Creating a new table plan^M

The table plan consists of a list of table or seat numbers on the one hand and a graphic floor plan of a specific room with a specific room setup and, if applicable, further details such as stage, dance floor etc. on the other. The table plan can be sketched or drawn to scale. Table numbers can be assigned and displayed for the allocation of individual tables to guests.

• Open a new graphical table plan

  A sketch of the table plan can be created using existing images or geometric shapes. Go to the  Floor plan tab and open or hide the layers and properties of the graphic by clicking on  Properties in the top right-hand corner.

  1. Go to the  Templates tab and click on  Table plans >   New. The input window for a new table plan will open.
  2. Select the room for which the table plan is to be created from the picklist. Alternatively, open the room first on the  Administration tab by clicking on  Rooms, then go to the  Table plans tab for that one room.
  3. Enter a Name and select the Seating style from the expandable picklist. The name of the table plan will appear in the picklist for event rooms as entered here. The seating style is transferred to the list of event rooms as an editable default setting.
  4. The seating Capacity is calculated automatically if Manage tables is activated and the seats per table are specified. (Activate table or seat management). That number can only be entered manually if table management is inactive
  5. The option  Adjust to page size opens the plan in the reservation overview at maximum size.
  6. If a Floor plan has already been saved for the room, it will appear in the  Properties of the graphics programme on the right as the "Base" layer (Creating a room). If no floor plan is available, create one within the graphics programme (Create a new floor plan).
     Note: Create all non-moving elements on the "Base" layer and fixate them by ticking the column  "Fixate". Create movable elements on other levels. You can recognise which layer you are currently in by the addition ("Current layer") after the name of the layer.
  7. Switch to a new layer of the graphic by double-clicking or go through "Layers" (white plus with grey background on the right).
  8. Insert existing objects such as tables, chairs or other objects by clicking  Insert image from the database or hard drive, or use shapes from the graphics programme.
  9. Once you have created a shape, right-click and Save to gallery to save it as an image for later use.
  10.  Save your input by clicking on the icon in the top left-hand corner of the input window.
• Create a table plan to scale

  To create a true-to-scale table plan, the room and furniture must use the same scale. If a scale is defined in the floor plan and the inserted objects have a scale of the same name, the size will be adjusted automatically.

  1. If necessary, show the units for height and width in the plan by clicking View > Rulers in the toolbar of the graphics programme.
  2. At the bottom of the input window, select the Ruler unit "Pixel".
  3. Click on the line tool in the left-hand toolbar and draw an auxiliary line, p.ex. across the width of the door. The number of pixels of the line is shown in the right-hand column Object properties > Size. Select a line that is as long as possible to minimise measurement inaccuracies.
     Example: Door width = 80 cm corresponds to 22 pixels
  4. Convert the scale to whole metres.
     Example: 80cm = 22 pixels
     100cm = 27.5 pixels
  5. Save the scale under File > Scales > New as a new unit (p.ex. "Room plan") with pixel scale "27.5".
  6. Set the Ruler unit to the new unit. The number displayed now corresponds to one metre.
  7. Draw tables and chairs in the same graphic and with the same scale. The size of the objects specified under Object properties corresponds to the dimensions in metres.
     Example: A chair with a width of 45 cm = 0.45
     Note: Every object that has a scale with the same name (p..ex. "Room plan") is adjusted in size when inserted.
  8.  Save your input by clicking on the icon in the top left-hand corner of the input window.
• Distribute objects evenly

  Distribute tables, chairs and other objects on the table plan at regular intervals.

  1. Click on the arrow in the left-hand toolbar and select at least two objects by left-clicking and holding down the Shift key.
  2. In the toolbar, select  Distribute objects > Vertically or Horizontally. The objects are distributed between the rightmost and leftmost (or top and bottom) objects.
  3. If necessary, enter a fixed distance between objects in the selected ruler unit in the dialogue.
     Example: Distance of 10 cm between chairs
• Link objects

  Group chairs and tables, or several tables, in order to move or copy them together in this arrangement.

  1. If necessary, deactivate the  One-click table menu above the table plan.
  2. Select the objects you want by left-clicking and holding down the Shift key.
  3. Release the Shift key, right-click to open the context menu and select Group.
• Activate table or seat assignment

  A table plan can simply serve as a visual representation of the seating plan, making it easier for staff to set up correctly. However, in oder to assign specific tables to reservations, the tables must have numbers (or names). To use the graphical table plan correctly in the reservation overview, these numbers must also be linked to objects in the graphical table plan.

  1. Enlarge the input window by hiding the information on layers and object properties of the graphical plan by clicking on  Properties at the top right above the table plan graphic.
  2. To the right of the table plan name, click on the option  Manage tables. A new sub-window will appear to the right of the table plan for Table numbers and other details.
  3. Create a new table by clicking   Add > Add new table .
  4. Select   Add > Add multiple tables to create new tables and numbers directly. To allocate individual seats, enter seat numbers instead of table numbers and assign them "1" seat each.
     Example: Enter "2;8;12-16" to create table number 2, 8, 12, 13, 14, 15 and 16.
  5. Select one or more tables by left-clicking and holding down the Ctrl or Shift key to edit them simultaneously:
     1. Right-click in the first column  Colour to assign the same colour to all tables.
     2. Right-click in the column Seats and enter the same number of seats for all tables.
     3. Right-click in the column Seating area to assign the same area to all tables.
  6. Tables can only be assigned individually to the  Children's area by ticking.
  7. Tables and seats can be changed or Deleted as long as the table has not yet been booked in this table plan. As soon as a table has already been booked, it is highlighted in grey. The number of seats can then only be increased, not reduced. If the table is deleted anyway, the table allocation of the reservation is cancelled.
• Combine tables or seats

  In the table list, for example, all seats at one or several tables can be summarised using a number for the reservation. However, these must first be created as individual tables or seats.

  1. Select the top table in the table list by left-clicking. A new input window will open below the table list.
  2.  Add seats or tables in the Sub-Tables window.
  3. The table group is underlined in the list.
     Note: The grouping of objects on the table plan does not replace the grouping of seats or tables in the table list. The number of seats of top and sub-tables is not synchronised.
• Link the table numbers in the list to the graphic table plan

  In order to book in the graphical table plan, the table numbers must be linked to the objects on the graphic. Without this link, table allocations are only possible through the list or timeline view.

  1. Activate the / One-click table menu above the plan. This will hide the the options for graphic editing, so you can concentrate on the options for table management in the context menu.
     Note: Only the cursor must be selected in the left-hand toolbar of the graphics programme, no other tool may be selected.
  2. Select a table in the table plan.
  3. Right-click and select (p.ex.)  Assign table 4 to assign one of the unlinked table numbers. In the table plan, the table is coloured dark blue for confirmation and the last column in the list of tables on the right is ticked.
     Note: Each number refers to an independent object. Grouped objects only receive one number. If you have not activated the one-click table menu, select Assign objects.
  4. Alternatively, select an object (table) in the table plan, select a row in the table list and left-click to tick the box in the right-hand column  Object assigned in the table plan.
  5. If required, remove the assignment by right-clicking on the object and selecting Remove assignment, or by unticking in the list. To remove the assignment for several tables, select the tables in the list, click on the column  Object assigned in the table plan and select Remove assignment.
• Format table numbers and reservation information in the table plan

  In the table plan, define which information is shown in the table reservation overview: Table numbers of free tables or more details about the reservation for tables that have already been allocated. Both can only be created and formatted after a table number has been assigned to the object in the graphical plan.

  1. Right-click on an assigned table in the plan and select  Show table number.
  2. Double-click to open the text field and format the numbers as required.
  3. Confirm by clicking OK.
  4. You can also save the format of an existing table number as a format template by right-clicking  Save as format template and applying it to other table numbers by clicking  insert format template. The format template is saved with the table plan and is only available for this plan.
     Note: There is only one (the last saved) format template per table plan. This template must be applied manually to existing table numbers; it is automatically applied to newly added table numbers.
  5. Right-click and  Show reservation info to add another text field.
  6. Double-click to open the text field and select a database reference or a list to show the name of the guest, the number of people or other details.
  7. Format as required and confirm by clicking OK.
  8. Click on  Move reservation info in the top right-hand corner of the table plan to change table assignments via drag-and-drop in the table reservation overview.
• Group tables for automatic allocation

  Individual tables can be grouped together for larger parties if they are close together. Create these groupings in the table plan for automatic table allocation either in the reservation overview, within a reservation or as part of the online table reservation.

  During automatic table allocation, the system first searches for suitable tables. If no suitable tables are free or available, table groups with a sufficient number of free seats are searched for.

  1. Click on  Define table groups at the top right above the list of tables.
  2. A new input window will open. Apply the table numbers by clicking  Select tables.
  3. Select the numbers of the tables that can be grouped by left-clicking and holding down the Ctrl key and confirm by clicking  Apply. The table numbers are then automatically in the correct format, with a semicolon (;) as separator
     
  4. Start a new row for each new table combination.
     
  5. Only tables that are listed next to each other can be grouped together. To enable different combinations, create several groups. Each table can occur several times.
     Example: 10;11;12;13;20 (Table 10 can be combined with table 11, but not 12, 13 or 20. Table 12 can be combined with tables 11 or 13.)
     10;12;13 (Table 10 can be combined with table 12.)
     10;13 (Table 10 can be combined with table 13.)
  6. Table numbers starting with "-" are not assigned during automatic table allocation.
• Remove a table from a table plan

  Tables can also be removed from table plans later.

  1. Select a table in the table plan or in the list of tables on the right.
  2. Click above the table list on  Remove and select the option Delete table.
  3. If the table has already been booked, a warning will appear and the option to display all reservations for this table and table plan. The reservations can then be edited individually in the list of results.
  4. If you select Delete anyway, the table will be deleted from all reservations (past or future). The deletion will be noted in the remarks field for the reservation.
  5. The reservations affected by this operation must then be reassigned to another table.