Prefered rooms

[Sue Moran]

Hi

I am having a problem allocating rooms to activites.

Example, I have a year 7 with two groups 7A and 7B. As a single activity they do maths, two teachers, two rooms. The capacity of the two rooms is sufficient but I am getting an error.

"Cannot generate timetable, because for activity with id==68 you have no allowed preferred room (from the allowed number of students and preferred room(s) constraints)"

I am using the subject maths has prefered rooms option. What am I doing wrong?

thanks

[Liviu Lalescu]

Each activity can take place in a single room, even if the activity has two students sets. A single room can host at most an activity at a time slot.

[Volker Dirr]

How did you enter the activity. A single activity with the whole year 7 (or both classes 7a and 7b)?
The better way is to enter 2 activities for this.

If the activities most be placed at the same time, then use a same starting time constraint.

But please thing carefully why they should be simultaneously. If you say: "It must be simultaneously, because classes 7a and 7b are divided into "very good" and "average only" math skill students, then you might be wrong! In that case dividing the year into those groups might be much better (depending on your dataset).

[Sue Moran]

Thanks for the reply. So one actiivty cannot have two or three rooms?

The activity is for 7A and 7B, two teachers and the subject maths.  I used the space-subject Maths  has a preffered set of rooms and listed the two rooms. I think the maths classes must be simultaneous, the sets are only for maths we have different groups for 3rd language and options.
When I do 3rd language option I planned to put 7A and 7B in one activity with three teachers, then I want to use three rooms. Again, simultaneous as all students do either French/German or Spanish. Is it better to do three activites simultaneoulsy?

On an earlier attempt I did split into maths groups 7S and 7H, but I need the timetable for 7A and 7B as a class and the 7s 7h came out as a different timetable, not combined.

Thanks for the very fast reply.

I have been reading ChicagoPiano tuners queries and my situation sounds a lot like his/hers.

[Volker Dirr]

So one actiivty cannot have two or three rooms?

Correct. In worst case you can add a pseudo activity simultaneously. But that should normally never be needed.

The activity is for 7A and 7B, two teachers and the subject maths.  I used the space-subject Maths  has a preffered set of rooms and listed the two rooms.

FET will select only one out of that 2 rooms.

I think the maths classes must be simultaneous, the sets are only for maths we have different groups for 3rd language and options.
When I do 3rd language option I planned to put 7A and 7B in one activity with three teachers, then I want to use three rooms. Again, simultaneous as all students do either French/German or Spanish. Is it better to do three activites simultaneoulsy?

Why don't you split the year into courses? That is normally the best solution.

So the automatic split feature of FET and split year 7 in:
1: A, B
2: good math, average math
3: French, German, Spanish

[Sue Moran]

My student structure is not working and I want to do what you advise. This is the situation, year 7 has two tutor groups A and B, the timetable will be published for 7A and 7B seperately. For some classes 7A and 7B mix up into two or three different groups. When I did this before I ended up with a timetable for 7A and 7B but also 7S 7H (Maths) and 7c 7F 7G (3rd lang) and not a 7A which also contained the maths lessons and 3rd lang lessons. Help!

[Sue Moran]

Year 7 have French/German/Chinese 3 times a week. Do I have to add the same start time constraint to individual activities or can it be done as a group?

[Volker Dirr]

Go to FET->Data->students->years

press "add": and add year "7"

select year 7 and press "Divide year per selecting categories"

increase the number of divisions/categories from "1" up to "3"
press "add" and add name "A"
press "add" and add name "B"

now select the 2nd Division. So press the "2" tab. That tab should be empty. Only the "1" tab should contain "A" and "b".
press "add" and add name "good math"
press "add" and add name "average math"

now select the 3nd Division. So press the "3" tab. That tab should be empty.
press "add" and add name "French"
press "add" and add name "German"
press "add" and add name "Spanisch"

now think a bit: you maybe need that also for religion?
so maybe increase the number of division up to 4 and also add "christian", "jew" and "moslem" (or something like that)

Then press "ok".

Now there should be a lot of groups and subgroups added automatily. You normally only need to use the groups now. Don't touch the subgroups. FET need them to know if activities can be simultaneously or not.

[Volker Dirr]

Year 7 have French/German/Chinese 3 times a week. Do I have to add the same start time constraint to individual activities or can it be done as a group?

if you have a good students structure (like i described in previous mail) you normally doesn't need to add such constraints.

if you add such a constraint please have a closer look. there is a checkbox called "Add multiple constraints". If it is unchecked it will use only the selected subactivity. If you check that box, then it will also add the other subactivities (so the whole activity).

[Sue Moran]

Thanks, I have done the splitting the same start time. It seems to be doing what I want except for how it looks as a timetable. When I look at 9A I can see standard maths and french only, and the names of those teachers, not the higher maths, chinese and german, though they are timetabled at the same time.

[Volker Dirr]

i fear i don't understand. if you check the "9a" timetable, then there should be always one activity per slot if it is a "9a" activity. If it is a math or language activity, then there might several activities at the same time, because 9a is "splited" by math and language.
maybe attach a screenshot of what you can see or sent me your fet file by E-Mail.

[Sue Moran]

Thanks for your help.

[Volker Dirr]

ok. I got the file.

the students structure is fine.

can you please repeat your question? maybe you didn't checked the 9a timetable and you only checked the subgroups table from fet->timetable->view(students)? You can see the subgroups there only and see to press each subgroup.
If you want to see the whole 9a timetable, then please check the groups html timetable in the fet result folder or go to:
fet->timetable-> Print: Now switch to "group" and "Preview". So you can see the whole 9a timetable.

just 2 improvements:
a) it isn't subject "French/German/Chinese"
add 3 subjects. "French", "German" and "Chinese". then set the correct subjects at the activities. So replace for example at activity with sudentsset "9 French" the subject "French/German/Chinese" by "French" only. After you done all changes delete the subject "French/German/Chinese". Don't delete it at the beginning, because it will also delete the activities then.
b) i am pretty sure you don't need the same starting time constraints! maybe you currently thing it is needed, but you will see that it isn't needed as soon as you entered all data. You might get much better timetables without that constraints.

[Sue Moran]

Thanks a lot, that all makes sense. I have not been looking at the timetable correctly so I will do it the way you suggest and see how it looks. I tried using French/German/Chinese and thats when I realised it wasnt going to work, there are probably a few subjects for me to delete. 

[Sue Moran]

So my next step is the student structure for years 12, I would really appreciate your wisdom. In year 12 students have 7 option blocks from which they choose one (or none) subject only.
Suggestions?