Free Shadow Studio Preview

Shape the space.
Follow the shadow.

Import. Draw. Explore. A clearer view of sunlight.

Free preview · one session

One session. Start with your own plan.

Explore your own plan for free. Closing or refreshing this tab loses your work. Choose the paid workspace to save projects, add aerial images and export drawings.

View paid workspace ↗

SHADOW STUDIO · FREE PREVIEW

Start a project to calculate shadows.

Start your study

Where is your project?

Project address

Address search: Photon · © OpenStreetMap contributors

Start typing to choose an address, or enter coordinates below.

Address suggestions use the text you enter. Privacy details.

Your plan

Import your plan

No plan imported

PDF, PNG, JPEG or WebP. Set the scale after importing.

Use a top-down map image as a tracing base, then calibrate a known distance.

Transparent paper

Remove white paper from the drawing. Automatic for PDFs; turn off to restore the original page.

Plan visibility 70%

Scale & site

Start a project to set the scale

Use the scale printed on the sheet

Load a PDF to read its original paper size.

Drawing scale

Original full sheet

Sheet width (mm)

Sheet height (mm)

Image is the full, uncropped sheet

Use the scale for this view and original sheet size. Check a known dimension if the PDF was resized or the page contains different scales.

Click two endpoints, then place the dimension line.

Show boundary & footprint dimensions

Check against the surveyed site area

Known site area (m²)

This changes every measured length. First check the traced corners and a known dimension; matching area alone does not verify the boundary shape.

Subject site locked

Aerial overlay

Paid feature

Add a separate aerial layer, match its boundary and trace neighbouring buildings.

Included with your A$20/month subscription.

View account ↗

Draw & model

Footprint tool

Click the first point or press Enter to close a polygon. A fence stays an open line.

Select a building or fence

Building floor

Repeat this footprint

Number of storeys

Floor-to-floor height (m)

Includes the floor you drew. For a setback, add a floor with a new outline, then repeat it.

In the comparisonName

Property

Object colour

Building height excluding roof (m)

Drag the ↕ handle in 3D to push or pull the selected mass.

Roof form

Roof pitch (degrees)

25°

Roof rise (m)

Choose either height-entry option above. Both totals stay visible; changing the inclusive height adjusts the body below the roof.

Base above local ground (m)

Levels in one building share a ground reference point.

Extend, trim & edit the footprint

Draw a rectangle to extend or cut back this level. Other storeys keep their own outlines.

Footprint edgeMove edge out (+) / in (−), metres

Select a visible corner to edit it.

True north

Use true north for the whole project. Check whether your plan shows true, grid or magnetic north before aligning it.

Keep plan view north-up

An address sets the sun’s location. Confirm the drawing orientation using the north arrow on your plan.

True north in the original plan (°)

I have confirmed the drawing’s true north

Ground & levels

Use a uniform site slope

Level ground. No survey levels supplied.

One continuous plane, including neighbours. Use surveyed levels for a real study. Steps, retaining walls and irregular terrain need a fuller terrain model.

Display colours

SubjectNeighbourFences

Group colours also colour shadows. Individual object colours override the group.

Draw an area

A courtyard, garden, SPOS or any space you want to measure.

Click once for each corner. Click the first point or press Enter to close the shape.

Your areas Show names & measured areas Show each side’s dimension

Area and perimeter are measured in plan.

Scenario

Plan & footprints

Rotate view

True north follows the confirmed drawing orientation.

A fresh perspective

Start your project.

Bring in your site plan.
Trace its footprint. Follow the sun.

PDF · PNG · JPEG · WebP

Massing & sunlight

Space + sunlight

Your model starts here.

Draw a footprint to explore
its height, form and shadows.

Follow the sun

Calculating sun position…

Location

Study date

Local time zone

Local time

Latitude Longitude Use the site’s coordinates, then select its local time zone. Daylight saving follows the study date automatically.

9 am3 pm12:00 pm

Paid workspace

Keep your work. Share your study.

A$20 / month

Save and reopen projects, align aerial images, and export scaled PDF sheets, vector diagrams and measured-area data. Includes 20 saved projects and 500 MiB of file storage, with no per-export fee. Renews monthly until you cancel.

Open your account ↗

Subject massingSubject shadowNeighbour context

Exploratory ground-shadow model. Polygon buildings and opaque fence lines; flat ground or a uniform slope. Roofs are idealised, without overhangs. Model neighbouring structures separately; PDF linework does not cast shadows. A PDF that already contains shadows keeps those marks in its background: lower Plan visibility to isolate calculated shadows. Existing and proposed views follow the phase assigned to each object. Drawn areas are flexible measurements. Vertical/window shading and stepped terrain are not included.