Using the Report on Location

sunPATH is a tremendous aid in production scheduling and set construction.  sunPATH allows you to efficiently manage your limited and expensive production time to take advantage of the “best” light for any location.

Detailed Printed Reports
- Reports are fast to reference, easy to understand, make extra copies of the report and distribute them to those who need the information
- The report’s graph is an easy to understand plot of the Sun’s path during the day
- Leave expensive equipment where it is safe

Location Information
The top section of the Report contains the location’s information, including the date range that Daylight Savings Time is observed.

Calculation Note
Notifies the user if Magnetic Declination has been used in the calculations.
True North - Magnetic Declination has not been used.  You must make a Magnetic Declination correction with your compass readings.
Magnetic North - Magnetic Declination was used in the calculations.  Do Not make any corrections with your compass readings.  “What you see is what you get.”

Daily Sunrise/Sunset List
Dawn - Time when there should be sufficient light from the sky for a normal exposure (T1.3 @ ASA 500).
Sunrise - The time of day the sun’s apparent upper edge first appears at the eastern horizon (“true horizon”). 
Azimuth - Sun’s position on the horizon at Sunrise.
Day Length - (Daylight hours)  The length in hours and minutes that the sun is above the horizon.
Sunset - The time of day the sun’s apparent upper edge disappears below the western horizon (“true horizon”).
Azimuth - Sun’s position on the horizon at Sunset.
Dusk - Time when there should be sufficient light from the sky for a normal exposure (T1.3 @ ASA 500).
(See the Glossary for more detailed explanation.)

Sun Position Listing
The middle day of the above list is used to calculate the sun’s position during the day.  The list will be in fifteen or thirty minute increments as set in your Preferences.
AZ° - Azimuth, horizontal position of sun. (sun’s center)
AL° - Altitude, height of the sun above sea level. (sun’s center)
SF* - Shadow Factor, used in calculating shadow length.  Only available when one day per report page is selected from the Preferences or Report Options.

Graph
The graph plots the sun’s positions as given in the Sun Position List.  The graph represents the sun’s path for the middle day of the Daily Sunrise/Sunset List.
The vertical axis marks altitude bearings in whole degrees.  The horizontal axis marks azimuth bearings in whole degrees.
Zero (0°) altitude is the “true horizon” the shaded (green) horizontal line on the grid.
Each dot on the graph’s main grid, Altitude and Azimuth, mark 5 degrees.
Each dot on the vertical E,S,W or N lines is 2 degrees in altitude.
The large dots on the sun path plot are at thirty minute intervals, the smaller dots, if shown, are at fifteen minute intervals.

Use the graph to visualize the location’s objects (buildings, trees, mountains, etc.) in respect to the sun’s path.  Draw the objects on the graph based on their azimuth and altitude data.  You will then know if and when they will block the sun.

To use sunPATH’s reports you will need an accurate compass and clinometer.
(See the Glossary for further definitions.)

Shadow Length
The “Shadow Factor” (SF) from the report allows you to determine the approximate length of shadows during the day.  You need to know the height of the object that will be casting the shadow to determine the length. 
Shadow Length = Object Height X Shadow Factor. 
IE: Shadow Length = 10ft X 5.67   Shadow Length = 56.7ft
The shadows change very quickly when the sun is low in the sky.