peter pan shadows

[mwarch]

Like peter pan, i have been fighting with my shadows. The problems are not plan specific so i have not posted one, & lack video skills , so will attempt to verbally describe my problems.
I have reviewed videos(thanks dshall) manual etc. My problem is that the local planning authority wants shading diagrams in plan view. The shading digrams in plan view are to include buildings existing and proposed, fences, piers, verandahs, chimneys, freestanding screens, awnings etc.
CA will only produce shading in plan view of the building only. I then changed the fences to walls( note it will not cast a shadow if you just turn off railing button and change wall type from fencing to wall & change layers,it is still a fencing dbx). So fences were deleted and replaced with walls, however the walls will only show shading from the assumed wall height as it relates to the default room height, ie floor to ceiling levels regardless of whether the wall has been adjusted in height from the elevation view. Decided to make long narrow rooms, but not too narrow as CA will not allow any height to be retained other than the default ht if room is less than 40 -50mm wide. also will not cast correct shadow if one wall is invisible. Had to put a roof on if I wanted the wall/fence to have a sloping top.
At this point gave up trying to get accurate shading for piers/posts, chimneys awnings etc and went for the fudge factor in 2d,(triangulated height & sunangle) ie then manually adjusted shading polyline in plan view. However dont forget the always update button off and dont open up the sunangle after you have manually adjusted the polyline as it will adjust back to the original polyline, even with the update button off. Note it is confusing for the rest of the world to only have a date system on the sun arrow that shows month day then year and no way of amending that order to day month year.
In summary 1. how do i get correct 2d shading diagrams in plan view from my 3d model for all elements including fixtures, symbols, railings, fences (trees?) etc ? 2. failling 1 how do i amend the shadow polyline and get it to stick?
3. How do we get this great program to deal with the real building world where 2d representation & information from the 3d model is required quickly & accurately?
ps. not sure if dshall is the crocodile with the ticking clock or hook in this CA world.
thanks

[dshall]

Nuts , long post, the great Glenn Woodward from oz taught me about shadows. At o e time fences were not recogized, they are now. Do a search for the Glenn Woodward shadow videos, they may help. If you can't find them let me know and I will look in AM.

[dshall]

Hmm, ca does not recognize height of fence, I may have to check that out.....

[mwarch]

I could only get CA to produce shading from fences in overviews not plan views. I went to cad/line/ sun angle to input specific times and date that the planning authority reqested. On the 'vector' floorplan a shading polyline represents the extent of shadows. It is this polyline that I tried to manually adjust and get to stay as adjusted.

[lbuttery]

try Sketchup

watch the sun study vids on their website

Lew

[dshall]

...............................1. how do i get correct 2d shading diagrams in plan view from my 3d model for all elements including fixtures, symbols, railings, fences (trees?) etc ?

Use a RENDER OVERVIEW (this is essentially a plan with color, want no color? do jpeg and turn into grey scale), I get it, fences don't show. If you MUST utilize plan, trace render overview shadows and put in plan, a real PIA

2. failling 1 how do i amend the shadow polyline and get it to stick?

Make shadow in plan view and CONVERT TO PLINE, then put it on a layer called SUN ANGLE & SHADOWS 8 AM or a layer called SUN ANGLE & SHADOWS 10 AM, I know, you still don't have fences

3. How do we get this great program to deal with the real building world where 2d representation & information from the 3d model is required quickly & accurately?
ps. not sure if dshall is the crocodile with the ticking clock or hook in this CA world.
thanks

Will post link to vid when done, but I think I addressed most of your questions. Bottom line, use multiple EXPORTED JPEGS for different conditions to get ALL SHADOWS, I get it, you don't get fence shadows in a plan so use the colored JPEGS.

[dshall]

Here is a link to part 1, you should be able to find part two. It should be on the ds hall channel.

http://youtu.be/CEl9wNuvOec

I lost part 2 into the abyss, I ain't doing it again, not really much there anyway.

[Athenian_CAD]

I could only get CA to produce shading from fences in overviews not plan views. I went to cad/line/ sun angle to input specific times and date that the planning authority reqested. On the 'vector' floorplan a shading polyline represents the extent of shadows. It is this polyline that I tried to manually adjust and get to stay as adjusted.

Even if the video workarounds will work for you for now, I think this is worthy of submitting a feature request in Suggestions.

[mwarch]

Thanks for the videos Scott. I already have my three different sun times on unique layers linked in to unique anno sets so can toggle on and off easy. One of the best things from video was that shadows are cast in render view not only of fences but chimneys,awnings, free standing walls( at the right height) etc. I have to change the shadow polyline to standard polyline to amend it and get it to remain amended to suit the tracing of the shadows of top view render jpeg under. Note; top view tilt angle is -89 degrees not 90 so i zoomed out to 200 metres above floor level to reduce perspective distortion. I am following other concurrent thread on shadows also
thanks to all

[Kilgore Trout]

top view tilt angle is -89 degrees not 90 so i zoomed out to 200 metres above floor level to reduce perspective distortion

Try using the orthographic camera. You can then do a top view without any distortion

[mwarch]

Thanks Kilgore, its amazing how these things sit there right in front of you and you dont realize till someone else points them out. cheers