Option blocks design

[Sue Moran]

My pupils can choose 6 subjects from 17 choices. I am currently collecting their preferences with no restrictions to help me decide on the optimal option blocks. I will need 6 blocks containing the subjects with the least repetition as possible but so that everyone can have their choice. I wonder if anyone else has done this and has advice or knows of a program that might help. I have attached a png of the data to help explain what I mean.
Thanks for your time 

[Volker Dirr]

It sounds very close to what other schools do.
It is still a bit depending on if you want to do the block planning and the timetabling at the same time
or if you want to split that tasks.

You can try both at the same time by using a custom FET version.
See:
https://lalescu.ro/liviu/fet/forum/index.php?topic=4151.0

But you can also try to care about the blocks first and after that do the timetabling:
See:
https://www.timetabling.de/StElTo/manual/StElTo-manual.en.html#id_10
(I call your "block" as "line")

You can also see videos about how to do it - sadly German voice only - so turn on subtitles:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YRf9V0tRqUw

[Sue Moran]

Thank you for the links. I sense a steep learning curve coming on. 
I can organise the lines now and do the FET timetabling later.

Will I be able to import my student votes from a spreadsheet?

[Volker Dirr]

No. FET and also StElTo are not clever enough to understand your spredsheet.

StElTo can currently use 3 different import filters:
https://www.timetabling.de/StElTo/manual/StElTo-manual.en.html#id_17

In your case it might be the best to import students and subjects only (but not the vote) and then do the spreadsheet in StElTo direclty, not in Excel or similar tool.
Or: use the StElTo csv import for votes only. (You can do that of course in a spreadsheet of LibreOffice or Excel; just export it as csv file)
Or: If you are using a course planning or school administration tool: Sent me a csv export file and a link to your software. I might code an import filter.

FET can use a very similar csv import and xml import.

[Sue Moran]

I am getting

Not Found
The requested URL /StElTo/manual/XXX was not found on this server.

When I click on the link in:
Installing on Windows
Microsoft Windows users should have Windows 7 or later. Download the StElTo executable file from XXX.

[Liviu Lalescu]

Until Volker answers, I found this using Google: https://www.timetabling.de/StElTo/manual/StElTo-manual.en.html  . Maybe this is what you search for?

[Volker Dirr]

ahh.. Thank you for report. i will fix it.
you can currently download it if you click the link in the latest "StElTo x.x.x released" topic:
https://lalescu.ro/liviu/fet/forum/index.php?topic=4379.0

[Bobby Wise]

Hello Sue,

Perhaps I don't understand your problem entirely but I'd like to have a go.

How many days do you have in your cycle and how many periods are there daily?

Do all the subjects have the equivalent amount of periods in the cycle?

[Sue Moran]

I have some data in StEITo and now I want to try to form the best option blocks.

Can anyone have a look at it and suggest what next.

What file would be useful to attach?

thanks

[Volker Dirr]

Hallo,

I can have a look at your data.
You can sent me your input file of course.
If you added the data by interface you can also sent me
a) the csv files (see folder "Export-csv" in your "StElTo" folder)
or
b) the database (see StElTo -> Settings -> Database ->SQLLite File to get it's name and location)

You can attach it here if the data can be published public.
Sent it to me by mail if you want to keep it privat (my email is "u6m4@timetabling.de")

Best Regards