Hariharan Natarajan
The Sefaira web application calculates shading from 3 different types of objects: (1) shading from neighboring buildings modeled in the uploaded model, (2) self-shading of a building, including shading devices attached to the building, and (3) shading added parametrically within the Web Application.
| Shading from neighboring structures (click here for how to capture modeled contextual shading) |
Shading calculations accurately reflect the portion of each window that is shaded each hour of each day. Shading of complex geometry is also calculated more accurately. |
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| Parametric shading (horizontal and vertical projections, brise soleils applied in the WEB APPLICATION) |
Horizontal shading is analyzed at the top edge of each glazing plane. Vertical shading is analyzed from both vertical edges of the glazing plane. Horizontal brise soleil begins at the top edge of each glazing plane. Vertical brise soleil is spaced to maximize the vertical fins possible considering the set conditions.
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| Modeled shading (shading directly in the model) |
Shading calculations accurately reflect the portion of each window that is shaded each hour of each day. The “shading” tag in SketchUp or "Shading for Sefaira" designation in Revit ensures that external shading devices are not responsible for heat gains or losses. |
Note that shading calculations do not take into account the effect of shadows on roofs and walls. In other words, solar gains on roofs and walls are not blocked by shading devices. Solar gains are, however, dependent upon the sun’s position and the plane’s surface orientation (meaning a plane that faces away from the sun will not receive solar gain).
FAQs:
- What happens if I rotate my building? Your building and its attached shading devices will be rotated around the building’s centroid.
- Does shading effect walls and roofs? No. Shading devices will have no effect on heat gains and losses through walls and roofs.
- Can I add parametric shading to a building that has shading modeled in SketchUp or Revit? Yes. You can have both modeled AND parametric shading at the same time. The parametric shading is in addition to the modeled shading (modeled shading is not "erased" and replaced with parametric shading).
- Do I need to tag all of the planes of my shading device? Yes, all planes should be tagged as “shading" in the model before uploading to the Web Application. Click here for further information on tagging entity types in SketchUp. Click here for further information on designating items as shading in Revit.
Could you please clarify more this FAQ:
Can I add parametric shading to a building that has shading modeled in SketchUp or Revit?