ShadeMap: Browser-Based 3D Shadow Simulation Without Google Earth Pro

ShadeMap is a web application that models how shadows fall across real-world locations, letting users simulate the sunlight and shade cast by buildings, trees, and terrain in 3D. It calculates sun position and sun path over the course of a day, so a user can see exactly where a house or garden will be lit or shaded at any given time, including at sunrise and sunset.

The tool is aimed at practical use cases such as solar analysis, shadow studies for architecture or planning, choosing where to plant a garden, and timing outdoor photography. It also generates shadow accumulation maps that show cumulative exposure over a period rather than a single moment.

Its main selling point is accessibility: the same kind of solar and shadow analysis traditionally done in desktop software like Google Earth Pro runs entirely in the browser, with nothing to install or purchase.