Mark the places people will actually use
On a simple plan, mark seating, food service, a speaking area, photographs and arrival routes. Choose the event's local date and time, including setup and the last guests leaving. One sunny photograph of the venue does not describe that whole interval.
Check several moments in the schedule
- Inspect the site at setup time.
- Check the seating and speaking area at the main start time.
- Compare the midpoint, especially if guests will remain in one position.
- Check the photograph location at its actual scheduled time.
- Review the end of the event and the fallback plan.
In Coffee in the Sun, compare estimated shadows from nearby mapped buildings at these times. A shadow crossing a row of chairs may matter more than the overall percentage of the site that is sunlit.
Check eye-level conditions on site
Low sun can shine toward guests or a speaker even when the ground map looks favourable. Screens may be difficult to read, and a photographer may need a different position. Walk through the plan at the venue and inspect the relevant sightlines.
The app does not model exact furniture, stages, faces or indoor spaces. Trees, awnings and terrain are outside its building-shadow model; temporary tents and incomplete building data can also change the result.
Plan comfort and a weather alternative
Offer a choice of sun and shade where possible, and check the forecast as the date approaches. Cloud, rain and wind are separate from building-shadow geometry. Agree with the venue on an indoor or covered alternative and who decides when to use it.
For larger events, follow the venue's procedures and local requirements. A consumer shadow map is not a site-safety assessment or a substitute for professional event planning.
Recheck the final layout
Moving the seating a few metres or adding an awning can invalidate an earlier observation. Keep the date, times and locations with your plan, then confirm the real arrangement during setup.
For photography, see planning golden-hour photos. For seasonal differences, read why a summer location behaves differently in winter. NASA's seasonal explanation provides the underlying context.
