Blender for architecture: Sky View Factor and shadow mapping (VI-Suite)

If you are starting to use Blender for architecture and are asking yourself if it can go beyond simple renders and animations of projects, you will have a welcome surprise in the discovery that it can do a lot more. When using a collection of powerful and useful Add-ons, we can make Blender a key tool to develop architectural designs. One of those Add-ons is the VI-Suite that introduces energy analysis options to Blender.

The Add-on is a creation from Dr. Ryan Southall, and you can download it for free in his Github repository.

As a way to show how the Add-on works, Dr. Ryan Southall is producing a series of video tutorials with tips and tricks about the Add-on.

In his latest update, we have a description of how to use the Sky View Factor and shadow mapping. They will help you visualize the impact of the surroundings in your design regarding sunlight and shadows.

Using Blender for architecture

Do you want to use Blender for architecture or render your projects using Cycles or Eevee? We have three books available that could help you!

They cover the use of Blender for producing architectural content and also all information you need to render projects in real-time:

• Blender 2.9 for architecture: Modeling and rendering with Eevee and Cycles
• Blender 2.8 parametric modeling: Drivers, Custom Properties, and Shape Keys for 3D modeling
• Blender 3.0: The beginner's guide
• Blender 2.8 for technical drawing
• Blender Eevee: The guide to real-time rendering with Blender 2.8

You can get them in both digital and paperback formats. By ordering those books, you will not only improve your skills with Blender for architecture but also support Blender 3D Architect.