A real world seating layout tool

[grant_PD]

Here's how seating layouts need to work:

I need to enter in a symbol and draw lines or arcs, and have the symbol duplicate along that path. The offset is of my choosing and so is the rotation of the symbol. If I want to take out seats along that path (for aisles) then I can toggle through and take them out.

We can call that 1 row.

Each row has a Z height

The tool needs to number the symbol on the page so we can see seat numbers.

The tool needs to create a worksheet that shows total seat count, seat count by row.

[Kevin McAllister]

+1

I have done many theatre layouts yet never used the seating layout tool. It might be good for a simple event, but it's just not up to the task of real seating layouts.

It should have an option to offset rows based on a pair of loci in the seat symbol (ie. furthest point forward to furthest point back plus egress, or arm end to furthest point back plus egress) which is how its measured for code. It should understand maximum number of seats in a row.

You should also be able to label seating sections and have the worksheet organize that way.

Kevin

[grant_PD]

I would like to see real world studies of people using the seating layout tool. I would like to know how people actually use it and save time.

[ChadL]

I use it a lot to get started, then ungroup and fix. I draw a lot of seating layouts for Ballrooms, and usually I can get something close to what I need and I feel it is slightly faster than using offset duplication. I like having the ability to quickly change offsets and how the layout is. Usually it gets to a point where I just need that table/chair that is right on the boundry, or I don't want that row with 1 chair, so I ungroup it so it is no longer a plugin object.

[PVA - Admin]

I would like to see real world studies of people using the seating layout tool. I would like to know how people actually use it and save time.

I use it a lot to get started, then ungroup and fix. I draw a lot of seating layouts for Ballrooms, and usually I can get something close to what I need and I feel it is slightly faster than using offset duplication. I like having the ability to quickly change offsets and how the layout is. Usually it gets to a point where I just need that table/chair that is right on the boundry, or I don't want that row with 1 chair, so I ungroup it so it is no longer a plugin object.

This is how I hear most users end up working with the Seating Layout object, using it as a more detailed method of Duplicate Array than anything else.

I'll extract the individual wishes here, please let me know if I miss a key item:

1) Controllable numbering on-page per seat.

2) Custom geometry/Path object to determine the shape of a row.

3) Ability to remove and add single seats at a user-defined location.

4) Automated worksheet per-seating layout as well as an overall schedule. Especially the ability to read out how many seats are in each specific row.

5) Controllable Z height per row.

6) User-customizable location via the symbol geometry for measuring row-to-row. Currently it assumes the center of the symbol which is not always (or perhaps ever) correct.

[grant_PD]

Yes, that's a good place to start.

[PVA - Admin]

Submitted.

[ChadL]

I think that looks good as well.

1 thing I would like to add is an option for when you first place the seating in to draw Layout lines only and draw boundry lines. I always switch to that when adjusting my seating so it takes less time to re-draw everything.

[C. Andrew Dunning]

I would like to see real world studies of people using the seating layout tool.

Here are a couple of my "typicals."

From my perspective, the Seating Layout tool is WAY too difficult to use. It simply doesn't "think" like "chairologists" think. (And, I've watched a LOT of chair crews work.) For example, does the front row always align with "the string?" And, does it really matter if a chair's foot overlaps "the string" by .5"?

That being said, though, using the tool beats laying out and counting 8000 chairs manually...especially, with constant revisions...