Thanks !!!

I'm starting to realize what implies to code directly over the IDFs. Please correct me if I'm wrong.
All the different input generator softwares work more or less by defining these files and the analysis is done after in EP. So the main problem (for me) of working this way is that you can't change the geometry directly scripting with ERL in the IDF, because you have to define the input, then run the simulation, read the results and then make the comparisons and changes. Is not possible to automate this procedure directly by ERL, so you need something like BCVTB (MatLab) to maintain the logic operation outside and use EP as simulation engine. In this sense ecotect/lua presents a more basic but integrated environment where you can perform both (logic + simulation) in one major framework, and this is also possible in SU/OpenStudio/Ruby with some understanding of the procedures. Both matlab and ecotect have extensive documentation regarding this specific functionality, but SU has a major advantage by being a free and user friendly software... I know is a lot to ask but it would be great to have a wiki regarding this issues some day, but maybe there is only few people interested in doing stuff like this. Thanks for OpenStudio, is a major step forward.

First of all, sorry for the late response, I completely forgot I have posted this question here (I also posted it in other places)
And thanks very much to Dan and David, your answers helped me a lot. What I'm trying to do is relatively simple but I haven't found the appropriate environment/language develop it. This work is part of a research project, and if you have time help me it would be great.

In terms of 3d geometry, the exercise is a box with two or tree divisions (a basic house) and the optimization will be done in the facades, playing in 2d with openings to achieve some internal conditions (temperature/humidity). The rules under which these opening are changed are based in a range of other factors so they should be scripted in some code (I have some tests in Processing)

I'm not an expert programmer so I started looking for a 3d environment where I could both script and check the results without much bridges, ecotect/lua is a good example but it is somehow questioned in the quality of its results (is this true??). Designbuilder doesn't have an embedded scripting tool so ruby/sketchup was an open possibility... but again, it looks kind of complex to manipulate openstudio with ruby, so I decided to turn to the core and look directly to energyplus erl... after all I don't need most of the features of the usual 3d software. If I'm not wrong erl is a simplified language for E+ input file which can be read as .txt files. What part of the documentation (it is very extended) do you recommend to begin with? what do you think is better in my case? to stick with and environment like ecotect/lua or sketchup/ruby/openstudio? or to try a bridge between for example Processing/Java/E+? If I decide to go with the second (I think is better even though is more complex), could you show me some guidelines?

Thanks a lot, I'll be looking forward for your answer.

Dear David,
I'm currently starting with OpenStudio and I'm wondering if there is any documentation regarding access to its commands via the SU ruby console, I need to write some geometric optimization loops based on thermal performance results... any info would be of great help.

Thanks in advance

Hi, I'm wondering if is possible to access OpenStudio commands via the ruby console inside SU.
I need to iterate info between SketchUp and EnergyPlus (i.e. Do geometry>do thermal analysis>read results>change geometry based on results>Go again)
Is possible to do this? is there any documentation for that? I don't know how to call the commands of the OpenStudio plugin within SU.

Thanks a lot