Setting up areas in an important part of the Venue setup. There are two primary uses for Areas, to schedule areas for various events and to use the layout/floor plan functionality.
Identify different areas in your venue and the allowed uses for each, such as ceremony, reception, and dining. It is important to define these areas so you can select which areas will be used for each event you host. When booking an event you will select which areas are used, or alternatively you can select exclusive use. By selecting areas, you can book events in different areas at the same time if you would like.
To get the most out of the advanced wedding planning options, it is advisable to upload the floor plan of areas that are available at your venue. By adding floor plans and the details of the furniture available, you and your clients can develop a layout; managing tables and fixtures for the perfect event.
Step-by-Step Guide:
Venue > Areas and Fixtures
There are 3 tabs on this screen: Areas, Fixtures, and Default Layouts
Areas default with one Area, "Main." Click on the green pencil icon to edit the details. Note: if you will not be using the Area functionality, please leave "Main" in place as the scheduling wizard requires you to select an area.
In the edit area section, change the name to the room or location of your Venue that you wish to include. Input the dimensions of the room for a basic planning feature or for a more advanced plan, you can associate the area with an SVG file uploaded in your Venue documents (see Document Uploads if this hasn't been completed). If you are using the SVG document, the floor plan width and height must match the aspect ratio of the file, not just the size of the area, please reach out to your Sonas Customer Success Representative for assistance.
A Background Colour can optionally be selected if you want to highlight a particular area's use with events on your calendar. The use of an area colour will OVERRIDE any venue colours or event type colours. The colour shows when only the one area is assigned to an event, it does not show when the event is exclusive use or there are multiple areas assigned.
The assigned colour will also outline the area in the area list to remind you of its colour, orange in these examples.
You can add as many locations as offered by the venue, click Actions > + Add New Area.
Fixtures is the inventory list of all tables, chairs, furniture, etc. that can be used in events. The section has 3 example types in the menu as default; top table, rectangular table, and a round table. You can amend or delete these options, replacing with the fixtures specific to your venue. Click on each fixture to see/add/amend the information related to each fixture. The information includes, Name and type of the furniture, Capacity of people allowed at each table, Number of fixtures available (quantity), Description of fixture (this will show as an overview in the main menu, is optional), Allowed areas (this is where you can specify the areas in which this furniture can be used), and Assign number to this fixture in events (for tables that will have table number assignments).
You can add as many fixtures as offered by the venue by clicking Actions > +Add New Fixture
For advance fixture planning, toggle the box at the bottom of the menu called Set Fixture Area For Layouts. This will bring up an advanced menu for the specific fixture to include its dimensions. This is a necessary step to align each fixture's size with the amount of room available in each floor plan loaded in the Layouts section.
Type is either circle or rectangle (square). Can Overlap sets the permission if the items can overlap or must the sizes be respected when you are doing the layouts. Size will be length and height (depth) for rectangle/squares. For circles the measurement is the Radius (1/2 of the dimension). Shape Buffer/Margin Distance is the space added to the size of the fixture to make walkways for staff and make room for chairs (so you don't have to add chairs to dining layouts!) If all tables have a buffer of 609mm (2 feet), the full distance between tables will be 1219mm (4 feet), room for chairs/guests and server walkways. Note: if you butt up rectangle tables to make even longer tables, do not use buffers as the buffer is applied to all four sides.
Layouts bring together the area and fixtures for floor planning with default layouts for each of your venue’s areas, providing your customers with a good base for the placement of tables and fixtures for each one. Recommended layouts, that the couple and event coordinator can then tweak as part of the planning process. Offering default layouts gives each event a starting point for customization. Note: you do need areas setup with an SVG file to create accurate layouts.
To add a new layout template, click Actions > + Add New Layout.
Complete the details to include Layout Name and Type. Select the quantity of each fixture allowed in the specified area. Note: if you do not see the fixture you are looking for, check the fixture settings, it may not be allowed in that particular area.
Click SAVE.
Once this is saved, Floor Plan will appear at the bottom of this screen. Click on Floor Plan and your layout will open with your pre-determined floor area.
Click on Missing Fixtures to add in your tables/chairs that are included in your layout’s fixtures. Drag and rotate the fittings onto the floor plan as desired to create your default layout. The yellow is the actual dimensions, the green is the predetermined buffer.
If the fixtures go RED, they are too close, adjust.
To rotate, click on the light blue box associated with the fixture.
The blue arrow on each table signifies where seat #1 is and the direction seating goes. This is helpful when seating assignments are not only a specific table, but a specific seat as well.
Note: There is a legend below the layout to assist in understanding what each fixture is. 
Click SAVE once you are happy with your layout.
Please see Submenu: Guests for how to use the default layout for specific events.