Drawing canvas

• Click Zoom In () and Zoom Out () to display the appropriate magnification.

• Click Fit to Canvas () to return to the default magnification.

• Click Collapse Button Bar () to hide the additional tools bar. Click Expand Button Bar () to expose the additional tools bar.

• Click Expand Drawing Area () in the top-left corner of the drawing canvas to hide the resource menu. Click Collapse Drawing Area () to return to the default view.

• Click Maximize Drawing Canvas, located in the View menu (), to display the drawing canvas in a full page view. Press SHIFT+F to switch between full page and regular mode.

Click Rotate Room () to rotate the diagram by 90 degrees.

You can use the View menu () to select which diagram components to display. The selected components are included when printing and exporting the diagram. The components can include the room outline, air walls, dimensions, outlets, and more.

The available options depend on which components exist on the diagram.

You can use the View menu () to decide whether to display grid lines on the diagram and choose the distance between the grid lines. To choose your unit of measurement, see User preferences.

When selected, the grid lines also display when printing.

This setting is defined per user and does not affect another user's display.

Click Page Orientation (,) to change the print orientation to either portrait or landscape.

If your system is integrated with Delphi, this setting also controls how the diagram prints from Delphi.

• Click Included in Batch Print () to exclude the diagram.

• Click Excluded in Batch Print () to include the diagram.

  If your system is integrated with Delphi, this setting also controls whether the diagram is included in the Delphi batch merge.

You can abut resources or groups of resources to position them next to one another. For example, you can create an eight-foot table by placing two four-foot tables next to each other. Resources can be abutted to the top, bottom, left, or right sides of each other.

1. Select the objects to abut.

   • To abut multiple resources, first select two or more resources. You can either use your mouse pointer to box select or press and hold CTRL while selecting individual items.

     When abutting resources by sides, the first resource you select is the basis for that action.

   • To abut to walls or lines, first select the resource that you want to move. Then, press and hold CTRL+SHIFT on your keyboard and select walls or lines created with the Multi-line or Polygon tools.

     When abutting to walls and lines, your selected reference points are indicated by dots.

2. Click the appropriate abut option in the Align () menu.

For more information on aligning resources, watch Select, align, and group objects.

You can use the resources panel on the left side of the page to search for and add resources to your diagram. You can find resources in the following ways:

• Start typing the name of the resource you need in the Find by Name field. You need to use a minimum of three characters. All resources that include the entered characters in the name display.
• The Frequently Used section displays the resources that you use most often. Users with access to multiple properties might see different resources depending on the property they are working with.
• Use the drop-down list to select a category of resources, such as Chairs, Tables, Audio/Visual, Decor, Exhibit, or Staging. Resources associated with that category display.

When you find your resource, drag it to the appropriate area on the canvas. The canvas displays a ruler to help you place objects. When you move your mouse pointer, the coordinates of your position display at the top of the canvas. The X value is your horizontal position, and the Y value is your vertical position.

With Live Update enabled, the X and Y coordinates display for the following locations: top left (TL), center (CTR), and bottom right (BR) of the resource.

If you double-click a resource without dragging it to the canvas, it is placed in the center of the current canvas view.

You can align multiple resources with each other when you need them placed in a straight line, like a row of chairs. Or use the walls of the room if you need to position an item within a specific space, like placing the dance floor in the center of the room. Resources can be aligned vertically, horizontally, or by sides.

1. Select the objects to align.

   • To align multiple resources, first select two or more resources. You can either use your mouse pointer to box select or press and hold CTRL while selecting individual items.

     When aligning resources by sides, the first resource you select is the basis for that action.

   • To align to walls or lines, first select the resource that you want to move. Then, press and hold CTRL+SHIFT on your keyboard and select walls or lines created with the Multi-line or Polygon tools.

     When aligning to walls and lines, your selected reference points are indicated by dots.

2. Click the appropriate align option in the Align () menu.

For more information on aligning resources, watch Select, align, and group objects.

These options are located under the Clear menu ().

• Click Clear Room () to remove all non-fixed resources from the room.

• Click Clear Numbers () to remove any numbers assigned to resources.

To delete a resource, select the resource and then click Delete() or press DELETE on your keyboard.

A resource can be duplicated by using either Copy and Paste under the Clipboard menu () or Clone under Settings ().

• To create one copy of a resource, select a resource and click Copy () or press CTRL+C.

• To paste the copied resource, click Paste () or press CTRL+V. The resource displays in the center of the drawing canvas and can be moved to the appropriate location.

• To create multiple copies of a resource, select the resource and use the Clone option under Settings (). Enter the number of copies to be made in the Count field. Then, enter a value in the Spacing and Direction fields to set the location of the copied resources. Click Apply when finished.

You can group resources together to move and edit multiple resources as one resource. Grouped resources can be ungrouped to manage each resource individually.

• To group resources, multi-select the resources, click Arrange (), and then click Group (). All actions performed on a group apply to each resource within the group.

• To ungroup resources, select the group, click Arrange (), and then click Ungroup (). You can then perform an action on an individual resource.

For more information on grouping resources, watch Select, align, and group objects.

Two options are available to decrease the time to update the diagram display.

Live Update

Live Update is located in the View menu ().

With this option selected, the canvas is updated in real time when you move resources. The exact coordinates of those resources also display. This option is selected by default. You can clear this checkbox when moving many resources at one time. This option displays resources in less detail, resulting in a more responsive experience.

You can select your Live Update default setting in User preferences.

Sketch mode

Sketch mode is located in the View menu ().

Sketch mode is used for resource groups created with the grow tool (). With this option selected, the outline of your resource group is simplified. You can then select an appropriate Sketch Detail level from the drop-down list. The higher the sketch Detail level, the more detail displays. You can use the Group Seating Objects option, in the Settings menu of a resource group, to further define the level of detail displayed.

You can press SHIFT+S to switch sketch mode on and off and press SHIFT+1, SHIFT+2, or SHIFT+3 to change the detail level.

You can select your sketch mode default setting in User preferences.

For better organization, you can label or number your resources.

Add, edit, or clear resource labels

1. Select the resource, and click Settings ().

2. Enter a Label. The label displays on the diagram.

3. To edit the label, click Settings () and update the name, rotation, wrapping, and font properties of the label.

To hide the label, clear the Show Label checkbox in Settings ().

Add, edit, or clear resource numbers

1. Click the Tools menu and then select Number Stamp Tool (). The Numbering window displays.

2. Enter a starting number and an increment and then click OK.

   To skip certain numbers, enter them in the Skip Numbers field, separated by a comma.

3. Click the first table, chair, or booth to assign your starting number.

4. Continue clicking resources to assign the next sequential numbers.

5. Click the Number Stamp Tool () again to stop numbering.

To edit the number assigned to a resource, select it, click Settings () in the corner of the resource, and then edit the Number assigned.

To clear all numbering, click Clear (), and then click Clear Numbers ().

Click the Tools menu and then select Dimension Tool (). Click the starting point on the canvas, drag to the end point, and release. When you use the Dimension Tool, consider the following:

• You can hold down the SHIFT key to draw horizontal, vertical, or 45-degree dimension lines.
• To manually set the dimension size, you can click Settings () and enter a distance under Line Size.
• Select Snap to Element under Settings () to attach the start and end points to a resource.

Walls and air walls do not display snapping points.

You might need to select Snap to Element again if the resource properties are changed.

• To change the font size, click Settings () and then select an appropriate Text Size.
• After you snap a line to an element, you can drag the dimension line, if needed. You might want to do this when the distance displays on top of resources.

• To bring a resource to the front, select the resource, click Arrange () , and then click Bring to Front (). Repeat this process until the resources display in the appropriate order.

• To send a resource to the back, select the resource, click Arrange () , and then click Send to Back () . Repeat this process until the resources display in the appropriate order.

• Click Undo () or press CTRL+Z to undo your last change.

• Click Redo () or press CTRL+Y to restore your last undone change.

Select one or more resources to work with, and click Activate Subset mode (). This option updates your view so that only the selected resources can be manipulated. Click Exit Subset mode () to return to the normal view.

For more information on Subset mode, watch Subset mode.

In Diagramming growable resources are resources that can increase in number using the Grow () tool. For example, you can grow a chair into many rows of chairs. The growable resources are then grouped as one object. This option is found in the lower-right corner of an applicable selected resource. Not all resources are growable. For more information on growable drapes, rope and stanchions, and dance floor tiles, watch Grow function for drape, rope and stanchions, and dance floor tiles.

Adjust the distance between growable resources in a group

To adjust the distance between resources in the group, click Settings (). Then, click Distance and edit the values in the distance fields as necessary.

The fields that display depend on the type of resource within the group.

Assign a number to growable resources

For better organization, you can assign a number to the resources in the group. To do so, click Settings () in the corner of the group, click Numbering, enter a Starting Number and Increment. To skip certain numbers, enter them in the Skip Numbers field, separated by a comma. Then, click Apply. Each resource within the group is assigned a number.

• To edit the numbering of the whole group, return to Numbering in Settings () as needed.

• To edit the numbering of part of the group, you need to ungroup the resources, select the part to renumber, and click Renumbering under Settings (). After you update the numbering, you can regroup the resources again, if necessary.

• To edit the numbering of one resource within the group, you need to ungroup the resources, select the resource to renumber, and enter a new value in Number under Settings (). After you update the numbering, you can regroup the resources again, if necessary.

Change the arrangement of a resource group

You can edit the arrangement of chairs and tables in a resource group. Click Settings () and then edit the available options as required. Available options might include Room Arrangement, Style, and Chairs per Table. The options that display depend on the resource selected and the values selected. For example, if Chevron is selected as the Room Arrangement, the option to adjust the Chevron Angle displays.

To change the arrangement of chairs at a table, see Chair arrangement tool.

Grow a resource

On the drawing canvas, select an applicable resource, for example, tables, chairs, or dance floor tiles.

Click Grow() in the corner of the resource and drag outward or inward to increase or decrease the quantity of the resource.

Some resources, such as rope and stanchions and drapes, grow in length only.

Chairs can be grown manually by using the Chairs in a Row option, under Settings ().

This option is available on a single resource only, not after a resource has been grown.

Select or clear Group Seating Objects

If the Group Seating Objects checkbox is selected in automatic layout, then the full Settings menu is available for your seating groups in design mode. You can clear the Group Seating Objects checkbox if you do not want your seating resources to be grouped. To do so, select click Settings (), and then select or clear Group Seating Objects.

You can select your Group Seating Objects default setting in User preferences.

Set aisle properties

You can establish aisles within your group of growable resources. To do so, click Settings () in the corner of the resource group, and then click Aisles. Edit the quantity and distance of Center and Cross aisles. For more information, watch Aisles for grow objects.

Advanced aisle options are available when growing chairs. Click Settings () in the corner of the resource group, and then click Aisles. Select the Advanced Options checkbox to define the number of chairs between aisles and the Aisle Size.

Advanced options are unavailable for the Chevron and Staggered seating styles.

You can customize the arrangement of chairs at a table in a variety of ways. For more information, see Chair arrangement tool .

When you add the steps resource, you can display the number of steps included. By default, all stairs include four steps, but you can change this to accurately represent your space. To do so, select the steps resource, and click Settings (). Then, click Number of Steps to adjust the value. The number of steps value is limited based on the total height of the steps resource. You can adjust the height by selecting Size / Type and then selecting Custom.

3D renderings of steps always display the default 3D model selected in Resources. The default might not have the same number of steps as your diagram.