Why Perform a Shadow Study?
Shadow studies can help you evaluate how design decisions and massing changes impact surrounding buildings and public spaces through shadow casting and solar access. They are commonly used during early-stage feasibility studies, zoning reviews, planning approvals, and community impact assessments. And they are particularly relevant in dense urban environments where overshadowing of neighboring properties, parks, streets, or public spaces may influence planning decisions.
Shadow Studies in Forma Site Design
The Shadow Study extension in Forma Site Design lets users define a time range, date, and interval, then generates a series of snapshots showing shadow conditions at different sun positions. This provides a real-time preview of moving shadows throughout the day.
You can export the results as a .zip file containing all generated screenshots.
Workflow — Performing a Shadow Study
Add the Shadow Study Extension
- In the Analyze panel, select extensions and click Add extension.
- Look for Shadow study and click add.
Run a Shadow Study
- Define your study parameters:
- Date (June 15th)
- Time range (8 am to 6 pm)
- Snapshot interval (2 hours)
- Image size (Large)
- (Optional) Adjust colors for geometry and terrain
- Click Preview to run the shadow study in the canvas
- Click Export Images to download a .zip file→ Images match your current viewport perspective
Example Results
