sun/shadow study

[Anonymous]

Hi!

I was wondering if there's an easy way to show the shadows cast from the building in floor/plan view?

I can make the shadows show when using "Create sun study" in creative imaging, but I can't get this in scale (ie 1:100).

I just need to view the shadows from a top view, not in 3D.

Regards,
KyrreS

My system:
Win XP, AC 11.

[Dwight]

It scares me when i can't do it directly, too, since one might assume this is an important feature for architects.

Here are the steps:

Make a 3D TOP VIEW using the internal engine in Analytic hidden line mode calling for Vector Sun Shadows - no contours.

MARQUEE [THE FLAT 2D MARQUEE] the image and COPY. You'll get the attached dialog box. DO your copy accordingly, selecting only the shadow edges.

PASTE this into your plan view. It will be accurately positioned and scaled. Be sure to have nothing else on the Archicad layer in order to simplify selecting the shadow edges.

If you want the shadows to be fills, COPY from a SHADED Analytical internal engine view. Alter the copy dialog to COPY shadow POLYGONS.

When you PASTE the shadow polygons into the PLAN view, they will be all different colors corresponding to what they were in the 3D view. Since they are pasted into the Archicad layer, you can select them all at once and change them to the appropriate shadow color.

This is what i remember - but you may need to refine the process somewhat.

[Anonymous]

Thank you, Dwight, for the fast answer.

I will try it out myself and see if I can manage it.

I think this should be a standard option in AC. I think many architects uses this when visualizing their projects.

/KyrreS

[Anonymous]

Dwight,
I have spent about 10 hours of company time trying to do what you suggested before reading this post, however I still don't have it working the way I want it to.

At the moment my shadows only seem to fall on the building itself, the shadows from the building do not fall on the site contours, however they seem to create there own shadows when they are turned on.

I have tried putting a slab at the level I want the shadows to fall and they don't seem to hit this either

I am sure that i just have one little setting incorrect which is really frustrating

would you be able to post a screen shot of the 3d window settings with the correct settings? or does anybody have any other suggestions for me?

[Dwight]

IT is a heartbreak when a colleague gets cornered and looped by a task one thinks that fifteen minutes exploration would give all the permutations.

But no.

Superficially, I went thru the exercise and the only thing I can see as a possible problem is that you specified a level for the shadow to fall on in the 3D window settings.

Another problem is if the shadow entirely covers a contour segment. Try this exercise using the shaded mode and copy the entire shadow polygon to see.

[Dwight]

Test model, top view, pasted shadow into plan view... attached.

[Dwight]

THE THREE D FOR THIS VIEW

[Dwight]

Exercises like this should be done alone. If you have company you are always distracted by needing to fill their tea cups.