Adjusting the Sunlight

QUESTION

When I take a camera view of the exterior of my house, the shadows are on the wrong side. How can I adjust the sunlight to come from another direction?

ANSWER

When you create a 3D view, the program creates a Generic Sunlight source. It's easy to adjust the various aspects of this sunlight to properly reflect different times of day using the Adjust Sunlight dialog while a 3D view of your plan is open. The key to getting the sunlight effect you want is to adjust both the tilt angle and direction angle.

In addition to the Generic Sun, Home Designer 2026 and newer, as well as Home Designer Pro 2025 and prior, have the ability to create Sun Angles. Sun Angles let you specify an exact location and date and time for sunlight.

To adjust the sunlight

1. Take a Camera  view of the exterior of the structure. Once the view is open and active, navigate to 3D> Edit Active Camera  .
   
   
   
2. In the Specification dialog that opens, check the Show Shadows box, then click OK.
   
   You can also navigate to 3D> Camera View Options> Toggle Shadows  to toggle the shadows on and off in a camera view.
   
    
   
   
   
3. With shadows displaying in the view, select 3D> Lighting> Adjust Sunlight .
   
   

   Note: You can also toggle sunlight off completely by going to 3D> Lighting> Toggle Sunlight.

   
   
4. In the Adjust Sunlight dialog that displays:
   
   
   
   
   • Use the Intensity drop-down option or the input field to control how bright the sunlight displays.
     
     
   • Select the Color box to define the color of the light being modeled. The color white has the least effect on material colors and textures.
     
     
   • If you don't want the sun to follow the camera, uncheck the Sun Follows Camera box and proceed to specify your own tilt and direction angle. 
     
     

     Note: If Use Generated Sky is in use as the backdrop in the current view and Sun Follows Camera is checked, the Generated Sky will not update if the camera is moved.

     
     
   • Change the Tilt Angle to specify the angle of the sun light with respect to the horizon. A value of 90 degrees means that the light is pointing straight up, whereas a value of -90 degrees means that the light is pointing straight down. 0 degrees is parallel to the horizon.
     
     
   • Set the Direction Angle to specify the direction that the sun light points toward. 0 degrees is measured horizontally on screen, pointing to the right. Positive values will then rotate in a counter-clockwise direction, while negative values rotate clockwise.
     
     
   • Select the Reset to Defaults or Restore Initial Settings button to restore the original settings. 
     
     

     By navigating to Edit> Default Settings> 3D View Defaults> Sunlight and clicking Edit, you can edit your sunlight defaults. If you'd like all of your camera views to use the same sunlight settings, it's recommended to make your desired changes within your defaults, otherwise the changes are camera-specific. 

   
   
   
5. Click OK to apply your changes and see the results update in your open camera view. 
   
   

   A separate Move Sun tool can also be used to adjust the Tilt and Direction Angle of the sun light. Navigate to 3D> Lighting>  Move Sun, then use the left mouse button to adjust the sun light.
   

In Home Designer 2026 and newer, or legacy Home Designer Pro, you have more control over how the sun displays by utilizing the Sun Angle Specification dialog, where you can give the program your latitude and longitude along with the date and time, and the program will then automatically set the correct Sun Angle for you.

To place a Sun Angle in your plan, navigate to CAD> Sun Angle , then click in the drawing area where you want the Sun Angle to be displayed. The Sun Angle Specification dialog will appear where you can specify your desired information. In Home Designer 2026 and newer, in the Sun Angle Specification, click Define Defaults to edit your your latitude and longitude along with the date and time.




You can then choose to utilize the Generic Sun or a Sun Angle in the Adjust Sunlight dialog.