In chatting with a friend the other day, he asked why a lot of clubs in SL have no windows.
I had to stop and think for a moment. (Scary, I know!)
Do clubs in SL have windows? As I thought back to shows I’ve attended and the venues they were in, I realized that most venues don’t have windows.
Why is that?
Is it because the weather in SL can be whatever you want, so there’s no need to have a window to look outside?
Is it because whatever is outside the window will be a distraction?
Is is because there isn’t anything outside the window? I know many clubs are up in the air (1000 meters or more), so perhaps it’s because there’s nothing to see?
I personally like having a few windows, but then, my build is on the ground, not up in the air.
Is it because theaters in RL don’t have windows, so therefore, neither do theaters in SL?
Nai suggested that there were other reasons, including that having windows (and a light source) can make particles look bad, since they tend to be full-bright, as well as the fact that you can control the light sources when taking pictures if there are no windows. I have never played around with particles before, so I’ll have to try it and report back.
Do clubs/venues in SL need windows?
Sound off, readers!
A Kat and A Mouse 
I like them and think they are pretty but I don’t think clubs need them, most RL clubs and theatres don’t have windows either… go inside and block out the world, lose yourself in the fantasy, story or performance.
True. But most lobby/foyer areas of RL theaters and clubs have windows, and when I think of most clubs/venues in SL, they don’t. Is there a point where SL is too much like RL and the realism ruins the experience? Interesting thought. 🙂
Windows use up more prims than a blank wall.
I don’t believe that club builders have the forethought that windows might impact on the visibility of particles or indeed really care that someone might want to fiddle with their windlight for a nice photo as Nai suggests, his recent builds have had huge glass areas so either he didn’t consider particle/ photo usage or he deliberately sabotaged his build to annoy other people.
A lot of houses in SL have faux windows on the outside and no actual windows inside, this does make things easier to decorate inside but I do like windows on my house and believe this practice is a tad on the lazy side, but as I mentioned, it does save on prims.
RL theatres/ clubs I’ve been to tend not to have windows, even in the lobby area, or if they do they’re the exception, at least that’s my experience. Why would you need windows in a SL club anyway? Are the shows bad and you’d rather gaze outside at something nicer like you did during classes you hated at school?
Deliberate sabotage Zed. I only ever had 1 build without any windows and it lasted a couple of months tops. I like windlight photos and would rather see a clever use of shadows than restricts the viewers view to a narrow set of parameters. I understand the need some feel for an absolutely controlled environment. It does suprise me nobody else seems to ever want windlight photos in a theatre venue though.
“Set viewer to midnight” used to be the opening salvo to most shows, not sure if it still is. I suspect that by the time you have flicked through the or so windlight presets the show you’re at is over and even the mice have gone home. Some parcels have preset windlight settings (if you allow your windlight to be controlled) which they deem to be the way you should see their version of the world, most often resulting in very unflattering shadow effects or completely obscuring the people on stage depending on the angle which you’re observing from. Personally I like to see what’s going on rather than just the one dayglo prop someone’s forgotten that they’ve set to full bright.
The theater my troupe dances in on Idle Rogue (Guerilla Burlesque) used to not have windows and then some windows were put in. I love the windows it opens things up. We spend a lot of time in that theater that we’re not performing and it’s good to look outside and remember that there’s a whole other SIM / community out there. It does not seem to mess with our particles or anything, windlight is always set to midnight
Perhaps whether you think windows are needed depends on whether you like/need them in RL. I tend to keep my curtains drawn, but hubs opens them whenever he is home. I will say, after having spent 3 years working in a room with no windows, I do definitely have an appreciation for them!