1) the 1st case is for new space planning in a new building based on an old schedule. There will be other approaches & constraints, but would like to handle this first.
2) I've no problem with XML (& can autogenerate with Python if easier in a more complicated case) - so if there's an example of XML to import the times, that would be great.
3) as noted, I assume I can just create a list in Excel or Python of teacher1 to teacher80 to match the 80 classes/groups and import that into FET/mapr. Later on more real-world scenarios, I can give actual names. MAPR is probably fine with me to handle this particular space-planning case.
4) I can imagine that some multi-room conferences could use this time+event(group) mapped to rooms with enough space, and they also might not know exact speakers until later in the process - but in any case, I don't want to justify approach as a general "good thing" - it's something someone needs, and while it was largely done "by hand" this time, I fear it will come back and would like to make it a simpler exercise, even as I try to use FET or MAPR in more usual ways.
(though I suspect there will always be some bias towards "we always taught this class(group) around X time, and we'd like to keep doing it", which may tie into particular teachers' normal schedule/availability or other typical scenarios they're comfortable with)
2) I've no problem with XML (& can autogenerate with Python if easier in a more complicated case) - so if there's an example of XML to import the times, that would be great.
3) as noted, I assume I can just create a list in Excel or Python of teacher1 to teacher80 to match the 80 classes/groups and import that into FET/mapr. Later on more real-world scenarios, I can give actual names. MAPR is probably fine with me to handle this particular space-planning case.
4) I can imagine that some multi-room conferences could use this time+event(group) mapped to rooms with enough space, and they also might not know exact speakers until later in the process - but in any case, I don't want to justify approach as a general "good thing" - it's something someone needs, and while it was largely done "by hand" this time, I fear it will come back and would like to make it a simpler exercise, even as I try to use FET or MAPR in more usual ways.
(though I suspect there will always be some bias towards "we always taught this class(group) around X time, and we'd like to keep doing it", which may tie into particular teachers' normal schedule/availability or other typical scenarios they're comfortable with)