From 3D Preview to a Shareable Video: What Makes the IST PVSolar Simulator 3D Tool Different

A 3D view is easy to make impressive. It is much harder to make it trustworthy. Most solar teams have seen a model that looks polished but disagrees with the numbers behind it, or one that goes blank with no explanation. For a designer who must justify row pitch and table height, and a client who must believe the result, that gap costs time and confidence.

The 3D tool in IST PVSolar Simulator is built around a different priority: honesty first, then presentation. This article walks through what that means, and how the new Record MP4 feature turns the 3D Preview into a video you can share.

One height, three views

Shading depends on height, so height has to be consistent everywhere. In IST PVSolar Simulator, the front-edge height of a module table is stored once and every view reads that single value. Change it in Shadow-Free Pitch Design, in the 3D tool's Front Edge Min Ht field, or through Suggest Mounting Height, and all three update together.

The rear edge height is never typed in separately. It is calculated from the front height, tilt, the number of modules stacked and the gap between them. As a result, the Row Pitch Diagram and the 3D Preview draw the same table from the same inputs.

Why this matters: if a table were drawn 0.3 m lower in 3D than in the pitch design, it would cast a different shadow, and the reported loss would quietly disagree with the drawing. Here, the pitch, lower edge and upper edge shown in the 3D toolbar match the figures in the Row Pitch Diagram table.

Shading by string, with the cause

A single shading-loss percentage tells you there is a problem. It does not tell you where to look. The 3D tool lists shading string by string and names what causes it, such as a neighbouring row, a parapet, a tree, a building or another obstruction.

Shaded panels are also marked in red or orange on the 2D layout, and the marks clear when an array is moved out of the shadow. A designer can see the problem, name it, fix it and confirm the fix on one screen.

Compare two statements:

• "3.2% shading loss."
• "String S7 loses output to the parapet on winter mornings."

The second leads straight to an action: raise the table, widen the setback or change the string. Strings are labelled S1, S2 and so on for roofs, and GS1, GS2 and so on for ground areas, so the same label appears in the list, the 2D map and the 3D Preview.

Camera and sun, kept separate

Under the surface, the 3D Preview keeps two things apart: where the camera looks from, and where the sun is. The camera is four numbers (orbit angle, tilt, distance and target point). The sun is a date and an hour, converted into a sun direction. Neither depends on the other.

This separation is why the new Record MP4 feature could be added without touching the shading, geometry or lighting code. The recording simply sets the camera for each shot and steps the sun through the day. Because it draws the same scene the user already sees, the video shows the same shadows the analysis uses.

From 3D Preview to video: the Record MP4 tour

The Record MP4 feature turns the 3D Preview into a guided video tour. According to the site, the tour runs through five stages:

1. A slow 360-degree orbit from above the panel area.
2. A close move from the front of the rows to the back.
3. A close move from left to right.
4. An east-side view while the sun runs from 06:30 to 17:30 on 21 March, 21 June, 21 September and 21 December.
5. A return to the starting view with a project summary.

The video also states project details, including the address, strings, panels, row pitch, front and rear table pole heights, and total DC kWp and AC kW. The four key dates cover the equinoxes and solstices, so a client sees how shadows behave across the year, not just on one convenient day.

Where a video helps

What makes it fully different

The key difference is not one feature. It is a design philosophy applied throughout the tool.

We have not compared every other simulator, so we make no claim about what they do. The point is that these qualities are rarely on a feature list yet decide whether people trust a shading tool. A tool can have every 3D option and still lose a client's trust if its picture disagrees with its table.

A practical workflow

1. Trace the roof or land area and set the scale so the model uses real metres.
2. Set the front-edge height and tilt, or use Suggest Mounting Height.
3. Review the row pitch and the shadow-free pitch design.
4. Open the 3D Preview and check the shading, string by string.
5. Fix the causes the tool names, such as moving an array out of a shadow, and confirm that the marks clear.
6. Run the simulation, so the shading feeds the energy yield.
7. Record the MP4 tour and share it with the client or reviewer.

Frequently asked questions

Is the video generated from the same scene as the analysis? According to the site, yes. The recording draws the same scene the user sees, so its shadows match the analysis.

Which dates does the shadow tour cover? The site says it covers 21 March, 21 June, 21 September and 21 December, from 06:30 to 17:30.

Does the tool tell me why a string is shaded? Yes. It lists shading by string and names the cause, such as a neighbouring row, parapet, tree or building.

What if the 3D Preview fails to build? The tool shows a message with the technical reason and asks for a screenshot and, if possible, the project .pro file.

Do I need the 3D tool for every project? No. A 2D-only workflow suits early feasibility studies, while the 3D tool helps when shading and layout detail matter.

Trust is the feature

A 3D view should do more than look good. It should agree with the numbers, explain its findings and tell you plainly when something has gone wrong. With the Record MP4 tour, that same honest scene becomes a video a client can watch and share.

Read the source article, Inside the 3D Tool of IST PVSolar Simulator, explore the product page, or create an account to try the 3D tool on your own site.