SHADOW DIAGRAMS

To prepare Shadow Diagrams, the KEY concepts are:

• Set correct site location

• Set correct Project North
• Correct 3D Projection Settings [Parallel Projection Settings]
• Correct time/day in 'More Sun'
• Setting up 3D Documents
• Redefine 3D Documents

The objective is this:

Archicad Intermediate | Shadow Diagrams

 Key Concept | Project Location

The Project's location should either be 'Sydney' or a known longitude and latitude.
Click on the 'Cities' button to check the city.

Archicad Intermediate | Shadow Diagrams

 Key Concept | Project North

New in Archicad 16 you can now set the Project North to align with the Surveyor's
north on imported survey using your mouse.

Archicad Intermediate | Shadow Diagrams

 For the time being, ESC out so that you don't change the Project North just yet.

Key Concept | 3D Projection Settings

Shadow diagrams are prepared using the roof plan viewed in the 3D Window from
'Top View'. This means that you must set the 3D Window to be 'Top View' with the
camera at six o'clock.

Archicad Intermediate | Shadow Diagrams

 Key Concept | Sun

Next you must ensure the following are set:

• Date
• Month
• Time of day

Click the 'More Sun' button:

Archicad Intermediate | Shadow Diagrams

 By default, the date will be already set to March 21, 9am

Note that the box highlighted in red is currently inactive (greyed out). This needs to
show 'daytime colours' before Archicad will cast the building's shadows correctly.
This box will activate as soon as you change the date month or time. If it is March 21,
9am that you actually want, simply change a field, click ok then change it back.

Archicad Intermediate | Shadow Diagrams

 Key Concept | 3D Document

The 3D Document captures the 3D model, in whatever view it happens to be oriented

at the moment of capture, and effectively pastes a screen grab of this 3D view onto a
sheet similar to a worksheet.

If you are using AC Domestic Template, then there will be some ready named 3D
Documents available. However you must go through each of these available 3D
Documents to check its date/time settings. This can be done via the 3D Document
settings window under the 'Redefine' buttons.

Archicad Intermediate | Shadow Diagrams

 Key Concept | Redefining the 3D Document settings

To change the date/time settings and general appearance of your 3D Document,

right mouse click the title of the 3D Document and open its settings:

To change the date/time settings click on:

Archicad Intermediate | Shadow Diagrams

 To change the appearance or visibility of elements such as the Mesh etc, click on:

Archicad Intermediate | Shadow Diagrams

 COMMENTS

Should I project shadows on a flat mesh or the 'real' mesh?

This is a common dilemma. It really depends on what your council will accept. The
preference would be to use a flat mesh surface as long as the survey does not
deviate significantly from flat. Otherwise an 'averaging' of the slope of the ground
would be a preferable alternative. Using the 'real' mesh tends to cause confusion
because of 'mesh triangulation' that occurs on an undulating mesh surface. Once
upon a time councils would accept manually drafted shadow diagrams which were
often calculated on a 'flat' ground where appropriate. Arguably, the Archicad
calculation on a flat mesh is comparably accurate.

If you chose to use a flat mesh, simply create a new layer named 'SiteModelFlat' or
similar, hide the existing SiteModel and draft a mesh (or slab) without Z height
contours to temporarily replace the existing mesh.

What kind of tree should I use?

The preferred tree is a 'Ball Tree' provided to you in your learning pack. This type of
tree has no leaves on it and therefore its shadow does not cast confusing triangular
leaf shapes.

A word of advice

Always check the 'Redefine the Projections' parameters of every 3D Document at

least once (earlier rather than later). Very often you will notice that the date set on
each of the 3D Document is Mar-21 9am (even if it is not meant to be).

Warning!

Because the 3D Document is 'Live' if you edit the building in the 3D Document View,
it will also affect the model itself eg if you delete a column in the 3D Document, it will
be deleted from the 3D model.

Archicad Intermediate | Shadow Diagrams