Morpholio today launched another powerful tool inside its popular TracePro app that allows architects, designers, and landscape architects to "control the sun." Dubbed "Shadow Maker," the new in-app feature lets users add and adjust solar positioning within a project in real-time, providing an accurate and informative way for shadows to be generated within drawings. 

Since the introduction of their Trace app for the iPad in 2012, Morpholio has been positioning itself as a leader in software applications made for architects by architects. After launching several easy-to-use new tools for designers, their latest feature is "game-changing for designers" according to Toru Hasegawa, Morpholio Co-Founder. "Architects can now instantly overlay their model with accurate, geo-located shadows to set or sample sun patterns and immediately use their impact to draw, sketch or design."

Anna Kenoff, Co-Founder of Morpholio, stresses the importance of allowing architects to make more calculated design decisions: "Anyone who has spent time trying to interpret shadows into a drawing knows that it is not always intuitive. Shadow Maker effortlessly fuses building form, solar location, date and time into one equation for real design representation."

Here is how the Morpholio team explains Shadow Maker's two modes used for creating shadows and setting solar positioning.

Map Location Mode
“Map Location” combines Apple Maps technology and solar algorithms to allow you to designate a specific date, time, and place to see the precise shadows of that region. As you change the time, date, and north designation you can watch the shadows move in real-time to help design and decision making.

Free Mode    
With Shadow Maker’s “Free Mode” designers can also go off the grid and adjust or test shadows manually. “It’s for that moment when you are testing a quick concept or trying to achieve a specific effect,” says Joey Swerdlin, Morpholio Community Director, “For example, when testing a curtain wall detail, integration of landscape, or façade options, Free Mode gives architects the ability to adjust the shadows to amplify the intent or subject of any scheme.”

The Morpholio Trace app is available in Apple's app store for iPhone and iPad.  

Sneak peek at "Shadow Maker" in action within TracePro. Video courtesy Morpholio.