Multi-level building alternative material problem

[Anonymous]

I'm trying to model a 4 story building, with one large zone for each floor.

Because the ceiling of one level is adjacent to the floor of the next level, their alternative materials must match.

My problem is knowing whether the alternative materials should be a 'floor' or 'ceiling' type materials.

If it is a floor type, then shadows aren't cast by each level, and the floor area is twice what it should be, and if it is a ceiling type material then the floor area is zero, so the internal gains don't calculate properly.

Is there a common way that this is dealt with?

Thanks in advance, any help appreciated.

[yunpeng]

The thing you need change is just the alternative materials itself, not including the element type. You should make sure the element type of the alternative material is the same with the former. If so, the problems of shadow and area can be eliminated. Edited by: yunpeng on May 11, 2009 10:42 PM

[Anonymous]

Thank you so much! I hadn't considered that the material and the surface 'type' were independent