# Duplicated Face identifiers were found

**URL:** <https://discourse.pollination.solutions/t/duplicated-face-identifiers-were-found/1432>\
**Category:** Rhino Plugin\
**Tags:** bug-report\
**Created:** [February 14, 2022, 6:54pm UTC](https://discourse.pollination.solutions/t/duplicated-face-identifiers-were-found/1432 "2022-02-14T18:54:56Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 15\
**Page:** 1

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![justinshultz](https://discourse.pollination.solutions/user_avatar/discourse.pollination.solutions/justinshultz/32/14441_2.png) [@justinshultz](https://discourse.pollination.solutions/u/justinshultz)\
**Post date:** [February 14, 2022, 6:54pm UTC](https://discourse.pollination.solutions/t/duplicated-face-identifiers-were-found/1432/1 "2022-02-14T18:54:56Z")

</div>

After running the `PO_ValidateModel`, I frequently get the error `The following duplicated Face identifies were found` and then a list of Room\_ID…Face\_ID. Looking at the same, I see two different faces with the same Face\_ID.

What I’m confused about is why these errors are occurring in the first place. I am using the `PO_DrawRoom` command almost exclusively.

Is there a way to fix this duplicate Face\_ID without redrawing the space?

---

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![mostapha](https://discourse.pollination.solutions/user_avatar/discourse.pollination.solutions/mostapha/32/5761_2.png) [@mostapha](https://discourse.pollination.solutions/u/mostapha)\
**Post date:** [February 14, 2022, 7:51pm UTC](https://discourse.pollination.solutions/t/duplicated-face-identifiers-were-found/1432/2 "2022-02-14T19:51:27Z")

</div>

Assigned @mingbo on February 14, 2022, 7:51pm UTC



---

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![mostapha](https://discourse.pollination.solutions/user_avatar/discourse.pollination.solutions/mostapha/32/5761_2.png) [@mostapha](https://discourse.pollination.solutions/u/mostapha)\
**Post date:** [February 14, 2022, 7:55pm UTC](https://discourse.pollination.solutions/t/duplicated-face-identifiers-were-found/1432/3 "2022-02-14T19:55:04Z")

</div>

Hi @justinshultz, That should not be happening. Can you help us to recreate the issue? Does it happen when you copy the rooms? Is there a way to recreate the issue in a new model? @mingbo should be able to help you with fixing it quickly.

I can share a Python script with you that resets all the IDs for all the faces. Or if you can share the model I can fix the particular faces that are causing issues. Let me know which one do you prefer.

P.S. If you export this model to IES this error shouldn’t matter as we use display names for the IES GEM file export.

---

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![justinshultz](https://discourse.pollination.solutions/user_avatar/discourse.pollination.solutions/justinshultz/32/14441_2.png) [@justinshultz](https://discourse.pollination.solutions/u/justinshultz)\
**Post date:** [February 14, 2022, 9:49pm UTC](https://discourse.pollination.solutions/t/duplicated-face-identifiers-were-found/1432/4 "2022-02-14T21:49:21Z")

</div>

Hi @mostapha,

I noticed it happens most in spaces that have been `PO_SplitRoom` or rooms with more than 6 sides.

Can you share the python script? That would be a huge help!

Good to know that it is not important in the GEM file. Sorry I can’t share the model! I just finished fixing it. If it happens again I’ll isolate the space and see if you can find out any additional info.

---

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![mostapha](https://discourse.pollination.solutions/user_avatar/discourse.pollination.solutions/mostapha/32/5761_2.png) [@mostapha](https://discourse.pollination.solutions/u/mostapha)\
**Post date:** [February 15, 2022, 6:17am UTC](https://discourse.pollination.solutions/t/duplicated-face-identifiers-were-found/1432/5 "2022-02-15T06:17:21Z")

</div>

Hi @justinshultz,

@mingbo and I had a chat and we are going to add this functionality as a new command for the Rhino plugin which should also address your other wish for using the display name for the IDs to make the IDF file and the EnergyPlus reports human-readable.

We will also try to fix the issue in the first place. You should not get duplicated faces using the Rhino plugin. That’s a bug on our side.

---

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![mingbo](https://discourse.pollination.solutions/user_avatar/discourse.pollination.solutions/mingbo/32/5682_2.png) [@mingbo](https://discourse.pollination.solutions/u/mingbo)\
**Post date:** [February 15, 2022, 2:06pm UTC](https://discourse.pollination.solutions/t/duplicated-face-identifiers-were-found/1432/6 "2022-02-15T14:06:12Z")

</div>

> [@justinshultz](#):
>
> I noticed it happens most in spaces that have been `PO_SplitRoom` or rooms with more than 6 sides.

Hi @justinshultz,

Without a sample geometry, it is hard to recreate this issue on my side.

Meanwhile, as @mostapha mentioned above, we just added a new command: PO\_ResetIdentifier which has an option to reset object id by its display name.

A new installer should be ready in an hour.

---

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![justinshultz](https://discourse.pollination.solutions/user_avatar/discourse.pollination.solutions/justinshultz/32/14441_2.png) [@justinshultz](https://discourse.pollination.solutions/u/justinshultz)\
**Post date:** [February 15, 2022, 2:19pm UTC](https://discourse.pollination.solutions/t/duplicated-face-identifiers-were-found/1432/7 "2022-02-15T14:19:56Z")

</div>

Hi @mingbo,

If I find a more reliable way to reproduce the Duplicate Face\_ID error, I will let you know!

Thank you for adding the new command! You guys are amazing with your turnaround time. I will update the plugin in an hour.

Best,  
Justin

---

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![mostapha](https://discourse.pollination.solutions/user_avatar/discourse.pollination.solutions/mostapha/32/5761_2.png) [@mostapha](https://discourse.pollination.solutions/u/mostapha)\
**Post date:** [February 15, 2022, 7:55pm UTC](https://discourse.pollination.solutions/t/duplicated-face-identifiers-were-found/1432/8 "2022-02-15T19:55:11Z")

</div>

Split this topic on February 15, 2022, 7:55pm UTC

4 posts were split to a new topic: [Rooms are not loading due to a geometry problem](https://discourse.pollination.solutions/t/rooms-are-not-loading-due-to-a-geometry-problem/1437)

---

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![justinshultz](https://discourse.pollination.solutions/user_avatar/discourse.pollination.solutions/justinshultz/32/14441_2.png) [@justinshultz](https://discourse.pollination.solutions/u/justinshultz)\
**Post date:** [March 28, 2022, 1:40am UTC](https://discourse.pollination.solutions/t/duplicated-face-identifiers-were-found/1432/9 "2022-03-28T01:40:14Z")

</div>

@mingbo and @mostapha I’ve found a pretty reliable way to create the duplicate surface ID error. One of the ways I like to model spaces that are not rectangular is to use the `Draw Room` command with the `Rectangular` option then drawing the Room within the whole void.

 ![image](https://discourse.pollination.cloud/uploads/default/original/2X/b/b6734e19378c9ccb1dee0325955e87833368548b.png)

This creates an overlap of room with adjacent spaces. I then use the `SplitRoom` command to subtract the excess.

 ![image](https://discourse.pollination.cloud/uploads/default/original/2X/8/84d6d6632ba33598d0790ae42f9a6348d5aacbbc.png)

I then delete the extra spaces that were leftover.

I’ve used this method several times and frequently get the Duplicate Face ID error. The `ResetIdentifier` command has been very helpful but sometimes Pollination is still really confused. Here’s an example for `VENDOR STORAGE 112`:

 ![image](https://discourse.pollination.cloud/uploads/default/original/2X/1/1a490af08f30142e9b0d91153e8bcbeaf36bf8b6.png)  
 ![image](https://discourse.pollination.cloud/uploads/default/original/2X/3/3d4abfbf0be3908d3ca0c1da2f3a238563e9369e.png)

Here is the model if you would like to dive deeper:  
[https://eypae-my.sharepoint.com/:u:/p/jshultz/Ed7sDTEQceNKgsqMCL\_4FosBoA50U8cY61euFqytqkMMxg?e=cgdkgU](https://eypae-my.sharepoint.com/:u:/p/jshultz/Ed7sDTEQceNKgsqMCL_4FosBoA50U8cY61euFqytqkMMxg?e=cgdkgU)

---

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![mingbo](https://discourse.pollination.solutions/user_avatar/discourse.pollination.solutions/mingbo/32/5682_2.png) [@mingbo](https://discourse.pollination.solutions/u/mingbo)\
**Post date:** [March 28, 2022, 1:53am UTC](https://discourse.pollination.solutions/t/duplicated-face-identifiers-were-found/1432/10 "2022-03-28T01:53:49Z")

</div>

Thanks @justinshultz I will look into this issue and see if I could recreate it on my side.

---

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![mingbo](https://discourse.pollination.solutions/user_avatar/discourse.pollination.solutions/mingbo/32/5682_2.png) [@mingbo](https://discourse.pollination.solutions/u/mingbo)\
**Post date:** [March 28, 2022, 2:17am UTC](https://discourse.pollination.solutions/t/duplicated-face-identifiers-were-found/1432/11 "2022-03-28T02:17:33Z")

</div>

Hi @justinshultz, I think the issue is with the combination of SplitRoom and ResetIdentifier commands.

So SplitRoom resets faces ID by adding room id to the original face id. So that even there are two faces that have the same display name (“Face bfd59” in the following video), but their ids are still different.

Now the issue is with ResetIdentifier command which resets the face id based on the display name, which creates the duplicated IDs in this case.

[/uploads/default/original/2X/e/e563cd2d09b6f693bc3c7247a02c571c672071f0.mp4](https://discourse.pollination.cloud/uploads/default/original/2X/e/e563cd2d09b6f693bc3c7247a02c571c672071f0.mp4)

I think I will add a new option to the ResetIdentifier command, from which we can create a new ID based on the combination of the display name and a random ID. So that we can ensure this duplicated id issue could be minimized.

---

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![mingbo](https://discourse.pollination.solutions/user_avatar/discourse.pollination.solutions/mingbo/32/5682_2.png) [@mingbo](https://discourse.pollination.solutions/u/mingbo)\
**Post date:** [March 28, 2022, 3:50am UTC](https://discourse.pollination.solutions/t/duplicated-face-identifiers-were-found/1432/12 "2022-03-28T03:50:33Z")

</div>

Hi @justinshultz I added a new ID generating option: ByDisplayNameAndID, which adds a random id to the display name for the identifier so that it could avoid your issue happening again. A new installer will be available in a few hours, I will keep you posted.

 ![image](https://discourse.pollination.cloud/uploads/default/original/2X/4/43d475087c5aa9062cddf3bb1ed8c3e40f9a3afa.jpeg)

---

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![justinshultz](https://discourse.pollination.solutions/user_avatar/discourse.pollination.solutions/justinshultz/32/14441_2.png) [@justinshultz](https://discourse.pollination.solutions/u/justinshultz)\
**Post date:** [March 28, 2022, 1:07pm UTC](https://discourse.pollination.solutions/t/duplicated-face-identifiers-were-found/1432/13 "2022-03-28T13:07:01Z")

</div>

> [@mingbo](#):
>
> So SplitRoom resets faces ID by adding room id to the original face id. So that even there are two faces that have the same display name (“Face bfd59” in the following video), but their ids are still different.

Hi @mingbo this is a good catch, though `PO_ValidateModel` finds an error with those duplicate IDs, or at least it did in my case. Are these false positive errors/warnings in `PO_ValidateModel`?

> [@mingbo](#):
>
> Hi @justinshultz I added a new ID generating option: ByDisplayNameAndID, which adds a random id to the display name for the identifier so that it could avoid your issue happening again. A new installer will be available in a few hours, I will keep you posted.

I like this workaround. I like to use the DisplayName so that when I’m troubleshooting problems in the model, I know what Room I need to go to. I don’t mind if there are extra characters added.

---

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![mingbo](https://discourse.pollination.solutions/user_avatar/discourse.pollination.solutions/mingbo/32/5682_2.png) [@mingbo](https://discourse.pollination.solutions/u/mingbo)\
**Post date:** [March 28, 2022, 2:15pm UTC](https://discourse.pollination.solutions/t/duplicated-face-identifiers-were-found/1432/14 "2022-03-28T14:15:39Z")

</div>

> [@justinshultz](#):
>
> Hi @mingbo this is a good catch, though `PO_ValidateModel` finds an error with those duplicate IDs, or at least it did in my case. Are these false positive errors/warnings in `PO_ValidateModel`?

Hi @justinshultz, I don’t think these errors are false-positive errors, and I think PO\_ValidateModel command should catch these duplicated IDs no matter how they were created.

A new installer is released with above update, please let me know if it works for you.

Thanks again for reporting this issue.

---

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![mostapha](https://discourse.pollination.solutions/user_avatar/discourse.pollination.solutions/mostapha/32/5761_2.png) [@mostapha](https://discourse.pollination.solutions/u/mostapha)\
**Post date:** [November 28, 2022, 11:32pm UTC](https://discourse.pollination.solutions/t/duplicated-face-identifiers-were-found/1432/15 "2022-11-28T23:32:26Z")

</div>

Unassigned @mingbo on November 28, 2022, 11:32pm UTC