Sun study and daylight
See where sunlight and shadows fall for your real location, orientation, date and time of day.
Last reviewed Oct 22, 2026 · v1
On this page
Find out which room gets morning light and where the deck is shaded at 6 pm in July.
Before you start
- A project with at least one floor drawn.
- Your approximate address or coordinates.
Steps
- Open Project settings → Location and set the project's latitude and longitude. The time zone is used so "3 pm" means 3 pm locally.
- Set true north: rotate the north arrow to match your site plan or a map.
- In 3D, open Sun study. Choose a date and drag the time slider to watch shadows move.
- Save interesting moments as camera views to compare seasons.
How it works
The sun's position is calculated with the NOAA solar position algorithm from your coordinates, date, time and true north. Light and shadows are then shown in the 3D view.
Common problems
- Shadows point the wrong way. Check true north and that latitude/longitude aren't swapped.
- The sun is below the horizon. At that date and time it's night at your location — move the slider.
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