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Analysis

Working prototype

Sun & Shadow Studio

Drop a site anywhere on Earth and watch the sun and shadows move.

The problem

Sun-path and shadow studies are needed at the very start of every project — for orientation, overshadowing, daylight — but the tools are either buried inside Grasshopper/Ladybug (a steep climb) or hand-drawn. Students just want to set a latitude, a date, and a time and see where the shadows fall.

What this does

Set latitude, day of year, and time of day. The tool computes the real solar position (NOAA algorithm) and casts live shadows from a small massing in 3D, draws the day's sun-path arc, and reads out azimuth, altitude, sunrise and sunset. Scrub the time slider to animate a day; no plugins, no account.

Try it

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What it does

Using the NOAA solar-position algorithm, the tool calculates the sun's azimuth and altitude for any latitude, day of the year, and time. It then:

  • Places a directional sun in a 3D scene and casts real shadows from a simple massing onto the ground.
  • Draws the sun-path arc for that day (sunrise → noon → sunset).
  • Reads out azimuth, altitude, and the day's sunrise / sunset times.

Why it's useful

  • Test orientation and overshadowing in the first hour of a project.
  • Scrub the time slider to animate a whole day of shadow movement.
  • Compare summer vs winter by moving the date — instantly see the seasonal swing.

Honest limits

  • Massing is a stand-in (a few blocks) — it's about understanding the sun, not your specific model yet.
  • Solar geometry only; no atmospheric/weather data or true daylight-factor simulation.
  • Times are solar (local apparent) time, not adjusted for your timezone's clock offset or DST.

The real pipeline (roadmap)

For quantitative daylight / radiation you'd move to Ladybug + Radiance in Grasshopper. This artifact is the instant, intuitive front door to that world.

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