Helios is a Sun Position Calculator that graphically represents the position of the sun or moon, on any given day, in any given place.
Designed as an aid to Cinematographers and Stills Photographers working in natural light, Helios is essential to anyone who needs to plan a day around the constantly changing character of sunlight. Helios works without a network connection, though some functions are enhanced when connected to the internet.
Gaffers, Grips, Location Managers, Production Designers and First Assistant Directors will already be aware of the value of this information. Other professionals, from Architects and Surveyors to Electricians and Landscape Gardeners can now predict sun exposure in the field, without the need for complex tables or graphs. This information can be emailed and then printed from within the application.
Helios operates in 7 modes for the sun:
HelioMeter - representing the direction of the sun on a compass dial, also indicating elevation and shadow length.
Virtual Sun View - showing the sun’s path overlaid onto the live camera image
Sun Path view which shows the path of the sun the old fashioned way
Map View - showing the direction of the sun overlaid onto a map of the location
Sky View - a representation of the suns path across the sky
Inclinometer- determines at which times the sun will be at a certain elevation.
Compass - showing the azimuth of the sun in both degrees and time of day
While the accelerometer (inclinometer) and magnetometer (digital compass) of your iPhone are reasonably accurate, we think it wise to keep a high quality analogue device like the Suunto Tandem on hand for critical readings of elevation and azimuth.