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Shadow Diagrams

pennybowen56@gmail.com

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CipesDesign

CipesDesign

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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.

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Matt Panzer

Matt Panzer

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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.

 

image.png

 

Shadow Study v2020.vwx

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Neil Barman

Neil Barman

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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:

 

image.png

 

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

Shadow Study Allowed vs extended v2020.vwx

 

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