Minor tweak to UI to make the shadow UI more elegant and reflect IFC style types

src/bonsai/bonsai/bim/module/light/prop.py

@@ -71,10 +71,8 @@ def update_sun_path_size(self, context):
     update_sun_path(self)
 
 
-def update_display_shadows(self, context):
-    if self.display_shadows:
-        if context.scene.BIMSolarProperties.traverse_transparent:
-            context.scene.BIMSolarProperties.traverse_transparent = False
+def update_shadow_mode(self, context):
+    if self.shadow_mode == "SHADING":
         update_sun_path(self)
         context.scene.render.engine = "BLENDER_WORKBENCH"
         context.scene.display.shading.light = "FLAT"
@@ -84,14 +82,7 @@ def update_display_shadows(self, context):
         context.scene.view_settings.view_transform = "Standard"  # Preserve shading colours
         space = tool.Blender.get_view3d_space()
         space.shading.type = "RENDERED"
-    else:
-        space = tool.Blender.get_view3d_space()
-        space.shading.type = "SOLID"
-
-def update_traverse_transparent(self, context):
-    if self.traverse_transparent:
-        if context.scene.BIMSolarProperties.display_shadows:
-            context.scene.BIMSolarProperties.display_shadows = False
+    elif self.shadow_mode == "RENDERING":
         if context.scene.sun_pos_properties.sun_object is None:
             bpy.ops.object.light_add(type="SUN", radius=1, align="WORLD", location=(0, 0, 0), scale=(1, 1, 1))
             bpy.ops.object.move_to_collection(collection_index=0)
@@ -106,10 +97,10 @@ def update_traverse_transparent(self, context):
         space = tool.Blender.get_view3d_space()
         space.shading.type = "RENDERED"
     else:
-        context.scene.render.engine = "BLENDER_WORKBENCH"
         space = tool.Blender.get_view3d_space()
         space.shading.type = "SOLID"
 
+
 def update_display_sun_path(self, context):
     if self.display_sun_path:
         update_sun_path(self)
@@ -417,20 +408,28 @@ class BIMSolarProperties(PropertyGroup):
     azimuth: FloatProperty(name="Azimuth")
     elevation: FloatProperty(name="Elevation")
     UTC_zone: FloatProperty(name="UTC Zone")
-    display_shadows: BoolProperty(
-        name="Display Shadows",
-        default=False,
-        description="Enables a visual style to display shadows easily",
-        update=update_display_shadows,
+    shadow_mode: bpy.props.EnumProperty(
+        items=(
+            ("NONE", "No Shadows", "No shadows"),
+            (
+                "SHADING",
+                "Shaded",
+                "Fast shadows sufficient for external shadow analysis based on shading styles",
+                "SHADING_SOLID",
+                1,
+            ),
+            (
+                "RENDERING",
+                "Rendered",
+                "Raycast (Eevee) shadows considering transparency based on rendering styles",
+                "SHADING_RENDERED",
+                2,
+            ),
+        ),
+        name="Shadow Mode",
+        description="How to display shadows in the scene",
+        update=update_shadow_mode,
     )
-
-    traverse_transparent: BoolProperty(
-        name="Enable Sun: Shadows and Light traversal of transparent objects",
-        default=False,
-        description="Enables a visual style so Sun light can traverse transparent objects and cast shadows (it toggles the render engine to EEVEE)",
-        update=update_traverse_transparent,
-    )
-
     display_sun_path: BoolProperty(
         name="Display Sun Path",
         default=False,

src/bonsai/bonsai/bim/module/light/ui.py

@@ -236,14 +236,15 @@ class BIM_PT_solar(bpy.types.Panel):
             row.operator("bim.move_sun_path_to_3d_cursor")
 
         row = self.layout.row(align=True)
-        row.prop(props, "display_shadows", icon="SHADING_RENDERED")
-        row.prop(context.scene.display.shading, "shadow_intensity", text="Shadow Intensity")
+        # row.prop(props, "display_shadows", icon="SHADING_RENDERED")
+        row.prop(props, "shadow_mode", icon="SHADING_RENDERED", expand=True)
 
-        row = self.layout.row(align=True)
-        row.prop(props, "traverse_transparent", icon="SHADING_RENDERED")
-        if props.traverse_transparent:
-            row = self.layout.row(align=True)
-            row.prop(context.scene.sun_pos_properties.sun_object.data , "energy", text="Sun Intensity")
+        if props.shadow_mode == "SHADING":
+            row = self.layout.row()
+            row.prop(context.scene.display.shading, "shadow_intensity", text="Shadow Intensity")
+        elif props.shadow_mode == "RENDERING":
+            row = self.layout.row()
+            row.prop(context.scene.sun_pos_properties.sun_object.data, "energy", text="Sun Intensity")
 
         row = self.layout.row(align=True)
         row.operator("bim.view_from_sun", icon="LIGHT_HEMI")