Displaying Sun and Shadows

3D views have more shadow-casting elements than 2D views, so they yield far more information about natural lighting, shading requirements, passive solar design potential, and renewable energy potential. For more information about views that support solar studies, see Creating Views for Solar Studies.

Note: You control the visibility of shadows on a view-by-view basis. When you turn shadows on or off in one view, no other views are affected.

To turn on shadows

Use one of these methods:

• On the View Control Bar, click Shadows Off/OnShadows On.
• On the View Control Bar, click Visual StyleGraphic Display Options. In the Graphic Display Options dialog, under Shadows, select Cast Shadows, and click OK.

To adjust the intensity of sun, indirect light, or shadows

1. On the View Control Bar, click Visual StyleGraphic Display Options.
2. In the Graphic Display Options dialog, under Lighting, move the Sun slider or enter a value between 0 and 100 to change the brightness of the direct light.
3. For Ambient Light, move the slider or enter a value between 0 and 100 to change the brightness of the ambient light.
4. Under Shadows, move the Shadow slider or enter a value between 0 and 100 to change the darkness of the shadows.
5. Click OK.