Messages

thanks Volker and Liviu for all the responses and help.  Will be trying a few options to see what works better.

hi volker, I am keen to explore the "old software" option. Appreciate that you send me the "old software".

The next approach I will explore will be your recommended "not available times" for teachers and room as the interim before we can totally rely on FET to optimise all the classes (120 of them) .

hi Volker,  thank you for the response.

We currently manually optimise using spreadsheets/graphics and hence, many atimes, re-optimising many times required.  Yes, the 40 "old" classes with lecturers, locations and timing,etc all fixed with time tables distributed to students and lecturers.

(a) not too sure what you meant by "converter", does this mean inputting manually into FET?

(b)  I am trying to minimise changes for these 40 "old" classes for Lecturers and especially students because diseminating of information to these 40 classes can be disrupting in the middle of a term.  For my school, the location is fixed for 6 months and we try to minimise such changes especially if 40 classes are involved.  With regards to your suggestion about using "not available times" to block the lecturers slot to "denote" existing 40 "old classes". I like to know if I could adds "comments/notes" (like in activity) to explain about the "teacher not available slots" for such a interim solution.   I believe I should also specific room "not available times" for these 40 "old" classes.

(c) SOME of our teachers/lecturers will also teach some classes in the coming Jan 2016 term (80 classes cohort) in addition to the "old" 40 classes, hence my hope of combining both new time table and "old" time table.


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Is there a possibility of doing these steps in FET?
(1) loading the "old" fixed time table (40 classes) into FET (with teachers, locations, actual class timings all generated-like full time table)
(2) lock these 40 classes' schedules/generated time table within FET
(3) add in the new 80 classes with activities, teachers and constraints
(4) re-run/generated FET timetable, optimising both 40 + 80 classes

caleb

hi,
I came across FET and am experimenting with the features.   I am very impressed with the capabilities of FET and hope to use it in the planning for for the upcoming term starting Jan 2016.

We have about 40 classes ongoing (till Mar 2016) and will be expecting another 80 new classes in Jan 2016.  I hope to use FET to assist in optimizing the schedules.

I have tested FET with new data input and understand that FET automates the scheduling using constraints.  I am able to use constraints for the new 80 classes. 

I am wondering if there are any simple ways to input the current schedules of ongoing 40 classes into FET manually or some other method.  These current schedules are already in place with the students and fellow lecturers and "fixed" till Mar 2016.  I hope not to upset the schedules these existing 40 classes.

The only way I could think of is to also use "constraints" to "configure" these 40 classes BUT since this is transition, I hope to find simpler methods.  I do NOT hope to setup tons of "one-time constraints".

I do hope to optimize the entire new cohort (80 classes) with the existing 40 classes.  This is like in a transition stage.

Appreciate advice.

Caleb