PerfectTablePlan v2.1.5

This release fixes a few bugs in v2.1.4. You will require a version 2 licence key to unlock the full functionality. If you previously purchased a version 1 key you can upgrade to version 2.

We recommend that you back-up any important plan files before installing any new release.

Backward/forward compatibility

2.1.5 can read plan (.tp) files saved by any earlier version of PerfectTablePlan.

PerfectTablePlan version 1.2.10 and before may not be able to read 2.1.5 plans. Reading 2.1.5 plans into versions of the software before 2.1.0 may lose some of the data (such as table rotation and custom table size).

System requirements

PerfectTablePlan runs on Windows 98 or later and MacOSX 10.3.9 or later. More detailed system requirements are here.

Enhancements

The following enhancements have been made since version 2.0.1:

Windows and Macintosh

1. Tables can now be set to arbitrary sizes in metres or feet. This also allows you to create a table with no seats to use to mark the location of the dance floor, or other floor plan features. The maximum number of seats on a side has been increased from 25 to 100. [Added in 2.1.0]

2. Tables can now be designated as VIP tables. The automatic layout will attempt to seat VIP guests on VIP tables. Head tables are designated as VIP tables by default. [Added in 2.1.0]

3. Tables can now be rotated through arbitrary angles using the Angle in the Table properties window. Edit|Rotate table now rotates 45 degrees each time. [Added in 2.1.0]

4. Has accepted has been replaced with a more comprehensive RSVP status. You can choose in the Preferences window which RSVP status to allow seat assignment for. [Added in 2.1.0]

5. The layout of guest names has been improved to make better use of the space available in the Floor plan and Table plan panes. In particular, radial text is now displayed on more than one line if required. [Added in 2.1.0]

6. You can now choose which guests to export based on their RSVP or assigned status. RSVP status can also be exported. Exported data is sorted alphabetically by guest last name or group name. [Added in 2.1.0]

7. If you hold down the Shift key while dragging a guest all the other guests in the group will also be dragged. The number of guests being dragged is shown in the drag cursor. [Added in 2.1.0]

8. Dragging a guest and dropping them on the background of the Floor plan or Table plan pane now unassigns them. [Added in 2.1.0]

9. You can now move (pan) around the Floor plan or Table plan panes by dragging the background. The mouse cursor changes to a hand. You need to be zoomed in for this to function. [Added in 2.1.0]

10. In the Guest chart pane notes, meal and special are now shown in separate columns. RSVP status can also be displayed. Not assigned has also been added to the Show drop-down menu. [Added in 2.1.0]

11. The content and appearance of the Statistics pane has been improved. [Added in 2.1.0]

12. Importing and exporting Excel CSV (Comma Separated Value) files containing “ and , characters is now supported. [Added in 2.1.0]

13. Importing error messages have been improved. There are now Yes to all and No to all buttons for duplicate names. [Added in 2.1.0]

14. The colours used for visualising groups in the Floor plan and Table plan pane have been improved. This should make the groups easier to tell apart, especially for colour-blind users. [Added in 2.1.0]

15. An Order plan online tool bar button and File menu item has been added. This takes you to our partner page where you can order a bespoke, large-format plan. [Added in 2.1.0]

16. “Mr” (without a dot) is standard in the UK and “Mr.” (with a dot) is standard in the US. Toggle between the two by using the Ctrl+. (full stop) accelerator. If you don’t like the results you can undo them. [Added in 2.1.0]

17. The default seat width has been changed from 0.6m to a more realistic 0.8m (this is the distance between the centre of two adjacent seats). Existing plans will be unaffected. [Added in 2.1.0]

18. The mouse wheel can now be configured to zoom in/out (like Photoshop, the default) or scroll up/down (like Word) in the Floor plan and Table plan panes in the Preferences window. [Added in 2.1.0]

19. You can now export guest information in vCard format using File|Export|Guest vCard... .You can also drag guests and/or groups from the Guests and Groups panes to create vCard files. This allows you to drag guest information straight from PerfectTablePlan to address books and other applications that support vCard format. It also allows you to drag guests straight from one PerfectTablePlan application to another if you have 2 running at the same time. [Added in 2.1.0]

20. Selected page size is now displayed in the Print window. [Added in 2.1.0]

21. Text files containing Unicode (non-ASCII) characters can now be imported and exported. Our thanks to Tam for helping us to get this working correctly. [Added in 2.1.1]

22. Various improvements to the help documentation. [Added in 2.1.1]

23. Various improvements to samples table plans. [Added in 2.1.1]

24. Performance improvements to the solver. [Added in 2.1.1]

25. Guests with Cancelled or Declined RSVPs are now shown in the Guests and Groups pane with strikethrough text as an additional visual cue. [Added in 2.1.4]

26. Locked guests are now shown in the Guests and Groups pane with underlined text as an additional visual cue. [Added in 2.1.4]

27. The Colours and fonts icon has been made more intuitive. [Added in 2.1.4]

28. Default font sizes have been improved in the Right pane, e.g. for the Floor plan table and seat text. [Added in 2.1.4]

29. Holding down the Ctrl/ Cmd key while moving the mouse wheel changes the behaviour from zoom to scroll or vice versa, depending on your Preferences. [Added in 2.1.4]

30. The size of the margin around a copied/exported image can now be set in the Preferences window. [Added in 2.1.5]

31. The export floor plan image as large as possible option in the Preferences window has been renamed to export/copy image as large as possible and now also applies to images copied to the clipboard. [Added in 2.1.5]

32 Many other minor improvements.

Windows only

1. Plans can now be opened read-write or read-only. Only one instance of PerfectTablePlan can have a file opened to write on a network. This ensures that multiple users accessing the same plan file cannot overwrite each others changes. [Added in 2.1.0, user interface modified in 2.1.4]

2. The installer is now digital signed by Oryx Digital. This should avoid “The publisher could not be verified .. This file does not have a valid digital signature that verifies its publisher” warnings. [Added in 2.1.1]

3. File locking can now be turned on/off in the Preferences window. We recommend leaving it on unless it causes problem (even on machines that aren’t networked it can prevent 2 different programs changing a plan file at the same time). [Added in 2.1.5]

Macintosh only

1. .tp files are now associated with PerfectTablePlan. Double clicking on a .tp file in the Finder should start PerfectTablePlan. You can also open a .tp file by dragging and dropping it from the Finder to the PerfectTablePlan icon in the Taskbar. [Added in 2.1.1]

Bug fixes

The following bug fixes have been made since version 2.0.1:

Windows and Macintosh

1. You can now drag guests in plan files where the location (path) of your plan file contains non-ASCII or ‘#’ characters. Our thanks to Mike B for helping us track this obscure bug down. [Fixed in 2.1.0]

2. When you select File|Open recent you will be prompted to save any unsaved changes to the current plan. [Fixed in 2.1.0]

3. Pressing the Alt key when a drop-down list is selected in the Proximity pane no longer causes a crash. [Fixed in 2.1.0]

4. Column sorting in the Guests and Groups pane is no longer case sensitive. [Fixed in 2.1.0]

5. The Edit menu is now updated when edits are made in the Guests or Groups pane. [Fixed in 2.1.0]

6. Locked guests can now been dragged between groups. [Fixed in 2.1.0]

7. Headers and footers positions are now correctly displayed in the Print window preview. [Fixed in 2.1.0]

8. An occasional crash caused by the Floor plan pane has been fixed. [Fixed in 2.1.0]

9. An occasional crash caused by change to the Floor plan pane dimensions has been fixed. [Fixed in 2.1.1]

10. RSVP status is checked when dragging to the Schematic pane. [Fixed in 2.1.1]

11. The VIP score is now hidden by default in the Schematic pane. [Fixed in 2.1.1]

12. “Mr.” and “Mrs.” are now handled correctly on import. [Fixed in 2.1.1]

13. Multiple initials in guest names are now handled correctly. [Fixed in 2.1.1]

14. Custom table sizes set in feet were displayed in metres in v2.1.1. [Fixed in 2.1.2]

15. Newly created tables were sometimes displayed incorrectly in v2.1.1. [Fixed in 2.1.2]

16. Erroneous minimum size messages were sometimes displayed when editing tables. [Fixed in 2.1.3]

17. The colour of the table text was not set correctly by the Fonts and colours window. [Fixed in 2.1.3]

18. Both group icons are now updated when a guest is dragged between groups. [Fixed in 2.1.4]

19. A table with locked seats and empty seats can now be unlocked correctly. [Fixed in 2.1.4]

20. The error message has been improved when a file cannot be saved due to insufficient access rights. [Fixed in 2.1.4]

21. The “.tp” extension was not added if the file path contained a “.”. This is now fixed. [Fixed in 2.1.4]

22. The Main window caption and File|Open recent status are now updated after File|New. [Fixed in 2.1.4]

23. Clicking on the background to the Floor plan or Table plan pane now unselects the current selection. [Fixed in 2.1.4]

24. Spurious lines no longer appear at the edges when a floor plan is printed or exported to PDF. [Fixed in 2.1.5]

25. Rotated circular tables no longer have ‘wobbly’ edges when printed or exported to PDF. [Fixed in 2.1.5]

26. The pen thickness used for tables is now the same as that used for seats. [Fixed in 2.1.5]

27. Other minor bug fixes.

Windows only

1. PerfectTablePlan is now able to find the help .chm and email .dll files it is started by double clicking on a .tp file. [Fixed in 2.1.0]

2. File locking is no longer available on Windows 98 as file locking doesn’t appear to be properly supported on this OS. [Fixed in 2.1.5]

Macintosh only

1. The incorrect format of the Date field in the Information window has been fixed. [Fixed in 2.1.0]

2. Dragging vCards from PerfectTablePlan to the operating system or another application works now. [Fixed in 2.1.1]

3. The native MacOSX open window is now used for opening files. [Fixed in 2.1.1]

4. An intermittent crash that occurred occasionally on opening files has been fixed. [Fixed in 2.1.4]

Installation and use

 Windows

Download PerfectTablePlan_2_1_5.exe for Windows 98/98SE/2000/ME/XP (3.6 MB)

1. If you are already running PerfectTablePlan, quit it now.
2. Ensure that you are logged on to Windows with Administrator or Power User privileges, otherwise you won’t be able to install software.
3. Right-click on the link above and select Save Target As... (IE), Save Link As... (FireFox) or Save Link Target As... (Netscape).
4. Select a convenient location on your PC to download the file to (e.g. the desktop).
5. When the file has finished downloading on to your PC, double-click on the PerfectTablePlan_2_1_5.exe file to install it. If a Do you want to run this file? window is displayed click Run.
6. Follow the installer instructions. We recommend installing the software into the same folder as any previous versions (usually C:\Program Files\PerfectTablePlan). If you have any problems with the installation please consult the Windows installer troubleshooting page.
7. To run the new version double-click on the shortcut (optionally) added to the Windows Desktop or select the shortcut added to the Windows Start menu.

If you want more help read our step-by-step instructions for download, installation and start-up.

This installation does not overwrite earlier versions, which will still be available until uninstalled through Start|Control Panel|Add or remove programs.

 Macintosh

Download PerfectTablePlan_2_1_5.dmg for MacOSX 10.3.9 or later (4.4 MB)

1. If you are already running PerfectTablePlan, quit it now.
2. Click on the link above, the disk image file should start downloading.
3. If the warning “PerfectTablePlan_2_1_5.dmg” contains an application appears, click on Continue.
4. Click on the Agree button of the licence agreement widow to continue.
5. A PerfectTablePlan_2_1_5 image should now have been downloaded (probably on to your MacOSX desktop). If it isn’t open already, double click on the downloaded image file to open it.
6. Drag PerfectTablePlan.app to your Applications folder (you can use the shortcut in the install folder). If you don’t want to overwrite an existing PerfectTablePlan.app then rename it or move it to another folder. 
7. The Samples folder contains some sample table plans. Optionally copy them to your Documents folder (you can use the shortcut in the install folder).
8. To run the new version double-click on the PerfectTablePlan.app icon in the Applications folder (or wherever you installed it to).
9. If you have any problems please consult the MacOSX troubleshooting page in the first instance.

Support

Please notify any bugs or problems in as much detail as possible to support.