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Sun Position

GEOSPATIAL
📖3 min read

Introduction​

The Sun Position feature in Blender is an essential tool for achieving photorealistic and geographically accurate lighting simulations. When combined with the Nishita Sky Texture, it resolves the texture's primary limitation by allowing users to precisely control the sun's location on the celestial sphere.

Benefits for Visual Investigation:

For visual investigation, such as architectural visualization or forensic analysis, this add-on offers high-fidelity simulation:

  • Real-World Accuracy: You can set the sun's position for any specific date and time (e.g., 9 AM on the Winter Solstice) using real geographic coordinates, eliminating the frustration of manual calculation.

  • Shadow Analysis: It enables key design and investigation decisions by allowing you to visualize exactly how shadows shift in your scene as you adjust the building's orientation (North Offset).

  • Interior Daylight Rendering: The most important application is the ability to generate interior daylight renderings. This lets you visualize and predict how a room or space will be illuminated at specific times of the year, which is useful for design evaluation and planning.

Key Features​

Time & Date

Set the exact time and date to simulate the sun's position for any moment in history.

Geolocation

Input Latitude and Longitude coordinates to place your scene anywhere on Earth.

HDR Sync

Synchronize the sun object with an Environment Texture (HDRI) for realistic lighting.

Installation & Usage​

Installation​

This addon is included with Blender.

  1. Go to Edit > Preferences > Add-ons.
  2. Search for Sun Position.
  3. Enable the checkbox.

Usage​

Step-by-Step Guide: How to Use the Sun Position Add-on

  1. Open Settings: In Blender, navigate to the World Properties tab and expand the Sun Position section.

  2. Set Usage Mode: Ensure the Usage Mode is set to Normal.

  3. Select Sky Model: Select Sky Texture from the list of options to ensure the add-on controls the Nishita sun disk.

  4. Visualize True North (Optional): Enable the North option to display the direction of true north, helping you confirm your scene's orientation.

  5. Enter Geolocation: In the Location section, input the geographic coordinates.

    • You can right-click on a location in Google Maps, select the coordinates, and paste the value into Blender's coordinates field.
    • Alternatively, manually enter the coordinates into the Longitude and Latitude fields.

  6. Set North Offset: In the North Offset view, rotate the entire scene to align it with true north.

  7. Set Time Zone and DST: In the Time section, check two things:

    • Determine the Coordinated Universal Time (UTC) offset for your location.
    • Determine if Daylight Saving Time (DST) is currently applied in your region and check the corresponding box.

  8. Set Date and Time: Finally, adjust the date (e.g., June 21st) and the time (e.g., 9:00 AM) to accurately position the sun for your rendering.

Summary​

For any project requiring accurate outdoor lighting, the Sun Position addon is indispensable. It removes the guesswork from lighting setup and ensures physical accuracy.