Shade of Existing Trees in Top/Plan View

[Michal Zarzecki 45]

I was asked recently if we can show shadows of existing trees in [2D] tree survey plans.

 

I didn't seem to find a way to do it otherwise than in the plan view, i.e. 3D.

 

The BS5837 requires accounting for shading when assessing tree constraints. 

 

Would it be possible to create simple shadows in the 2D top plan view? A similar thing would be useful for the Massing Model, without the need to go into the plan view.

[bcd 295]

Have you tried underlaying a 3d Viewport w/ Helidon below the Top/Plan Viewport?

[Michal Zarzecki 45]

@bcd, thank you for the workaround. How would that work if you have other content in the Top/ Plan (2d) viewport?

 

Nevertheless, I am hoping that such shading functionality will be considered normal in the future releases. I would really like to be independent on other software for the regular tasks.

[bcd 295]

Some careful Layering of your 2d elements wrt the existing trees,

placing a shadow catcher in the 3d scene

And stacking Viewports on top of each other should allow you to get the composite look you're after.

[Michal Zarzecki 45]

It sounds to me like at least three VPs: One for everything below the tree canopy, the one with the 3D view with shadows and the trees in plan on top. I will try to try it out when having a spare moment (which is unlikely during work hours).

 

I really wish this works without workarounds. Hence posted here, I suppose.

[bcd 295]

3 stacked VPs is not that unusual.

Save the stack for future projects in your Template file.

 

[Michal Zarzecki 45]

 

20 hours ago, bcd said:

3 stacked VPs is not that unusual

I can imagine - since there is no other way to do it 😉

 

However, I shall resort to that for the time being. Thanks for advice. Any tips on the contents of these viewports, from your experience? As I mentioned before or another way?

 

[bcd 295]

Here's the file I used:

Existing Trees with Shadows v2020.vwxExisting Trees with Shadows.vwx

[jeff prince 619]

@Michal Zarzecki this seems like a good candidate for a script that uses your existing plant survey's data to construct shadow diagrams, based upon you local code requirements.  It seems every jurisdiction around the world has a different way of wanting to understand a tree's shadow.  I imagine there is a city south of the equator that has adopted the British standard and insists designer show shadows on the North side of their trees 🙂

[Michal Zarzecki 45]

@bcd Thank you for that.

 

@jeff prince, that is one way to do it before it can be considered and implemented by the software developer.

 

The idea of the BS is to show the shadows to illustrate the potential constraint and how to do it in a simple way, but it can be more than that - the software generates shadows [in 3D] on a particular day and time, so useful for understanding how shading changes during the day. And what about massing models? Showing shadows cast by buildings would be so useful too.

It wound be wonderful to have these possibilities available with a few clicks in such a comprehensive software, rather than resorting to sandwiching viewports.

[jeff prince 619]

@Michal Zarzecki it would be nice for the software to generate polygons to depict the range of shadows for dates and time of day.  That would give use the flexibility to control graphics and communicate effectively instead of relying on raster graphics and tricks like stacked viewports.  It would be more convenient than the manual method of calculating or tracing shadows with vector tools.

[Michal Zarzecki 45]

@jeff prince I agree entirely.