Shadow Diagrams

[pennybowen56@gmail.com 1]

I want to graphically be able to show the difference in overshadowing of three scenarios in one drawing (plan of 3D model), can this be done for example with different coloured shadows?

Thank you

Penny

[CipesDesign 148]

Can you provide a screenshot of what you're after? I'm not sure I understand the context. Are you talking about different size/shape trees/landscaping which shades a building? Or??

 

I'm pretty sure there will be a way to do this, perhaps with multiple or stacked Viewports.

[pennybowen56@gmail.com 1]

Hi Peter

I have attached a drawing to illustrate what I require. I have drawn in the shadows and applied different colours to show the overshadowing impact of additional height on buildings. Can Vectorworks do this for me?

Thank you

Penny

 

 

 

 

21 June - additional residential GFA issue B.pdf

[pennybowen56@gmail.com 1]

Hi Peter

I have attached the drawing with the shadows generated by Vectorworks and without the colour added by me.

Thank you

Penny

Overshadowing without colour added.pdf

[CipesDesign 148]

I think the answer is that while VW's can generate highly accurate shadows (given that the model data and heliodon settings are accurate), you will need to trace and color those shadows to produce a graphic which shows them all together on the same sheet (as you have done). There are other ways to do it (eg: exporting image files and re-importing at proper scale and locational registration ) but I think these will be more time consuming and provide less graphic control.

 

From a purely graphic illustration point of view, I would suggest adding hard/heavier lines to the buildings and make sure to label them. Also, I might play with the opacity of the (traced) shadows which would allow the background to be seen a bit more clearly, and also label each or provide a color-coded legend off to the side.

 

One other note (unsolicited 2¢), I am assuming that the area in question has existing buildings which would receive and/or block shadows from the proposed structure. For me this would be very important to try to get across because in many cases the new building's shadows might be less relevant when seen in proper context.  It would require actually modeling the existing buildings, at least in some rudimentary form. Also, unless the area is flat or nearly flat, it would also be important to model the base topography as that very well might effect the true shadowing.

 

General note: not too long ago all of these types of studies were done by hand using complicated algebra or geometry. It was painstaking, mind-numbing work and the results were only so-so. Even though we need to trace some objects, we are saving so much time and gaining so much accuracy in comparison that I think it's quite worthwhile.

[Matt Panzer 775]

You might be able to get what you need using shadow catchers.  The attached file has a separate viewport for each shadow color.  There's an extrude in the design layer in the "Shadow Catcher" class.  Each viewport has that class set to use a different Shadow Catcher texture that has a different shadow color.

 

 

Shadow Study v2020.vwx

[CipesDesign 148]

Nice Matt!! 

[Matt Panzer 775]

2 hours ago, CipesDesign said:

Nice Matt!! 

 

Thanks!  🙂 

[Neil Barman 164]

That's brilliant @Matt Panzer!! 

 

I was curious to see how the shadow catcher approach would look in action, comparing two schemes, so I went ahead and did it. I made a new design layer with the "extended" design, a bit of sheet layer viewport duplication & layer visibility adjustment, some viewport naming and voila:

 

 

The file is attached too, in case anyone would like to see the file organization:

Shadow Study Allowed vs extended v2020.vwx

 

[Matt Panzer 775]

Thanks @Neil Barman !

i like your expanded version of this!  

[pennybowen56@gmail.com 1]

Thank you everyone for your help Neil that is exactly what I need, I am working on Vectorworks 2017 is it possible for you to save the files in 2017?

Thank you

Penny

[rDesign 461]

Unfortunately, the Shadow Catcher improvements were added in Vw2018, so you’d have to upgrade to at least 2018 to get this functionality.

[pennybowen56@gmail.com 1]

Thank you Tim I will contact my IT unit and request the 2020 upgrade.