Shading Mask: a teaching tool for sun shading devices

Sun shading devices provide an opportunity for the designer to control natural lighting, ventilation, and solar gain, all of which provide a benefit to the overall building performance. Through sun path diagrams and shading masks, some of the effects of these solar controls can be demonstrated graphically. This paper describes, a computer program written to help designers understand the basic theory of solar control, generate sun path diagrams, design overhead, side, and eggcrate shading devices, calculate solar angles and shading masks, and provide case studies of actual buildings.