Speed up Your Scripting Workflow

If you've ever worked with DesignBuilder scripts, you know that accurately identifying attribute names is an important part of the process. While the API documentation provides a comprehensive list, there's a more intuitive way to find this information without leaving the DesignBuilder interface.

A Simple Trick to Find Attribute Names Instantly

DesignBuilder includes a handy feature that displays attribute names in tooltips when you hover the mouse cursor over input fields in the model. To activate this time-saving setting, follow these simple steps:

• Go to the Tools menu
• Open Program Options
• On the Interface tab, tick the checkbox to Show attribute names in tooltips

Once enabled, simply hover your mouse over any input, such as a heating setpoint, wall construction, or lighting level, and the attribute name will be displayed in a popup tooltip. This makes it easy to include exact attribute names directly into your scripts without switching back and forth between the UI and the documentation.

This simple trick can dramatically speed up your workflow and reduce errors in your scripts. Whether you’re automating model changes, extracting data, or developing DBERL EnergyPlus runtime scripts, having direct access to the correct attribute names is a real time-saver.

You can find more information on scripting in our Extensibility Tools User Guide.