Visual Sun Chart - Solar Geometry Software
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 Visual Sun Chart > Tutorials > View From Origin
 
View From Origin
Visual Sun Chart Tutorial
 
In this tutorial, we will view the scene created in previous Tutorials.  With that file open, click on the View button:
 
 
 
The view will look like this:
Visual Sun Chart
Visual Sun Chart is a graphics
program for visualizing solar
shading from proposed buildings.
For more information see:
www.VisualSunChart.com
 

 
That is the view from the scene origin (the center of the skydome base). It is a perspective projection, with a horizontal viewing angle of 90°, and a vertical viewing angle of 60°.
 
The Viewing Direction window has been manually moved downward. You can move this window (and the Viewing Altitude window) anywhere in the main program window. Those windows are automatically moved back into place whenever you resize the main program window. So feel free to move those windows around – you won't lose them.
 
 
 
Changing the Sun Position  

 
You can specify a date and time for the position of the Sun. Let's do that now. Click on the Sun button (the last button in the tool bar). The window shown at left will appear. Change the date and time to 10 April 1:30pm. The Sun will now be displayed for that date, as shown in the images below.
 
 
Viewing Altitude  
 
If you need to look upward, for example at lower latitudes where the Sun is higher, then select to “View Zenith.”
 
The vertical viewing angle is 60°.  When viewing the horizon, the horizon is at the bottom of the view, and you can see up to an Altitude of 60°.
 
When viewing the zenith, the zenith is at the top of the view, and the bottom of the view is 30° up from the horizon.
 
 
Viewing Direction
 
The Viewing Direction compass shows the horizontal viewing direction with an arrow. The arrow is short if “View Zenith” is selected.
 
When you hover the mouse over the Viewing Direction compass, it instantly shows you that view (indicated in the compass with a magenta/purple arrow). Click on the compass to keep that view (then the purple arrow becomes white, and the view direction is retained).
 
 

 

 
 
 
Practice spinning your scenes around to get different views.
 
To move the mouse pointer with precision in the compass, you may use the Arrow Keys.
And you can press the Enter key instead of the mouse button to retain a viewing direction.
 
 
 
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Visual Sun Chart is a trademark of: Visual Sun Chart, P.O. Box 221190, Sacramento CA 95822 USA
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Wednesday, 10-Mar-2010 05:28:20 GMT