Turning on Sunlight
Where is the Sunlight control?
Open the property in the 3D view, select Layers using the stacked-layers button, and turn on Sunlight.
The Sun panel appears in the bottom-left corner.
Why can't I turn off Show geometry while Sunlight is on?
Sunlight needs the property's buildings, trees, and other 3D geometry to cast shadows.
When Sunlight is turned on, Show geometry turns on automatically and remains locked.
If you hover over it, Duranta shows:
Unavailable while sunlight is on.
Turn Sunlight off to control Show geometry again.
Why were my Sunlight settings gone when I came back?
Sunlight settings are not saved.
Each time you reopen the 3D property view, they return to the defaults:
Setting | Default |
Sunlight | Off |
Date | Today's date |
Time of day | 15:00 solar |
Shadows | 100% |
Leaving the property or reloading the page resets them.
This also means your Sunlight setup is not shared with other team members. If someone else opens the same property, they will see the default settings.
Time and date
Why doesn't the time match my clock?
The Time of day slider uses solar time, not local clock time.
Solar noon is the point when the sun is highest above that property. Local time can differ because of:
Your time zone
The property's longitude within that time zone
Daylight saving time
A difference between solar time and your phone or computer clock is normal.
What does Below horizon mean?
The selected date and time put the sun below the horizon.
There is no direct sunlight at that point, so the scene is lit as it would be after dark.
Move the Time of day slider back into daylight to see the sun position again.
What do the two numbers in the Sun panel mean?
They show the sun's position.
Azimuth — the sun's compass direction
Altitude — how high the sun is above the horizon
Both values update as you change the time or date.
Is the sun position calculated for this specific property?
Yes.
Duranta calculates the sun position using the property's location, so properties at different latitudes receive different sun angles and shadows.
This is a geometric sun position. It does not account for:
Weather
Clouds
Terrain outside the modeled scene
Buildings or other objects outside the property model that may block sunlight
Shadows
What does the Shadows slider do?
The Shadows slider controls how dark the cast shadows appear.
It ranges from:
0% to 100%
and starts at 100%.
What happens when Shadows is set to 0%?
Cast shadows disappear.
The scene is still lit from the direction of the sun, so surfaces facing the sun remain brighter than surfaces facing away from it.
Setting the slider to 0% removes the visible shadows, not the directional lighting.
Why would I reduce the shadow intensity?
Very dark shadows can make it difficult to see what is underneath them.
Reducing Shadows lets you continue seeing the shape and location of the shadow while making beds, paths, turf, and other geometry easier to inspect.
Timelapse
How do I start a sunlight timelapse?
Select the play button beside Time of day.
The sun moves automatically through the day at about 16 minutes of solar time per second.
Select the same button again to pause.
Why doesn't the timelapse play at night?
The timelapse stays within daylight hours.
When it reaches sunset, it returns to sunrise and starts the day again.
If you start playback after sunset, it begins at the next sunrise instead of continuing through a dark scene.
Can I close the Layers menu while the timelapse is running?
Yes.
The timelapse continues when the Layers menu is closed, so you can watch the whole 3D scene without the menu covering part of it.
How do I stop the timelapse?
You can:
Select the pause button beside Time of day
Turn Sunlight off
Turning Sunlight off stops playback.
Can I change the date while the timelapse is playing?
Yes.
The timelapse runs through one day at a time.
Move the Date slider to choose a different day, and the timelapse continues using that date.
Does Sunlight change my property measurements?
No.
Sunlight changes only how the 3D scene is lit.
It does not change:
Areas
AI segments
Property measurements
Proposal measurements
Can I export or share a sunlit view?
Not directly from the Sun panel.
Sunlight is designed for inspecting the property in the 3D view.
Is Sunlight available on every property?
The Sunlight control is available in the 3D view.
How useful it is depends on the amount of 3D geometry available for that property, because buildings, trees, and other geometry are what cast the shadows.
Is Sunlight available in the mobile app?
No. Sunlight in the 3D view is currently available only in the Duranta web app.