You must create a Seating Layout for every seating arrangement you will use at a particular Screen, and each screen must have at least one seating layout created.

A seating layout is a floor plan associated with each cinema screen.

A Screen's Seating Layout determines:

• How many seats are available in each price category.
• The seats' relative sizes and positions.
• The types of seats available (single or multi-seat).
• Seat and row numbers.
• Seat and row priority.

Each screen must have at least one layout (the default layout). A screen can have several layouts; in this case you can specify which seating layout to use when you schedule a session at the screen.

Seating layouts allow you to use a screen in various seating configurations, and it may be appropriate to create a screen with multiple seating layouts in order to:

• Play standard and 3D films at the same screen; using a standard layout for standard sessions, and using a layout that includes only seats in the central columns for 3D sessions.
• Renovate a theatre; using different layouts to plan sessions for the old and new seating configurations.

Note: Seating Layouts are configured using the Screens form, in Cinema Manager > Maintenance.

Before you begin

• Create the screen to which the layout belongs.
• Create at least one area category.

Steps

1. Open the form for the Screen that you want to create the layout for (Cinema Manager > Maintenance > Screens).
2. On the Cinema Screen tab, click New Layout.
3. The Seating Layout window appears.
4. In the Seating Layout tab, enter a name, description, and other properties for your layout.
5. Click the Seating tab.
6. Add areas that correspond to blocks of seating.
   1. On the Seating Layout window's Seating tab, click Area Tool.
   2. The Area Tool window appears. The shaded region represents the physical dimensions of your theatre. A box representing the screen is located at the theatre's lower edge.
   3. (Optional) Resize the Screen box so that its width corresponds to the screen's actual proportions.
      

      Tip: To centre the screen horizontally, click Centre Screen.

   4. Click Add Area to create a new area in your seating layout. The new area appears as an orange box.
   5. Drag the centre of the area to position it with respect to the cinema screen.
      

      Tip: To place the area precisely, adjust the numbers in the Left and Top boxes.

   6. Drag the edges and corners of the area to change its shape and size.
      

      Tip: To re-size the area precisely, adjust the numbers in the Width and Height boxes.

   7. Enter the number of seat columns and rows that you want the selected area to represent. The number of rows and columns is independent of the size of the area, to allow for areas that contain different sizes of seat. For example, a broad area might contain only a few columns; this implies wide seats.
      
      Tip: If the seats in your new area are the same size as the seats in an existing area, right-click the new area and choose Match Seat Sizes > [Existing area] to automatically make the new area the correct size according its number of rows and columns.
      If the seats in your new area are as wide as they are deep, right-click the new area and choose Make Seats Square to automatically make the new area the correct size according to its number of rows and columns.

   8. Click OK.

7. Click on each area to select it and enter a name, description and other properties for the area.
8. Add seats to each area in the layout.
   1. On the Seating Layout window's Seating tab, click the area that you want to add seats to.
      

      Note: The area turns orange to indicate that it has been selected.

   2. From the ribbon, choose the type of seat you want to add to the area: Priority1, Priority2–9, Wheelchair Seat, or House Seat.
   3. In the Seating panel, click to add the selected seating type to the area.
      

      Tip: Drag the pointer to add blocks of the selected type of seating.

   4. (Optional) To designate adjacent seats as a multi-person seat (i.e. a bean bag or sofa), choose Multi-person Seating from the ribbon and drag the pointer across the seats that make up the multi-person seat.
   5. Choose a numbering method from Row Numbers in the ribbon to assign row numbers to the area.
      

      Important! The row numbers in Vista are the rows that will be printed on tickets. They must match the physical row numbers in your theatre.

   6. Choose a numbering method from Seat Numbers in the ribbon to assign seat numbers to the area.
      

      Important! The seat numbers in Vista are the seats that will be printed on tickets. They must match the physical seat numbers in your theatre.

   7. Click Priority in the ribbon to automatically assign row priorities to the area.
9. (Optional) Choose custom images to represent seating in this layout.
   1. In the Seating Layout application, click the Images tab.
   2. In the navigation tree, select the area and output channel that you want to use custom images for. For example: Stalls > Kiosk.
   3. Select Customise…
   4. Select the seat type you want to use a custom image for. For example: Single > Available.
   5. Select Customise…
   6. Select a custom image for the seat part.
      
      Note: In Vista, multi-person seats are constructed from three images: one image each for the left and right sides of the seat, and a third image for middle of the seat. The left and right images usually include the arms of the seat, while the middle image includes only its back and cushion.
      Vista displays the left or right image, together with the middle image, for the seats that make up the left and right end of the multi-person seat, respectively. For seats in the middle of the multi-person seat, Vista displays only the middle image.
      Single-person seats are represented by a single image.
   7. Select the custom image from the [Part] Custom Image list, or click Drilldown or Picklist to search for the image.
10. (Optional) Click the Alternate Language tab, and enter layout and ticket names and descriptions in your cinema's alternate language.
11. Save.

See also:

• Seating layout: Row numbers
• Configuring screens
• Working with cinemas and screens