Lighting position (Default)

[hosford]

When I model, I model with the top of my models viewed using the view cube top selection.

I would assume the lighting to be from above the model, yet it comes from below, is there a simple way to set the lighting to be from above? or should I model everything upside down?

[SharkDesign]

It's based on the view cube, so quite often if you just change which side the model views as 'top' then the lights will change. 

Are you using studio or just normal environment?

[hosford]

I am using both, but when using studio all the detail I want to show is in shadows.

If I change the orientation of the part to view cube using set current view to, picking the top of the view cube and selecting view as front, the lighting is from above till I use either inventor studio or ray tracing, then the lighting flips to being below the model.

[SharkDesign]

I think it depends on whether your using lights or environment IBL
lighting.
If you're using lights then you probably need to move the model of the
lights. If you use environment lighting I think you just change the 'top'
unless that's different in studio.

[Gabriel_Watson · Accepted solution]

Change light styles for your model (or update that in your overall styles to affect other components too):

Click to de-select the second light if there is one (usually there is on Inventor's templates), then alter your first (keep in mind the angle +90 will represent a light coming from the "TOP" plane, so you have to set the top to the preferred angle):

[SharkDesign]

You are using Default I guess from your title. 

This is an IBL environment which means there are no lights. 

Light comes from the scene and is supposed to be more natural.

Changing the front/top plane of the viewcube definitely makes a difference and will also move the ground plane. 

You can also rotate the environment in the lighting settings:

Is your model definitely on the ground as this can also effect your lighting? 

Set it to orthographic.

Click a face on the view cube to look directly at the model.

Turn on ground plane.

You will see if it is on the ground or not and you can adjust it with the offset value.

Turn the appearance and grid display off to hide it in your render if you need to adjust it.