Teachers Scheduled Class Time

[CCU]

Not directly. You could open the HTML timetables with Open Office or Libre Office or Microsoft Office. Or export from FET the timetable as CSV.

Hmh.... I see the CSV option in export but not the HTML. My version of FET is 5.18. (default for Kubuntu 14.04). Am I missing something?


On that note, is there a way to group 4 activities (2 to 3 splits each)? I have to do this 3 times so I'm a bit stuck. I could do Group A1, A2, A3 and then order A3 and A4 but it's not a flexible solution. Any ideas?

Thanks

[Volker Dirr]

html results are always stored automatic as soon as you generate a timetable in your "fet-results" folder. It should be in your home directory.

[CCU]

html results are always stored automatic as soon as you generate a timetable in your "fet-results" folder. It should be in your home directory.

Thank you for the prompt reply. Any idea with the 4 activity grouping?

[Volker Dirr]

hmmm... i can't see a good solution for your group problem at the moment. Maybe i got an idea if you tell us why you need to group them. Thinking about that might give an other better ideas. (maybe you want to group them, because students and teachers don't need to run so much. in that case maybe using a buildings constraints might solve your problem.)

[Liviu Lalescu]

On that note, is there a way to group 4 activities (2 to 3 splits each)? I have to do this 3 times so I'm a bit stuck. I could do Group A1, A2, A3 and then order A3 and A4 but it's not a flexible solution. Any ideas?

I don't understand. You need constraint four activities grouped? Maybe you could make these four activities start in the same day - constraint activities same starting day - this would be enough?

[CCU]

It's a bit of a limitation. There are 4 groups of students that have the same level. When these students have Sci they must each have the class one after another. The same is repeated for Sport and other special classes. The order in which the groups have the class is not important that's why I used the Grouping option.

[Liviu Lalescu]

I thought of a trick: add a dummy teacher, add it to each of the four activities, and max gaps for this teacher = 0.

[CCU]

That makes sense. I'll give it a go and post back in a few hours... Thanks again.

[Volker Dirr]

oh.. nice trick! (But i must admit that i don't understand why this constraint is needed by CCU.)

[Liviu Lalescu]

I thought of a trick: add a dummy teacher, add it to each of the four activities, and max gaps for this teacher = 0.

Don't forget the activities same starting day.

[CCU]

oh.. nice trick! (But i must admit that i don't understand why this constraint is needed by CCU.)

The reason is that for teachers working with many levels/grades, it is customary to set up the groups in such a way so as to avoid having too many level switches in the same day. So if you teach science and you have Grade 1 Group 1 then you want to have Group 2 and 3 of the same level right after, because that way you are not force to change your activity every 30 minute block. So you save time on prep. If you had different levels every period then you would have to set up an activity for grade 4 group 1 for example, then take it down when another grade came in, then put it up again if grade 4 group 2 came in after that.
So it meant to save prep time.

I thought of a trick: add a dummy teacher, add it to each of the four activities, and max gaps for this teacher = 0.

Don't forget the activities same starting day.

I didn't add this constraint and so far the generated schedule looks good. I'll see how it changes once I add some of the other constraints. I want to avoid using too many constraints.

Thank you both for continuing to help.

[Liviu Lalescu]

The reason is that for teachers working with many levels/grades, it is customary to set up the groups in such a way so as to avoid having too many level switches in the same day. So if you teach science and you have Grade 1 Group 1 then you want to have Group 2 and 3 of the same level right after, because that way you are not force to change your activity every 30 minute block. So you save time on prep. If you had different levels every period then you would have to set up an activity for grade 4 group 1 for example, then take it down when another grade came in, then put it up again if grade 4 group 2 came in after that.
So it meant to save prep time.

Maybe you could also use constraints max building changes per day. Maybe combined with same starting day, again.

I didn't add this constraint and so far the generated schedule looks good. I'll see how it changes once I add some of the other constraints. I want to avoid using too many constraints.

The activities might end up in different days.

[CCU]

Maybe you could also use constraints max building changes per day. Maybe combined with same starting day, again.

The teachers stay in the same room, the students move around. and I can't put a limit of classroom changes on students yet since I have yet to input all the constraints given. It's a learning process for me on two counts: making a complex schedule as well as using your program (i don't think I thanked you enough for that...)

The activities might end up in different days.

I know but I now  want and need to give a bit of flexibility if possible. If two groups are on one day and the others are on another day then that is fine if it helps alleviate potential issues in other places. I am adding constraints and checking each time to make sure things work. As I do so FET spots potential issues and I try to fix them. Since there are still a lot more things to add I'm no longer eager to block these activities together at this moment. If after adding all the constraints together I have a bit of room to wiggle then I'll do so. 

And with that, if you are still up, have a good night, and if you read this in the morning have a good morning.

[Volker Dirr]

Ah. Ok. I see. (I also understand your constraint request now.) You are doing a good approach. (I guess/hope you only use 100% weights at the moment, because bugs are easier to spot then.)

[Liviu Lalescu]

And with that, if you are still up, have a good night, and if you read this in the morning have a good morning.

Thank you! It was a morning