About the Sun Position

The position of the sun or light source determines the brightness of each TIN triangle, thus creating a hillshading effect. When shadows are created from one position of the light source, the light source position can be changed to reduce the shadows on the terrain.

The position of the light source is determined by two metrics: the altitude and azimuth in the sky. The altitude controls how high the light source is in the sky and can be used to control the position of the sun at different latitudes or times of the day on Earth. The azimuth controls what direction the light source is in the sky and can be used to control the position of the sun at different times of the day or year on Earth.

How to Modify the Sun Position

Altitude Position Text Box

1. Click on the Display Properties... command to open the 3D Window Properties and click the 3D View tab.

2. Input a sun position above the horizon in the sky between 0 and 90 degrees.

3. Input a sun position with an azimuth direction between 0 and 360 degrees.

4. Input a sun intensity between 0 and 100