In this article, you can learn how to work with basic design tools, create booths, and draw objects.
This article will help you, if you are going to design a simple plan that doesn't require any of the features below:
Drawing irregular shapes
Customizing icons or fonts
Implementing wayfinding
Otherwise, read also this article to learn how to design a more advanced plan.
If you have your plan professionally designed by our team, you can use the instructions in this article to make small changes to the plan.
This article is based on Designer 2.0, and some features may work differently if you are using the first version. In this case, please contact us as soon as you have any questions.
Don't forget to save your progress by clicking the Save button. Use Version history to restore an older version.
How to start
If you already have an account with us and want to add a new event, you should find the option "Add new floor plan" on your Dashboard . You can have as many floor plans under your account as you want.
Select a venue
You can start with a venue template, a sample venue, or a blank one.
Venue template
Start typing the name of your venue and choose it from the drop-down menu. If we have your template in our system, you'll see the preview on the right. Click "Load template".
We constantly update our template library, so if we don't have your template yet, we'll add it. Let us know which one you need in the chat button, so we can move it up on our to-do list.
However, note that some templates already exist but are still in a “raw” state. Because of this, we may need a significant amount of time to refine, complete, and fully polish the existing templates. But they will be updated and improved over time.
If you've chosen an incorrect venue, you can create a new floor plan and delete the previous one.
Sample venue
Select a sample venue if you don't have a location for your event yet or want to jumpstart your trial. It comes with sample booths, booth prices, stages, and schedules, so it's perfect for trying out booth reservations, (un)assigning sample exhibitors, etc.
If you decide to add a venue template later, you can copy your design, create a new floor plan with the venue, and paste it.
Blank venue
Select a blank venue if you don't have a fear of a blank page and want to start completely from scratch. Please note that sample exhibitors and other data are unavailable with the blank venue.
Add sample exhibitors and other data
We recommend choosing this option if you create a floor plan for the first time. You'll be able to see what the exhibitor details and Portal look like, test exporting the data, assign categories, etc.
First steps in the Designer
Once the venue is created, you can upload files containing your booth layouts in a variety of formats: DXF, PDF, SVG, PNG, JPG. It will make the design process easier, but you can still design your plan without uploading anything.
The first things you need to do to make your plan precise is to set a measurement unit and a grid, and to learn how layers work so they don't confuse you.
Measurement units and scaling
In the Designer workspace, you can choose meters or feet as the measurement unit.
The default scaling is 1:1, meaning that 1 pixel is equal to 1 m or 1 ft.
Grid
Grid will help you perfectly align objects to each other. The settings (at the bottom of the workspace) let you choose the size of the grid cells.
A larger grid size helps you align bigger objects, while a smaller grid helps you align elements with better precision.
Layers
A layer is a way to organize objects in your design. Layers stack on top of each other, which means elements on higher layers appear in front of elements on lower ones.
On a basic level, layers help you manage your design more easily. You can select a layer to move, resize, hide, lock, or delete its objects without affecting others. The most crucial thing when designing a simple plan is to make sure that each element you add is assigned to the correct layer.
"WF" (wayfinding) is for wayfinding lines (invisible in the front view)
"Foreground" is for objects you want to appear in front of booths
"Booths" is for booths and other POIs
"Background" is for everything you want to appear behind booths
"Images (designer only)" is for images and other files that you use as references to draw your map (invisible in the front view)
If all layers are visible in the Designer, new objects get placed on the top WF layer. This layer is technical; it's invisible in the front view, so it's crucial to move the objects that are supposed to be visible to another layer.
If you need to use more layers settings, please read this article.
Using basic tools
In this section, you can learn how to use every tool on the toolbar. You can read it before you start or get back to it when you need a certain tool.
The Select
tool allows you to drag your mouse over one or more objects to select and move them. To select a few objects, click the first one, and then the others, holding down the Ctrl. You can also move objects with arrows on the keyboard, which move a selected element for 1 step. If you want to move it for 0.1 step, use Shift + arrow.The Pan
tool lets you drag the camera while holding down the left mouse button. However, Pan only works correctly if all layers are locked.This tool will Undo/Redo
a movement (Shortcuts: Ctrl + Z and Ctrl + Y).This tool will Copy/Paste
any selected object (Shortcuts: Ctrl + C and Ctrl + V).This tool will Flip
an object horizontally or vertically. This tool will Rotate
an object. Holding Ctrl makes objects rotate around their own axis.The Move element
tool controls the order of objects within a layer. By clicking this button, you can move an object so that it appears above or below other objects on the layer. Note that this does not count as moving the object on the map.The Group/Ungroup
works by allowing you to group any selected objects into a single group — this can include POIs, booths, and Path objects. (Shortcuts: Ctrl + G and Ctrl + U). The Union paths
tool merges multiple Path objects, but doesn't work for POIs.The Lock
tool helps you avoid accidental changes to the locked element. Use the Unlock
tool to remove the lock and make changes.The Image
tool allows you to upload an image or a logo to the plan. The Rectangle and Ellipse
tools draw the shapes in one click. This tool
will let you draw a straight line.The Bézier curve, Polygon, and Polyline tools
will help you create any irregular shape. Drawing a shape with one of these tools, just click where you want the corner to be, and then continue moving your mouse. It’s worth mentioning that by holding Shift, you can constrain curves to even angles (45° or 90°).The Text
tool allows you to add a text (for example, a company name) to the background. You can also customize its font, size, and color.
Working with booths and other POIs
We recommend to proceed with creating booths and other POIs (Points Of Interest) as soon as you've set the measurement unit and the grid.
POI stands for "Point Of Interest". In the exhibition context, it may be a booth, a restroom, a café, or any other place you want to mark on the plan. We separate booths from other types of POIs because the booth settings let you set the price, assign it to an exhibitor, sell sponsorships, and more. Even though it's possible to assign exhibitors to some POIs, the main purpose of them is to be just points on the map.
How to add and edit a booth
To add a booth, click and drag it from the toolbar, and draw it using the grid. By default, it has a rectangular shape. If you need a booth of a different shape, click on the shape on the toolbar, draw it, and turn the shape into a booth. To do that, choose "Booths" as the layer and "Booth" as the POI type.
In case you need to draw an unusually shaped booth, you can assemble it as a puzzle from different shapes using the Union paths tool, and then turn the element into a booth. For example, you can make an L-shaped booth this way. You need to draw two rectangles so they overlap in the shape of the letter L, merge them, and make it a booth.
One more way to add a booth is to click the arrow inside an existing booth. A new booth will be created, perfectly aligned and named sequentially.
When the booth is created, you can change its size, shape, color, name, and other settings. You can follow this algorithm:
Choose the "Booths" layer (more about layers here) and make sure the POI type is set to "booth".
Set the dimensions of the booth (width and height, in pixels). You also can change the size by pulling sides or angles of the rectangle in the chosen direction.
Check the booth area (at the bottom of the Properties panel). By default, the plan scaling is 1:1, so the area is the product of width and height in the measurement units you set. But it is possible to change the area without changing the dimensions. In this case, the area won't be reflected proportionally on the plan, but exhibitors will still be able to see the area you set.
Locate the booth exactly where it is supposed to appear on the map.
Use the Rotate
or Flip tool if necessary. You can also set an exact number of degrees in the field Angle to rotate a booth. If you need to round the corners, set the radius in the field Radius. The same field can be used to turn a square into a circle or a rectangle into an oval. The maximum possible radius is 20.
Add a name, a title, and a description. Name (by default, a number) is to be used while you design the plan. Title and description are the things exhibitors will see when picking a booth. Unless you set the title, the name will be used instead. It's also possible to hide the space's name if you toggle "Show label".
Choose the colors you'll use to show the status of the booth to exhibitors (available, on hold or reserved). It’s worth mentioning that you can set different status colors for different booths. For example, 50 booths in one zone can have one set of colors, while another 100 booths have a different set. But you can also choose to apply the same status colors to all booths. Using hex color codes, you can also customize the colors.
Set the label (text on the booth) color and the border color and width. Make sure the label color is contrast to the possible colors of the booth (available, on hold, reserved).
How to add and edit other POIs and spaces
Other POIs
Other POI types have the same settings as booths (except booking option), so you can follow the algorithm above if you need to create one of those.
Other spaces
The other space may be, for example, a stage or an auditorium. You can drag and drop other spaces in a similar way as you make booths and other POIs — drag a shape from the toolbar and assign a POI type to it. In case the space you wish to mark isn't on the list, choose the "Other POI" option. You can also convert an existing booth into another space with the same tool.
Alternatively, you can create a new POI type. When you need one, you should go to the POI types page on the Dashboard and click "+Add POI type". After saving in the designer and refreshing the page, the new POI type will appear and can be assigned to any created booth or POI.
One more important option is to highlight a sponsor of a particular space or a pavilion by adding their icon and (optionally) text with the company name directly on the space or next to it. In this case, upload the logo as an image, resize it if necessary, and group 
it with the shape. The same thing can be done with the Text tool.
Working with a few booths simultaneously
How to merge booths
If you have two or more booths that you wish to combine into one, click on the first booth to select it, then click on an adjacent booth while holding down the Ctrl button. After that, press Ctrl + M.
How to edit booths in bulk
Booths automatically form bulks by color, price and type, so you can simultaneously edit a few similar booths. You can click on the square button 
next to the property field, and all the booths of this property will be selected. Once they are selected, you'll be able to change any setting to all the booths in bulk.
If you need to rename all your booths, you can use the Bulk Rename tool. Click the tool, enter the starting booth name/number, and then click on multiple booths one by one to rename them in order. To open the Bulk rename tool, click on the three dots on the toolbar.
How to search for a booth
The search bar allows you to search for one or multiple booths by name, and they will be highlighted.
Working with background
You can use a shape , a text , or an image (for instance, a logo) as a background for your plan. You can also customize the font, size, and color of the text. Note that the background doesn't have to take up whole screen. It can be just a company name at the top of the plan, but technically it is a background.
After adding an element, make sure you assigned it to the correct layer ("Background") and chose the correct POI type ("Shape – not POI"). Also check that the layer itself is visible in the Layers panel on the left. The eye icon should be active so that the layer to be visible in the Designer .
In the front view, though, the background layer will be visible anyway. But you can adjust which part of it will be visible.
It's also worth mentioning that you can change the booths opacity to work with the background elements. You can set it from 0 (invisible) to 1 (perfectly visible). The default opacity is 1. It's convenient because opacity doesn't affect the View — it doesn’t change transparency for exhibitors.
Frequently asked questions
What can I do if I can't see the grid?
What can I do if I can't see the grid?
If the grid controls aren't showing up, the grid might be hidden behind the layers. To make it visible, adjust layer opacity - click on the Background layer and change its opacity (try 0.2) so you can see through it to the grid underneath. If you aren't currently working on the Background layer, you can make it completely onvisible by clicking the eye icon
Why is my floorplan (or part of it) not showing in view live?
Why is my floorplan (or part of it) not showing in view live?
It may be an issue with viewbox or layers visibility settings. Make sure the viewbox is set correctly for every layer, and check if all elements are located on the appropriate layers.