Since the majority of my architectural work is within the interior environment, the idea of studying the solar path for a project is intriguing. I remember using the Solar Pathfinder in school with layers of mylar, measuring and tracing the horizon. However, now there is a device that simplifies the process and makes it accessible. I reviewed the write-up on www.buildinggreen.com for the Solmetric SunEye.
This device not only takes a photo of the horizon so you don't have to measure or trace it, but it also has an interface that assists with the calculations to determine solar access for the specific site. This SF Bay Area company is responding to the need for this digital version of the old manual Solar Pathfinder. Since we used a similar model in our site exercise, I cannot imaging locating a building on a site any other way now. I look forward to using the device again and perhaps even studying the effects on the interior environments of existing buildings through the calculations it can provide.