To open the Shades dialog, click on the Shades tab on the corresponding side bar, and then double-click anywhere on the side bar. Alternatively, select Shades on the Building menu. Or you can use the keyboard shortcut Ctrl+Shift+W.
Shade types are used to model external shading devices, such as a single horizontal blade or overhang, slanted vertical fins, an eggcrate, or an outrigger system, to name just a few examples.
A shade type will provide shade from direct and diffuse solar radiation, but you will need to add an external zone if you want to account for the diffuse component. Without an external zone, the shade type will shade only the direct solar radiation and you won't be able to apply a construction in the Building Simulator, as the element will not be exported. With an external zone you will be able to apply a construction to the shade later on, as the element will have been exported to TBD. You will also be able to add a different construction to the horizontal and vertical edges of the frame, as well as different constructions to the horizontal and vertical fins.
When external shading devices or shade groups are created, they will be shown on the Shades dialog. If a shade group (the shade-equivalent of a window group) is shown, then it will be displayed as '<Group> shade group' (but without the single-quotes).
| Edit | Click on the Edit button to open the Edit Shade dialog box
and then make changes to the selected shade.
At least one shade must be added to the file before the "Edit Shade" dialog can be opened. Double-clicking on the name of the shade will also open the dialog. |
| New Shade | Click on "New Shade" and then set up a new external shade on the New Shade dialog. |
| New Group | This button will be disabled if you haven't created any shades yet but when you have, it will open the "New Shade Group" dialog box for you to combine existing shades into a group (much like a window group combines existing window types to form a window group). |
| Copy | Creates an exact copy of the selected shade or shade group with a default name of "Copy of <name of existing shade>". |
| Delete | Removes the selected shade or shade group from the file. |
Click on the "New Shade" or Edit button to open the "New Shade" or Edit dialog boxes, provided you've already created a shade type.
| Name | Enter the name of the shade using any combination of letters and numbers, remembering that shades can't be given the same name. |
| Vertical (radio button) | Creates an external shade in the "upright" orientation.
A vertical shade can only be applied to a default <null> line. |
| Roof (radio button) | Creates an external shade which you will only be able to apply
to a <null> ceiling surface which can be either horizontal
or sloped.
If you are modelling a building that has a sloped facade and the facade is shaded with an external shade, then the "walls" will actually be a sloped ceiling (you can't slope walls in Tas) - so you will need to create a roof shade. |
| Description | Type a description of the shade here (optional). |
| Shade Dimensions | |
| Width | For vertical shades:
the shade width is the perpendicular distance between the left
most edge of the shade and the right most edge.
For roof shades: equivalent to vertical shades except the device will be applied to a ceiling surface. |
| Height | For vertical shades:
the height is the perpendicular distance between the lowest and
highest edge of the shade.
For roof shades: equivalent to vertical shades except the device is applied to a ceiling surface. |
| Level | The perpendicular distance between the level of the receiving
floor and the lowest edge of the external shade.
This value only applies to vertical shades and is disabled for roof shades, as the level will be determined by the height of the ceiling surface to which the shade is added. |
| Frame | |
| Top/Bottom | Adds a top and bottom frame to the shade (optional). Each side has an outside and an inside edge. |
| Left/Right | Adds a left and right frame to the shade (optional). The frame width determines how far apart the outside and inside edges are from each other. |
| Width | Much like the window frame width, the frame width of a shade
describes its "bulkiness" as opposed to how far the
frame stretches from one edge to the other; the width is measured
in a direction perpendicular to each of the four outer sides in
an orientation parallel to the shading device.
The frame grows inwards toward the centre point of the shade with increasing thickness; on this basis the frame does not affect the overall area of the shade, as determined by the shade "width" and "height" dimensions. If the frame were compared to a picture frame, the width would determine the available area for the picture to occupy - the greater the frame width the smaller the internal area in which to insert the picture. In this case, the greater the frame width, the smaller the area in which to fit the fins. |
| Depth | The frame depth is measured in a direction perpendicular to the orientation of the shaded surface. So, viewing the shade side-on would depict the depth. Again, compare the device to a picture frame and the depth determines how far from the wall the frame protrudes. |
| Horizontal Fins | |
| No. of Fins | Enter the number of horizontal fins to be added to the shade,
or specify the fin spacing instead. Although you cannot enter
the number of fins and
the spacing between them, one value automatically sets the other.
The length of the fin is measured as the distance from the inside edge of the left and right sides. Since the outside edges are fixed according to the shade dimensions, this means that the fins' length, i.e. the reach from one side of the frame to the other, reduces with increasing frame width. |
| Fin Spacing | Enter the perpendicular distance between each horizontal fin, or enter the number of fins to be included on the shade. |
| Depth | The depth of the fin doesn't have to be equal to the frame
depth; the fin depth can be larger or smaller than the depth of
the frame, or it can be the same size.
If the fin depth is greater than the frame depth, then an equal overshoot will be given to the left and right frame edges. Consider a frame depth of 0.1m and a fin depth of 0.3m: viewing the shade side-on shows the fin will protrude from either side of the left hand edge by 0.1m and the same will be true of the right hand edge. |
| Offset from top/bottom | Changes the fin spacing to accommodate the displacement of
the top and bottom fins by the offset amount.
Consider a frame width of 0.2m, a single horizontal fin and an offset of 0.0m; the fin sits flush with the top of the frame on the outside edge, but an offset equal to the frame width will reposition the fin onto the inside edge. Add a second fin to the shade and the graphic positions it on the internal surface of the bottom frame. Reset the offset to 0.0m and both fins are moved to the outside edges of the frame. A shade with an odd number of fins greater than 1 has a single fin fixed in the centre of the shade, any amount of offset will squash the fins either side closer to the centre fin. |
| Angle (degrees) | Rotates the fins about the horizontal axis; angles of 0, 180,
and 360 degrees orientates the fins horizontally, such that they
are parallel to the ground.
If the top and bottom "faces" of the fins look respectively skyward and towards the ground when they are in the horizontal position, then changing the angle to 90 or 270 degrees orientates the fins such that the top and bottom 'faces' are looking either away or towards the shaded surface. Angles must be in the range -360 to +360 degrees. |
| Rotation (degrees) | The rotation angle must be in the range -90 to +90 degrees. Fin rotation is about the frame, as opposed from about the fin axis, which is the case with the "Angle (degrees)" text box. |
| Vertical Fins | |
| No. of Fins | Enter the number of vertical fins to be added to the shade,
or define the fin spacing. A shade cannot be defined by both parameters
although one sets the other.
The length of the fin is measured as the distance from the inside edge of the bottom and top sides. Since the outside edges are fixed according to the shade dimensions, this means that the fins' height reduces with increasing frame width. |
| Fin Spacing | Enter the perpendicular distance between each vertical fin, or enter the number of fins to be included on the shade. A shade cannot be defined by both parameters but one sets the other. |
By rotating horizontal or vertical fins about the frame enables additional features; you can select a checkbox called "Fit fins to shade dimensions" or click a button called either "Adjust width/vertical fins for alignment" or "Adjust height/horizontal fins for alignment". The latter relates to vertical fins, the former to horizontal fins.
Fit fins to shade dimensions
When you enter a rotation angle to rotate the fins about the frame, the "Fit fins to shade dimensions" checkbox is displayed on the dialog and by default the box is empty. If you select the checkbox and reset the rotation angle, then the checkbox disappears. If you now rotate the fins, the checkbox reappears and is still enabled. Without any rotation, the horizontal fin length is measured as the distance from the inside edge of the left and right sides of the frame. Similarly, the vertical fin length is measured as the distance from the inside edge of the top and bottom sides of the frame. When you increase the frame width, the length of the fins decrease.
Consider a frame with a top, bottom, left and right side and three horizontal fins rotated by 45 degrees about the frame. Imagine the side of the frame opposite to the points of rotation is extended infinitely in both directions; the fin lengths are increased to the point at which they would intersect the inside edge of the extended frame (the shade dimensions do not actually change and there is no actual intersection except potentially with the top side of the frame). It is unlikely your shade bears any resemblance to this, but by enabling the checkbox the fins which do not fit within the shade are used to fill the gap within the frame.
On the Shades dialog box, click on the New Group button to open the New Shade Group dialog.
| Name | Enter a name for the shade group. Two groups cannot have the same name. |
| Description | You may enter a description of the shade group (optional). |
| Colour | Click on the button to change the group colour; the default
group colour is blue.
The group colour relates to the colour displayed on a 2D building plan; the shade colour which is specified on the New Shade dialog determines how the shade is displayed in 3D. |
| Shades | |
| Add | Click to open the "Shade Position in Group" dialog
to add a child shade to a group.
Select which shade to add to the group by clicking the down arrow on the Name drop-down list. The names correspond to the shades listed on the Shades dialog and include existing groups as well as shades. You cannot create a group which combines vertical and roof types. You can enter offsets along the x, y, and z axes depending on the shade type; for vertical shades you can enter offsets along the x and z axes and for roof shades you can enter offsets along all axes. Offsets operate in the same way as they do when a window group is created and enable you to shift a shade sidewards (x-offset), back and forth (y-offset), and up and down (z-offset). |
| Edit | Click to re-open the Shade Position in Group dialog for the selected shade. |
| Delete | Click to delete the selected shade. |
On the New Shade Group dialog box, click Add to open the Shade Position in Group dialog.
| Name | Click on the down-arrow to select a shade to add to the group. You cannot create a group which combines vertical and roof shade types; this means you cannot add a roof shade to a group with vertical shade types, nor can you add a vertical shade to a group with roof types. |
| X Offset | You can enter an offset along the x axis for both vertical and roof shade types. Offsets operate in the same way as they do when a window group is created and enable you to shift a shade sidewards (x-offset). |
| Y Offset | You can enter an offset along the y axis only for roof shades. Offsets operate in the same way as they do when a window group is created and enable you to shift a shade back and forth (y-offset). |
| Z Offset | You can enter an offset along z axis in the case of vertical and roof shade types. Offsets operate in the same way as they do when a window group is created and enable you to shift a shade up and down (z-offset). |