Designer Overview
Create professional venue seating layouts with the SeatSquirrel designer
What is the Designer?
The Designer is SeatSquirrel's layout creation interface. Use it to build professional venue seating maps with:
- Row-based seating with flexible configurations and curved rows
- Tables — circular and rectangular with configurable seat counts
- Bookable areas for standing sections, VIP zones, and general admission
- Visual annotations — shapes, lines, text, and icons for venue details
- Multi-tier pricing with unlimited pricing categories
Core Concepts
All Seats Are Row-Based
In SeatSquirrel, all individual seats belong to a row. There are no standalone seats. This ensures consistent seat organization, easier bulk editing, and better performance.
Rows
A row is defined by:
- Start and end points on the canvas (click and drag to place)
- Number of seats distributed along the row
- Curve factor for creating curved rows (e.g., amphitheater seating)
- Row label (A, B, C, or custom)
- Seat labeling (numeric, alphabetic, or custom)
Tables
Tables are circular or rectangular objects with seats arranged around them. Each table can be configured as:
- Multiple-customer — each seat is booked individually (like row seats)
- Single-customer — the entire table is booked as one unit, with optional minimum occupancy
For single-customer tables, pricing can be per-person (price × number of guests) or flat fee (one price regardless of party size).
Areas
Areas are bookable spaces without individual seats. They support:
- Multiple-customer (general admission) — many separate bookings up to capacity
- Single-customer (private/VIP) — one booking for the whole area
Pricing methods:
- Per-person pricing (price × number of guests)
- Flat-fee pricing (one price for the area)
Capacity management:
- Minimum and maximum occupancy
- Display unit label (seats, standing, sofas, etc.)
Pricing Categories
Pricing categories let you assign different prices to seats, tables, and areas — for example, Standard, Premium, and VIP tiers, or Adult, Child, and Senior pricing.
- Unlimited categories per layout
- Multiple categories can be assigned to the same seat, table, or area (the user chooses at booking time)
- Each category has a color for visual identification on the canvas
- Pricing carries over to the Picker for end-user selection
Tools Overview
The toolbar organizes tools into collapsible groups with chord shortcuts. Press the group key, then the tool key within 2 seconds.
Selection & Navigation
| Shortcut | Tool | Description |
|---|---|---|
V | Select | Click to select, drag to move, rubber band for multi-select |
V→S | Seat Select | Select individual seats without selecting their parent row/table |
V→M | Select Similar | Click to select all objects of that type |
P | Pan | Drag the canvas to pan the view |
Placement
| Shortcut | Tool | Description |
|---|---|---|
R | Row of Seats | Click and drag to place a row |
T→C | Circular Table | Click to place a circular table |
T→R | Rectangular Table | Click to place a rectangular table |
A→R/C/P/S | Areas | Rectangle, circle, polygon, or custom bookable areas |
S→R/C/P/S/L | Shapes | Rectangle, circle, polygon, custom, or line (decorative) |
I | Icon | Place a venue/facility icon |
L | Text | Add a text annotation |
See Designer Tools for detailed documentation on each tool.
Properties Panel
The Properties Panel on the right side dynamically shows editable options for the selected object(s).
For Rows & Seats
- Pricing category assignment (multiple categories supported)
- Row properties: seat count, curve, spacing
- Row and seat labeling
- Characteristics: wheelchair accessible, restricted view, unbookable
- Custom metadata fields (misc properties)
- Appearance overrides
For Tables
- Label and seat count
- Purchase type (multiple-customer or single-customer)
- Pricing method (per-person or flat fee)
- Minimum occupancy
- Seat labeling
- Pricing categories
For Areas
- Name and display label
- Purchase type and pricing method
- Pricing categories
- Capacity settings (min/max occupancy, display unit)
- Visual properties (fill, stroke, opacity)
- Characteristics and custom metadata
For Shapes, Lines & Text
- Visual properties (fill, stroke, opacity, corner radius)
- Size, position, and rotation
- Text content and formatting (for text elements)
- Line stroke style (solid, dashed, dotted) and closed path option
Bulk Editing
When multiple objects are selected, the Properties Panel shows shared properties:
- Tri-state checkboxes for characteristics (checked, unchecked, or mixed)
- Indeterminate pricing category states when selections differ
- Shared visual property controls
Canvas Features
Zoom and Pan
- Mouse wheel: Zoom in/out
- Spacebar + drag: Temporary pan mode (works with any tool)
- P key: Dedicated pan tool
- Zoom controls: Cmd/Ctrl+Plus, Cmd/Ctrl+Minus, Cmd/Ctrl+0 to reset
Trace Image Overlay
Upload a reference image (e.g., a venue floor plan) to trace over while designing:
- Upload an image via the Trace Image tool in the toolbar
- Adjust opacity to see through it
- Lock to prevent accidental movement
- Toggle visibility on/off
The trace image is only visible in the Designer — it does not appear in the Picker.
Background Color
Customize the canvas background color to match your venue or brand.
Undo/Redo
- Cmd/Ctrl+Z: Undo (up to 50 steps)
- Cmd/Ctrl+Shift+Z: Redo
- Descriptive action names in the history
Multi-Selection
Select multiple objects to edit them together:
- Click + drag on empty space for area selection
- Shift+click to add to selection
- Cmd/Ctrl+click to toggle selection
- Cmd/Ctrl+A to select all
- Cmd/Ctrl+Alt+click to select all objects of the clicked type
Multi-selection works across different object types (rows, seats, areas, tables, shapes).
Save and Export
- Save: Store the layout for use in events and the Picker
- Export to JSON: Download the complete layout data for backup or transfer
- Import: Load a previously exported layout JSON
Next Steps
- Designer Tools — detailed reference for every tool
- Keyboard Shortcuts — complete shortcut list