Revit Sun Study: Create Sun Path Diagrams with Labels

Updated October 2026: A Revit sun study (also called a sun path diagram or solar study) shows how sunlight and shadows move across a building, site, or interior view at a specific location, date, and time. It is useful for early massing, facade decisions, shading devices, presentation diagrams, and quick daylight conversations before a deeper energy or lighting analysis.

In this guide you will set the project location, turn on the sun path and shadows, choose the correct solar study type, preview a solar study animation, add labels to a locked 3D view, and export a still image or animation for your presentation. The steps are checked against Autodesk’s current Revit help for solar studies.

What a Revit Sun Study Shows

A sun study in Revit visualizes the sun position, shadow direction, and shadow length for a model view. The sun path is the graphic guide in the view: it shows the sun’s daily path, the monthly analemma curves, and the dates and times based on the project location. Shadows show how that sun position affects the actual building geometry.

For architecture students and designers, the best use is not only making a nice diagram. A good Revit solar study helps you explain why a building is rotated a certain way, where overhangs are needed, which facade receives the strongest afternoon sun, and how nearby buildings or trees affect outdoor and indoor spaces.

Before You Start a Revit Sun Study

Before creating the diagram, prepare the model view. This makes the result more accurate and easier to read.

• Set the project location: Go to Manage > Location, or set the location directly inside Sun Settings.
• Use a clean 3D view: Duplicate the 3D view and rename it something like Sun Study – Presentation.
• Turn on shadows: Shadows must be visible if you want to study shade movement.
• Hide unnecessary model categories: Use Visibility/Graphics, temporary hide/isolate, or a section box to simplify the view.
• Choose the right view style: Shaded, Consistent Colors, or Realistic usually reads better than Hidden Line for a shadow study.

Which Revit solar study type to use

How to Create a Sun Study in Revit

Start with the simplest version: a 3D view with shadows and the sun path enabled. After that, you can refine the date, time, location, and presentation style.

1. Open a 3D view.
2. On the View Control Bar, click the Shadows icon to turn shadows on.
3. Click the Sun Path icon and choose Sun Path On.
4. If Revit asks to change the sun setting from Lighting to Still, choose Yes.
5. Select the sun or the sun path in the view to adjust the date and time visually.

For a clean presentation diagram, orbit the 3D view so the sun path, building mass, ground plane, and shadow direction are all visible. Avoid an angle where the sun path hides the main building form.

Adjust Sun Settings in Revit

Sun Settings control the solar study type, location, date, time range, time interval, and ground plane. This is where you make the sun study accurate instead of only visual.

1. On the View Control Bar, click the Sun Path icon.
2. Choose Sun Settings.
3. Under Solar Study, choose Still, Single Day, Multi-Day, or Lighting.
4. Check the project Location. If needed, update it here so the sun path and shadows use the correct site.
5. Set the Date, Time, Time Range, and Time Interval.
6. Set Ground Plane at Level if you want shadows to cast on a specific level in shaded 2D or 3D views.
7. Click Apply to test the result, then click OK.

How to Read the Revit Sun Path Diagram

The Revit sun path contains several visual controls. The daily path shows the sun movement across the sky for a selected day. The analemma is the figure-eight curve that represents the sun position across the year. Date and time labels help you understand exactly what the diagram is showing.

• Drag the sun along the daily path to change the time of day.
• Drag along the analemma to change the date while reading seasonal differences.
• Use hourly and monthly marks to choose readable study points for diagrams.
• Use solstices and equinoxes when comparing seasonal sun access.

For portfolio diagrams, one still image is often clearer than a long animation. Use a Still study for a key time, such as summer afternoon or winter morning, then add text labels explaining orientation, solar gain, shadow area, and the design response.

Preview a Solar Study Animation in Revit

Use Preview Solar Study when you want to see the shadow movement before exporting. The animation preview works for Single Day and Multi-Day studies.

1. Set the solar study type to Single Day or Multi-Day.
2. Set the start time, end time, and time interval.
3. Click the Sun Path icon on the View Control Bar.
4. Choose Preview Solar Study.
5. Use the frame controls or the Play button to review the animation.

A smaller time interval creates more frames and smoother shadow movement, but it also increases export time and file size. For quick presentation work, 30-minute or 1-hour intervals are usually enough. For detailed shadow movement, use 15-minute intervals.

How to Add Labels to a Revit Sun Study

Labels make the sun diagram useful for readers who are not looking at your Revit model. Add only the information that supports the design argument: north direction, date, time, key shadow zones, hot facades, shaded entrances, and recommended shading devices.

1. Lock the 3D view. Revit needs a locked 3D view before you can place normal annotations reliably.
2. Go to Annotate > Text, or use the shortcut TX.
3. On the Place Text tab, choose a leader style such as Two Segments.
4. Click the view to place the note and leader.
5. Keep labels short: use phrases like summer afternoon sun, deep winter shade, or south facade solar gain.

If your labels are not appearing, confirm that the 3D view is locked. You can also use annotation symbols for a cleaner presentation style.

How to Export a Solar Study in Revit

Revit can export a solar study as a still image, video animation, or image sequence, depending on the study type and file format you choose. The Solar Study export command is only available when Shadows are on and the study is set to Single Day or Multi-Day.

Export a still image

1. Open the prepared sun study view.
2. Go to File > Export > Images and Animations > Image.
3. Choose the export range, file name, image size, and format.
4. Export as PNG or TIFF when you need a clean presentation image.

Export a solar study animation

1. Set the study type to Single Day or Multi-Day.
2. Go to File > Export > Images and Animations > Solar Study.
3. In the Length/Format dialog, choose the output length, visual style, and dimensions.
4. Check Include Time and Date Stamp if the animation needs to explain itself.
5. Click OK, choose a file name and file type, then click Save.
6. If exporting AVI, choose a compression option. Full Frames gives high quality but creates a larger file.

AVI exports a standalone video. The other file types (JPEG, TIFF, Targa, BMP, and PNG) save each frame as a separate image, which is handy when you want to pick one key frame for a diagram.

One limitation to know: Revit’s exported solar study animation focuses on the shadow movement. If you want to show the visible sun path graphic and your labels moving on screen, record the viewport with screen capture software instead of relying only on the native export.

For that workflow, see this guide on how to record your display.

Presentation Tips for a Sun Path Diagram

• Use a north arrow: Viewers need orientation before they can understand the shadows.
• Show the date and time: A shadow diagram without a date and time is incomplete.
• Compare two or three key moments: Summer solstice, winter solstice, and an equinox usually communicate more than a long unedited animation.
• Use consistent colors: Keep the model quiet and let shadows, labels, and key surfaces carry the diagram.
• Change the background carefully: A darker background can make the sun path easier to see, but make sure labels remain readable. You can learn how to change it in this background color guide.

Revit Sun Study Troubleshooting

A Revit sun study comes down to five choices: the right project location, shadows on, the right solar study type, a locked 3D view for labels, and the right export. Use a Still study for one key moment, Single Day or Multi-Day for a solar study animation, and screen capture when the sun path graphic needs to move on screen.

FAQs

What is the difference between sun path and solar study in Revit?

The sun path is the visual diagram of the sun’s movement in the active view. A solar study is the setup that uses location, date, time, and study type to evaluate sunlight and shadows.

Can Revit export a sun study animation?

Yes. Use File > Export > Images and Animations > Solar Study. Single Day and Multi-Day studies can be exported as animations or image sequences depending on the format.

Can I add text labels to a Revit 3D sun diagram?

Yes. Lock the 3D view first, then use Annotate > Text. Keep labels short and use leaders to point to the relevant facade, shadow, or sun direction.

Which Revit sun study type should I use?

Use Still for one date and time, Single Day for one-day shadow movement, Multi-Day for seasonal comparisons across dates, and Lighting for presentation shadows based on the active view direction.

Is there a Revit practice file for this tutorial?

Yes. The Revit project file for this lesson is available to Mashyo members on Patreon for $5.5/month, together with the practice files for the other Mashyo tutorials. You can cancel at any time. Open the sun study practice file on Patreon.

References

• Autodesk Help: Solar Studies in Revit 2026
• Autodesk Help: Workflow for Solar Studies
• Autodesk Help: Types of Solar Studies
• Autodesk Support: 2026 sun path location refresh behavior
• Autodesk Support: Solar Study export greyed out in Revit

Mohamed Fakhry

Mohamed Fakhry has helped thousands of architects and designers find their next project with step-by-step guidance on his blog, mashyo.com. About Mohamed

His journey began during his university years when he recognized the need for information-rich 3D models to accelerate learning and improve production processes. Now, Mohamed shares his expertise through Revit tutorials that are accessible to all.