Daylight and shadow in 3D
You are assessing a development site or an existing building and need to check daylight on facades, shadow cast by neighbouring buildings, or whether a planned height will disturb the surroundings.
Daylight, Shadow, Elevation Profile, Line of Sight and Viewshed require 3D mode. Measurements works in both 2D and 3D.
Step 1: switch to 3D
Click the 3D button in the top right to switch to 3D. Buildings and terrain load as three-dimensional models. Use the mouse (or trackpad) to rotate, tilt and zoom the camera.
Step 2: navigate to the property
Use the search field to navigate to the property. The map zooms in and highlights the polygon.
Step 3: select the building
Click the building you want to analyse in the 3D view. The building gets a black outline to show that it is selected.
If the property panel opens on the right side, the analysis tools in the right rail stay visible. Close the panel to get more space.
Step 4: select a tool in the right rail
Click one of the analysis tools in the right rail:
| Tool | What it does |
|---|---|
| Measurements | Measure distances and areas (2D and 3D) |
| Daylight | Visualise daylight on facades for a given time and date |
| Shadow | Show shadow cast by surrounding buildings |
| Elevation Profile | Draw a line for a terrain or building cross-section |
| Line of Sight | Check whether two points have a clear view of each other |
| Viewshed | Field of View ("viewshed") from a point |
Step 5: configure the analysis
Each tool opens its own panel with the parameters:
Daylight and Shadow:
Set the month, day and time. Animate across a full day to see the sun move across the facade.
Elevation Profile:
Draw a line between two points. The profile appears as a chart at the bottom with heights along the line and key figures such as length, height difference and steepest gradient. Read the chart from left to right: the left edge is the start point where you began drawing, the right edge is the end point. The x-axis is distance along the line, the y-axis is height. In 3D the chart shows both terrain and building heights; in 2D it shows terrain only. The profile is saved under Your profiles in the panel, where you can zoom to it, hide it or remove it.
Line of Sight:
Place an observer point and a target point. The line is coloured green where the view is clear and red where it is blocked by buildings or terrain, so you can see exactly where the view breaks.
Viewshed:
Select an observation point and a maximum distance. What is visible from the observation point is coloured green on terrain and buildings; what is hidden is coloured red. The height of the observation point decides the result: a point high on a facade sees further than one at ground level. You also control direction and field of view.
Measurements:
Click at least two points for distance, or three points to calculate area.
Step 6: export or share
Use Screenshot (the camera icon in the top menu) to save or share an analysis.
Tips
- Daylight and Shadow are calculated geometrically from the position of the sun (the rotation and axis of the earth). Local vegetation, window openings and reflections are not modelled. For a formal daylight calculation against TEK17 § 13-7, use dedicated tools such as DIVA or Velux Daylight Visualizer.
- Elevation Profile is useful for documenting that a new building stays within the height limits in a zoning plan. Combine it with the Zoning map layer to see the provisions.
Next
- Activate a map layer - combine 3D buildings with the Zoning layer to see height limits and building purposes.
- Analyze - full overview of all analysis tools.
- Analysing value and potential - use 3D analyses as part of a valuation.