the route, as well as from horizontal sections of the route to stairways/ramps, the upper/lower edges of several stairways/ramps must not be in the same area, i.e., the distance between them must not be less than the minimum permissible height of the escape routes. If the edges of several stairways/ramps are in the same area (or at the same point), this indicates a topology error. People are not able to evacuate through such stairways/ramps. If, during this check, the application detects that the distance between the upper/lower edges of several stairways/ramps is less than the minimum permissible height of the escape routes, the following warning is displayed: The upper/lower edge of the stairway 1 and stairway 2 are in the same area. You can ignore this warning and conduct a simulation. However, it is recommended to address the warning before starting the simulation. To do this, increase the distance between the edges of these stairways/ramps.
Positioning of stairways — for people to be able to evacuate from stairways/ramps to horizontal sections of the route, as well as from horizontal sections of the route to stairways/ramps, no other objects must be located before the upper/lower edges of the stairways/ramps. If an object is located in front of the upper/lower edge of the stairway/ramp, such an object serves as an obstacle that can increase the evacuation time or make it impossible to evacuate people through this stairway/ramp. If during this check the application detects an object in front of the upper/lower edge of the stairway/ramp, the following warning is displayed: There is an object in front of the upper/lower edge of the stairway. You can ignore this warning and conduct a simulation. However, it is recommended to address the warning before starting the simulation. To do this, move the object away from the edge of the stairway/ramp.
Occupants are located too close to other objects — people must not be located inside other objects or too close to other objects on the scene. If a person is located inside or very close to another object, then such an object serves as an obstacle that can increase the time of evacuation or lead to the impossibility of evacuating this person. If the application detects that a person is located inside another object or very close to another object, the following warning is displayed: An occupant is located inside or very close to the object. You can ignore this warning and conduct a simulation. However, it is recommended to address the warning before starting the simulation. To do this, move the person some distance away from the object.