One of the goals of efficient architectural design is to achieve a sufficient and uniform distribution of natural light throughout internal and external spaces, minimizing the presence of zones that are too bright or too dark. When spaces are poorly lit, they can be harder to use as a practical space or just won’t have as much appeal.
SketchUp’s Analysis Hub is home to analysis tools designed to support and enhance your design process with actionable lighting data.
Advanced Shadows is the first official Analysis Hub feature. With Advanced Shadows, you can observe how shadows change based on a specific solstice or equinox you select. This can help identify how neighboring buildings, trees, or other structures impact sunlight exposure over time.
To get started with the Analysis Hub select Analysis Hub from the list of extensions under the Extensions menu, or click Analysis Hub in the Shadows panel.
Note: Advanced Shadows is now available. All other available analysis types are still in SketchUp Labs. For more information on SketchUp Labs features, see SketchUp Labs.
With the tools available in the Analysis Hub, you can visualize and quantify real-world data based on a Scene in your model. For more information about using the Analysis Hub, see the following articles:
- Designing an Analysis Ready Model – How to model with analysis in mind or prepare a Scene in your model for the best analysis results.
- Choosing an Analysis Type – Learn more about the different analysis types.
- Performing an Analysis – A guide to the Daylight Analysis tools and the different types of analysis you can perform.
- The Analysis Viewer – Learn how to navigate the Analysis Viewer and review the results of each analysis
- Using the Analysis Hub Dashboard – Learn more about how to manage each analysis you perform in the Analysis Hub dashboard.
Note: Some links in this guide point to the Trimble SketchUp Help Centre for additional information. For any account and billing enquiries, please visit the SketchUp Australia website or contact our team directly.