Lighting Controls
Place the sun exactly where you need it — one drag on the sky dial sets direction, height, and shadow length.
Lighting controls are available in Photo mode only. NPR styles (Sketch, Watercolor, Technical) use their own stylized shading and do not have these controls.
The Light tab is only available when the Photorealistic render style is active. Switch to Photorealistic in the Render Style panel first, then open the Light tab in the right-side panel.
Set time of day
Drag the 24-hour Time of Day dial to the desired hour, or click the time display and type a value directly. The sun moves across the sky and the light color shifts from warm sunrise tones through neutral midday to warm sunset.
Set the date
Adjust the Date control to change the seasonal sun path. In summer months the sun rises higher in the sky and day length increases; in winter months the sun is lower and days are shorter. This affects how shadows fall across the garden.
Set GPS location
For accurate solar path calculation, set the project GPS location in the Presentation panel > Lighting > Location. Type a city or address and Scapiera will look up the coordinates. The sun path is then calculated for that latitude and longitude.
Drag the sky dial
Click and drag the sky dial widget in the viewport to interactively reposition the sun. The sun follows your drag direction, making it easy to find the right angle for a particular shadow effect.
The sun orb changes color as you drag — orange-red near the horizon, pale yellow at high altitude. This mirrors how the sky actually looks, and gives you instant feedback on whether you are in a sunrise/sunset mood or a bright midday scene.
Adjust Shadow Softness
The Shadow Softness slider controls the penumbra of cast shadows. At minimum, shadows have sharp crisp edges (clear sky condition). Increasing softness simulates a larger effective light source or overcast haze.
Adjust Ambient Brightness and Sky Exposure
Ambient Brightness sets the fill light level — the diffuse illumination that reaches shaded areas. Sky Exposure controls how much the sky dome contributes to overall scene brightness.
All lighting settings are saved with your project. For the most accurate shadow analysis, always set both the GPS location and a specific date alongside the time of day.
Frequently Asked Questions
Why don't I see the Light tab?
The Light tab only appears when the Photorealistic render style is active. Open the Render Style panel and select Photorealistic, then the Light, Weather, and Season tabs will all become available.
How do I make shadows longer or shorter?
Shadow length is determined by how high the sun sits above the horizon — the lower the sun, the longer the shadows. Drag the sun orb toward the rim of the sky dial (low altitude) for long shadows, or toward the center (high altitude) for short shadows. The Golden Hour and Evening presets automatically set a low sun; Midday and Afternoon set a high sun.
How do I control which direction the shadows fall?
Drag the sun orb around the compass ring on the sky dial. North is at the top, East to the right. The shadow preview strip below the dial always shows the opposite direction — shadows fall away from the sun. Dragging the sun to the South (bottom of the dial) casts shadows northward, which is typical for sites in the Northern Hemisphere.
Can I set my city so the sun matches a real date and time?
GPS-based sun positioning is not yet available. For now, use the time presets as a starting point and refine with the sky dial to match the angle and direction you need. The sky dial snaps to the cardinal directions (N, E, S, W) to help you lock in common sun positions.
The scene looks very dark — how do I brighten it?
A very dark scene usually means the sun is set to a low-altitude preset such as Dusk, Evening, or Midnight, or you have dragged the orb to the very rim of the dial. Click the Midday or Afternoon preset to restore full daylight, or drag the sun orb back toward the center of the sky dial.
Does the Light tab affect Sketch or Watercolor renders?
No. Sketch, Watercolor, and Technical render styles use their own built-in stylized shading that does not respond to the Light tab settings. The Light tab only affects Photorealistic renders.