Customized Room Acoustics Simulations Us

A.
van der Harten
Proceedings of Meetings on Acoustics
Volume 12, 2011 http://acousticalsociety.org/
161th Meeting
Acoustical Society of America
Seattle, Washington
23 - 27 May 2011
Session 1aAAb: Architectural Acoustics
1aAAb10. Customized Room Acoustics Simulations Using Scripting Interfaces

Arthur Van der Harten*
*Corresponding author’s address: Room Acoustics, Kirkegaard Associates, 801 W. Adams St., Chicago, IL 60607,
avanderharten@kirkegaard.com
Geometrical computer modeling is commonly used in consulting practice to make predictions of room acoustical quality.
A large number of new parameters have been created by academicians and acousticians in recent years-so much that it has
been difficult for room acoustics simulation providers to include them all. This presentation will demonstrate how
customized scripted simulations in Rhinoceros (a CAD program), using Pachyderm (an open source geometrical acoustics
simulation engine), can allow the use of new parameters, or parameter simulation types, without reliance on software
vendors to release software versions explicitly implementing new code.
Published by the Acoustical Society of America through the American Institute of Physics
© 2011 Acoustical Society of America [DOI: 10.1121/1.3602460]

Received 22 May 2011; published 5 Jun 2011
Proceedings of Meetings on Acoustics, Vol. 12, 015001 (2011) Page 1
Redistribution subject to ASA license or copyright; see http://acousticalsociety.org/content/terms. Download to IP: 82.35.187.31 On: Sat, 08 Mar 2014 19:24:13
A. van der Harten
I. Introduction
This paper introduces a time saving and accessible solution to the need for unique problem
solving techniques using Pachyderm[1]. Pachyderm is an open source room acoustics prediction
plugin for Rhinoceros (a cad program)[2] that uses IronPython[3], a .net scripting language.
Development of this solution has enabled new possibilities, such as visualization of parameters
which have been impractical to create until now (i.e. Stage Support).
In recent years, architects have discovered the utility of scripting and programming for
generation of forms which would have been difficult or impossible to create without their use.
These new tools are considered by many to be a liberation from the confines of rigid interface
tools of cad programs. Rhinoceros has incorporated a number of scripting devices which have
been used in highly imaginative ways to create the recent Avant-garde in design.
Figure 1. 02 Dubai Moebius, Dubia UAE, Observation Tower. Design competition

entry by Ralf Lindemann and Christine Heil. Image Courtesy of Ralf Lindemann [4]
There are endless ways to view the data that acousticians work with on a daily basis. The ways in
which we view this data largely affect the way we interpret them. The way we form and frame
our simulations shapes our understanding of the science espoused in them.[5] Using an
inappropriately narrow or myopic method for evaluating a parameter can obscure the truth
behind the performance of a space[6]. By allowing acousticians full control of a simulation
through scripting interfaces, new facilities for creative use of simulation technology are enabled,
just as they have been in the design industries. The acoustician has an opportunity to escape the
confines of limited user interface tools. Precompiled graphical user interfaces are convenient for
day to day analysis, but are typically written by individuals who can only afford to design for the
most common uses of a simulation algorithm, and could never hope to imagine the multitude of
creative ways that simulations can be used.
One such difficult-to-visualize problem was required for the Dublin National Concert Hall
design competition. During this competition, stage acoustics predictions were required for two
parameters – ST-1 and a relatively new parameter, change in Early Reflection Enhancement
(ËRE).

A. van der Harten
Figure 2. Dublin National Concert competition – Encore Consortium main hall design entry.
Rendering is provided courtesy of 3XN – Arkitekter, Copenhagen, DK.
II. Example 1: Energy Ratios and Energy Ratio Differences
ERE is a parameter based on a concept developed in 2007 by DHV for the evaluation of the Casa
da Música building (by OMA). A stage acoustics parameter was sought which would be
independent of proximity to the source, and which counted only sound from reflections on stage
as the early part. The parameter was first called CCM [7]:

At that point in development, the time constraints were still under discussion. The parameter was
later renamed Logarithmic Quotient (LQ7-40) in 2008 [8, 9]. In late 2008, the Dublin National
Concert Hall competition authority required the predicted maximum variation in ERE to be
reported for evaluation of design performance on stage. ERE was to be calculated in the
following way [10]:

The required positions to be simulated on stage and the differences between those positions were
reported in order to ensure that the reflection coverage over the stage was even within a stated
amount of variation - 4 decibels. Available room acoustics prediction software packages allow
the calculation of customized energy ratios, but none make it simple to view and evaluate the
difference between various source and receiver positions. The need for such a comparison is
highly specialized and typically is beyond of the scope of developers’ goals when writing
software. The creation of an algorithm to evaluate this stage acoustics measure would rely

A. van der Harten
heavily on the knowledge and abilities of the acoustician to adapt and work outside the confines
of simulation software. At the time of the competition, our solution was to export the energy time
curve from the simulation software, and write a series of Matlab scripts to process the results.
The alternative solution presented in this paper capitalizes on new scripting resources in
Rhinoceros v.5.0, which is currently in beta testing status. For this operation, we write a script in
IronPython that accesses functions in Pachyderm, and customizes the acoustics simulation
algorithms in order to obtain a specialized prediction. We have chosen to test this on a model of
Elmia Hall in Jonköping, Sweden. This is the room used for the second PTB Round Robin, and
is well known in the field of room acoustics simulation [11]. (See Figure 3)
The script we have written (see Appendix A) creates a mesh of the stage with evenly spaced
vertices. A spherical receiver object for a ray tracing simulation is placed at each vertex. The
user is then prompted for an indeterminate number of source positions. When all positions have
been entered, the script iterates through each source position and runs a full simulation for each
using all of the stage receivers. After each iteration, the ERE parameter is calculated for each
receiver and stored.
When all iterations have been completed, the last remaining task is that of calculating the change
in ERE (ËRE). Viewing a graph of the difference for each source position is still a great deal of
data to evaluate. The only information needed for this prediction is the maximum deviation
between all values. In order to simplify the data, we take the maximum ERE value, and the
minimum ERE value for each receiver point, and find the difference. The maximum ËRE
values for each point on the stage are shown below in Figure 4. This is more information that
was strictly necessary for the Dublin National Concert Hall competition. Since the acquisition of
this data has been made simple and accessible, presentation of values for the entire stage is
useful, and facilitates understanding:
Figure 3. Model of Elmia Hall, Jonköping, Sweden. Detailed information on this room is found in reference [11]

A. van der Harten
Figure 4. Max ËRE values for the stage of Elmia Hall in Jonköping, Sweden.
This simulation comprises a prediction that is more than a simple display of an energy ratio, but
a sophisticated comparison of spatial energy ratio trends from source position to source position.
III. Example 2: Stage Support – Early and Late
It has been shown that it is possible to write scripts in Rhinoceros in the IronPython language
which run multiple geometrical simulations and extract customized data. This feature offers the
user an unprecedented level of flexibility in terms of the kinds of data that can be predicted for a
given space. It can be used to further understanding of a number of prediction parameters. Stage
Support is an energy ratio that seeks to characterize the performance of stage conditions for
performers [12, 13]. It is calculated in the following way:

Stage Support is unusual from other energy ratio measurements in that it requires that the source
and receiver to be exactly 1 meter apart. A typical room acoustics simulation with arbitrarily
placed sources and receivers is not suitable for creating a Stage Support coverage map of a stage
environment. To create a parameter map of a stage displaying Stage Support values would
require a large number of source/receiver pairs. Each pair would require its own individual
simulation iteration. Though it takes a significant investment of time, this form of simulation is
now possible. Figure 4 diagrams the required source/receiver pair configuration.
The script we have written first prompts the user for the stage. A mesh of the stage is created
with regularly spaced vertices. At each vertex in the mesh, a spherical receiver is placed 1 meter
above the stage. A paired source is then placed one meter from the receiver. In order to
rationalize the directional orientation of the source to the receiver, an attracting point is placed at

A. van der Harten
the location of an orchestra conductor. The receiver will sit approximately where a musician's
head would be, and - utilizing simple vector math - the source location is made to correspond to
the orientation of the musician's string or wind instrument.
Figure 5. Stage configuration of Elmia Hall. The blue spheres correspond to the receiver locations. The linked red
spheres are the source locations. Note that they all converge on an attractor “A” at the conductor location.
An identical simulation is performed for each source/receiver pair individually. At the end of
each simulation, an energy time curve histogram is synthesized and the stage support parameters
are calculated and stored. When this is completed for every vertex in the mesh, the mesh and its
vertex colors are passed to a custom mapping interface in Pachyderm. In Pachyderm, the user
can choose a color scale and bounds that allow for maximum visibility of the phenomena they
find interesting to display. This simulation has been run and completed. On a dual core Intel i3
computer with four gigabytes of RAM it took approximately three days to complete. The results
are shown in Figure 6.

A. van der Harten
Figure 6. Parameter maps of Stage Support. ST-1 (early) is shown above. ST-2 (late) is shown below.
IV. Conclusion
We have shown that it is possible to customize a simulation in a proven geometrical acoustics

program without relying on the software vendor to rewrite or include different types of
simulations in future releases of simulation software. It is impractical to try to write and compile
interface systems for every possible configuration of simulation possibilities. If the end user is
empowered to customize a simulation in an accessible manner instead, a simulation tool is made
significantly more valuable. This is a concept which is becoming well understood in the design
industry, and ought to be realized in applied acoustics simulation.
The techniques illustrated here have the potential to increase knowledge of acoustical
phenomena in rooms by allowing for more creative use of simulation algorithms. The forms of
exploration are no longer limited by what is provided by software developers. Rather, unlimited
use of the algorithms is enabled.
Acknowledgements

A. van der Harten
Arthur van der Harten would like to acknowledge the Ireland National Development Finance
Agency for their generosity with information concerning the ËRE parameter and the NCH
competition, and colleagues in the Encore Consortium and at Kirkegaard Associates, whose
moral support makes developing simulation tools endlessly rewarding.
References
1 A. v.d. Harten. Pachyderm Acoustical Simulation: An Open Source Geometrical Acoustics
Laboratory. <http://www.perspectivesketch.com/pachyderm/>
2 McNeel, Inc. Modeling Tools for Designers. <http://www.rhino3d.com/>
3 S. Tibbits, A. v.d. Harten, S. Baer. Python for Rhinoceros 5.Robert McNeel & Associates,
(2011)
4 R. Lindemann, C.Heil. “02 Dubai Moebius, Dubai, UAE” Mark Magazin no. 27, Aug/Sep
(2010): 17
5 M. McLuhan. Understanding Media: The Extensions of Man, 1st Ed. McGraw Hill, NY;
reissued by MIT Press, (1964)
6 L. Kirkegaard, “In search of a new paradigm – our ‘parameters’ tend to bias the way we
listen and constrain the ways we think about concert hall acoustics,” Proceedings of
Internoise 2010, Lisbon, Portugal.
7 R. Van Luxemburg, C. Hak, B. Kok, E. Van den Braak. “Transparent Concert Hall
Acoustics” 19th ICA Madrid (2007)
8 E. van den Braak, L. van Luxembourg, “New (stage) parameter for conductor’s acoustics?”
Acoustics ’08 Paris (2008)
9 E. van den Braak, C. Hak, L. van Luxemburg, “New (stage) parameter for conductor’s
acoustics? – part 2: further investigation on LQ7-40”, Internoise 2009 Ottawa (2009)
10 B. Kok, “Considerations for developing ERE” White paper attached to letter to the
author. 20 May, 2011
11 I. Bork, “A Comparision of Room Simulation Software – The 2nd Round Robin on Room
Acoustical Computer Simulation”, Acustica – acta acustica 86 (2000): 943-956
12 A.C. Gade. “Investigations of musicians’ room acoustics conditions in concert halls. Part
I: Method and laboratory experiments” Acta Acustica united with Acustica 65 (1989):
193-203
13 A.C. Gade. “Investigations of musicians’ room acoustics conditions in concert halls. Part
II: Field experiments and synthesis of results” Acta Acustica united with Acustica 65
(1989): 249-262

A. van der Harten
Appendix A: ËRE Calculation Script for Pachyderm and Rhinoceros in IronPython
import clr
clr.AddReference("Pachyderm_Acoustic")
import Pachyderm_Acoustic as pach
import Pachyderm_Acoustic.Utilities.PachTools as pt
import rhinoscriptsyntax as rs
import Pachyderm_Acoustic.Environment as Env
clr.AddReference("Rhino_DotNet")
import RMA.OpenNURBS as ON
import math
import System as S
import Rhino.Input as RG
import Rhino.Commands.Result as Res
def main():
pt.ClearCMControl();
STVerts = []
stage = pt.PromptSurfaces()
#Prompt the user for the stage Boundary Representation
STMesh = pt.Create_Map_Mesh(stage, 1)
SPTs = [] ##Prompt user for a number of points.
while (True):
result = RG.RhinoGet.GetPoint("Choose a Point. Press Enter when
finished...", True)
if (result[0] != Res.Success): break
SPTs.append(ON.On3dPoint(result[1].X, result[1].Y, result[1].Z))
#Simulation Parameters
Scene = pt.Get_Poly_Scene(50, 20, 101.325, 0, False)
Scene.partition(15)
for i in range(STMesh.m_V.Count()):
STVerts.append(ON.On3dPoint(STMesh.m_V[i].x, STMesh.m_V[i].y,
STMesh.m_V[i].z+1))
No_of_Rays = 25000
Max_Duration = 1200;#in milliseconds
ERE63 = []
ERE125 = []
ERE250 = []
ERE500 = []
ERE1000 = []
ERE2000 = []
ERE4000 = []
ERE8000 = []
for v in range (STVerts.Count):

ERE63.append([])
ERE125.append([])
ERE250.append([])
ERE500.append([])
ERE1000.append([])
ERE2000.append([])
ERE4000.append([])
ERE8000.append([])

A. van der Harten
for i in range(SPTs.Count):
print("Iterations remaining to execute: " + (SPTs.Count-
i).ToString())
#Designate the source and receiver positions
Receiver = Env.Receiver_Bank(array(STVerts,ON.On3dPoint), SPTs[i],
Scene, No_of_Rays, 1000, Max_Duration,
Env.Receiver_Bank.Rec_Type.FieldType.Stationary)
Source = Env.GeodesicSource(SPTs[i], No_of_Rays, Max_Duration,60,60)
###Set up and run three simulation types.###

D = pach.Direct_Sound(Source, Receiver, Scene)
Dout = pt.Run_Simulation(D)
IS = pach.ImageSourceData(Source,Receiver, D, Scene, 1)
ISout = pt.Run_Simulation(IS)
RT = pach.SplitRayTracer(Source, Receiver, Scene, Max_Duration*0.343,
No_of_Rays, 2, False)
RTout = pt.Run_Simulation(RT)
Receiver_out = RTout.Get_Receiver
for v in range(STVerts.Count):
### Get Histograms combining simulations
hist63 = pach.Utilities.AcousticalMath.ETCurve(Dout, ISout,
Receiver_out, Max_Duration/1000, 1000, 0, v)
hist1k = pach.Utilities.AcousticalMath.ETCurve(Dout, ISout,
histBB = pach.Utilities.AcousticalMath.ETCurve(Dout, ISout,
ERE63[v].append(Calc_ERE(hist63)
ERE125[v].append(Calc_ERE(hist125))
ERE1000[v].append(Calc_ERE(hist1k))
dERE63 = []
dERE125 = []
dERE250 = []
dERE500 = []
dERE1000 = []
dERE2000 = []
dERE4000 = []

A. van der Harten
dERE8000 = []
for v in range(STVerts.Count):
dERE63.append(Calc_Delta(ERE63[v]))
pt.AddToCMControl("63 Hz. delta ERE", array(dERE63,float), STMesh)

pt.Show_CM_Control()
def Calc_ERE(Histogram):
d = 0
for d in range(Histogram.Length):
if Histogram[d]>0: break
if d > Histogram.Length - 50: return -100
num = 0
denom = 0
for i in range(d+7, d+50):
num+=Histogram[i]
denom+=Histogram[i]
return 10*math.log10(num/denom)
def Calc_Delta(collection):
max = 0
min = 100000
for i in range(collection.Count):
if collection[i] < min: min = collection[i]
if collection[i] > max: max = collection[i]
return (max - min)
def array(dlist, type):

a1 = S.Array.CreateInstance(type, dlist.Count)
for i in range(dlist.Count): a1[i] = dlist[i]
return a1
if __name__=="__main__":
main()


A. van der Harten
Appendix B: ST-1 & ST-2 Calculation Script for Pachyderm and Rhinoceros in
IronPython
import clr
clr.AddReference("Pachyderm_Acoustic")
clr.AddReference("Rhino_DotNet")
import RMA.OpenNURBS as ON
import Pachyderm_Acoustic as pach
import Pachyderm_Acoustic.Utilities.PachTools as pt
import rhinoscriptsyntax as rs
import Pachyderm_Acoustic.Environment as Env
import Rhino
import math
import System as S
def main():
pt.ClearCMControl();
#Declarations
ST163 = []
ST1125 = []
ST1250 = []
ST1500 = []
ST11000 = []
ST12000 = []
ST14000 = []
ST18000 = []
ST263 = []
ST2125 = []
ST2250 = []
ST2500 = []
ST21000 = []
ST22000 = []
ST24000 = []
ST28000 = []
#Calculation parameters and scene declaration

No_of_Rays = 15000
Max_Duration = 1200;#in milliseconds
Scene = pt.Get_Poly_Scene(50, 20, 101.325, 0, False)
Scene.partition(15)
#Declare Stage Object

stage = pt.PromptSurfaces()
#Prompts user for stage boundary representation
STMesh = pt.Create_Map_Mesh(stage, 1) #
###Begin calculation
for i in range(STMesh.m_V.Count()):
print("Iterations remaining to execute: " + (STMesh.m_V.Count()-
i).ToString())
###Designate the source and receiver positions

SamplePT = STMesh.m_V[i]
SamplePT.z+=1
DIR = STMesh.AreaCentroid()
#Start with source attractor at center of stage.

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DIR.x += 4 #Set source attractor to concertmaster –

musician/instrument relationship.
DIR = pt.SubPTPT(SamplePT, DIR)
DIR.z = 0
DIR.Unitize();
RPT = ON.On3dPoint(STMesh.m_V[i].x,STMesh.m_V[i].y,STMesh.m_V[i].z)
SPT = ON.On3dPoint(DIR.x + STMesh.m_V[i].x, DIR.y + STMesh.m_V[i].y,
DIR.z + STMesh.m_V[i].z)
Receiver = Env.Receiver_Bank(RPT, SPT, Scene, No_of_Rays,1000,
Max_Duration, Env.Receiver_Bank.Rec_Type.FieldType.Stationary)
Source = Env.GeodesicSource(SPT, No_of_Rays, Max_Duration, 60, 60)
###Set up and run three simulation types.###

D = pach.Direct_Sound(Source, Receiver, Scene)
Dout = pt.Run_Simulation(D)
IS = pach.ImageSourceData(Source,Receiver, D, Scene, 2)
ISout = pt.Run_Simulation(IS)
RT = pach.SplitRayTracer(Source, Receiver, Scene, Max_Duration*0.343,
No_of_Rays, 2, False)
RTout = pt.Run_Simulation(RT)
Receiver_out = RTout.Get_Receiver
### Get Energy Time Curve Histograms combining simulations

Receiver_out, Max_Duration/1000, 1000, 0, 0)
histBB = pach.Utilities.AcousticalMath.ETCurve(Dout, ISout,
### Store Performance Parameter Results

ST163.append(Calc_ST1(hist63))
ST11000.append(Calc_ST1(hist1k))

A. van der Harten
###Add the mesh and the parameter values to the CustomMapping control
with a unique handle.
pt.AddToCMControl("63 Hz. Stage Support - Early (ST1)", array(ST163),
STMesh)
STMesh)
STMesh)
STMesh)
STMesh)
STMesh)
STMesh)
STMesh)
pt.AddToCMControl("63 Hz. Stage Support - Late (ST2)", array(ST263),
STMesh)
STMesh)
STMesh)
STMesh)
STMesh)
STMesh)
STMesh)
STMesh)
###Show the CustomMappint control, so the user can deploy the results.
pt.Show_CM_Control()
###Stage Support - Early Calculation algorithm

def Calc_ST1(Histogram):
d = 0
num = 0
denom = 0
num+=Histogram[i]
for i in range(d, d+10):
denom+=Histogram[i]
###Stage Support - Late Calculation algorithm

A. van der Harten
def Calc_ST2(Histogram):
d = 0
num = 0
denom = 0
num+=Histogram[i]
for i in range(d, d+10):
denom+=Histogram[i]
###A simple command to convert an IronPython List to a .Net array

def array(dlist):
a1 = S.Array.CreateInstance(float, dlist.Count)
for i in range(dlist.Count): a1[i] = dlist[i]
return a1
if __name__=="__main__":
main()


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Proceedings of Meetings on Acoustics

Volume 12, 2011 http://acousticalsociety.org/

1aAAb10. Customized Room Acoustics Simulations Using Scripting Interfaces

© 2011 Acoustical Society of America [DOI: 10.1121/1.3602460]

Figure 1. 02 Dubai Moebius, Dubia UAE, Observation Tower. Design competition

Proceedings of Meetings on Acoustics, Vol. 12, 015001 (2011) Page 2

II. Example 1: Energy Ratios and Energy Ratio Differences

Proceedings of Meetings on Acoustics, Vol. 12, 015001 (2011) Page 3

Proceedings of Meetings on Acoustics, Vol. 12, 015001 (2011) Page 4

III. Example 2: Stage Support – Early and Late

Proceedings of Meetings on Acoustics, Vol. 12, 015001 (2011) Page 5

Proceedings of Meetings on Acoustics, Vol. 12, 015001 (2011) Page 6

We have shown that it is possible to customize a simulation in a proven geometrical acoustics

Proceedings of Meetings on Acoustics, Vol. 12, 015001 (2011) Page 7

Proceedings of Meetings on Acoustics, Vol. 12, 015001 (2011) Page 8

Appendix A: ¨ERE Calculation Script for Pachyderm and Rhinoceros in IronPython

for v in range (STVerts.Count):

Proceedings of Meetings on Acoustics, Vol. 12, 015001 (2011) Page 9

###Set up and run three simulation types.###

Proceedings of Meetings on Acoustics, Vol. 12, 015001 (2011) Page 10

pt.AddToCMControl("63 Hz. delta ERE", array(dERE63,float), STMesh)

def array(dlist, type):

Proceedings of Meetings on Acoustics, Vol. 12, 015001 (2011) Page 11

#Calculation parameters and scene declaration

#Declare Stage Object

###Designate the source and receiver positions

Proceedings of Meetings on Acoustics, Vol. 12, 015001 (2011) Page 12

DIR.x += 4 #Set source attractor to concertmaster –

###Set up and run three simulation types.###

### Get Energy Time Curve Histograms combining simulations

### Store Performance Parameter Results

Proceedings of Meetings on Acoustics, Vol. 12, 015001 (2011) Page 13

###Stage Support - Early Calculation algorithm

###Stage Support - Late Calculation algorithm

Proceedings of Meetings on Acoustics, Vol. 12, 015001 (2011) Page 14

###A simple command to convert an IronPython List to a .Net array

Proceedings of Meetings on Acoustics, Vol. 12, 015001 (2011) Page 15

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