Prevent more than 2 teachers from occupying rooms per hour

[infoo_]

Hi

In the school we have regular rooms and two rooms with computers. Some teachers teaches in those rooms. Let's call them Teacher A, B and C.

Is there a constraint that limits the number of teachers who teach in those rooms to a maximum of 2 teachers per hour? Because it has happened to me that at one point in the schedule, there were 3 teachers and 1 stayed outside the room with computers because there were 2 others who were using them. Where can I find the constraint?

EXAMPLE WITHOUT "CONSTRAINT":

	1A	1B	1C
09.00-09.30	Programming    Teacher A	Math Teacher G	Literature Teacher F
09.30-10.00	Programming    Teacher A	Programming    Teacher B	Programming    Teacher C
10.00-10.30	Math Teacher E	Programming    Teacher B	Math Teacher G

EXAMPLE WITH "CONSTRAINT":

	1A	1B	1C
09.00-09.30	Programming    Teacher A	Math Teacher G	Programming    Teacher C
09.30-10.00	Programming    Teacher A	Programming    Teacher B	Literature Teacher F
10.00-10.30	Math Teacher E	Programming    Teacher B	Math Teacher G

I am starting to use FET. If possible, I don't want a solution that needs to create rooms, I want to keep the program simple.

I am using Official mode and Version: 6.2.5 (December 2021).

Thanks in advance

[Liviu Lalescu]

Hello,

If I am not mistaking, it is very easy: a single constraint activities max simultaneous in selected time slots, select all the activities of the teachers A, B, and C, and select with X (or red) all the slots of the week, max simultaneous = 2.

I would recommend you to update your FET. There are many improvements and nice new features.

[infoo_]

Hello

Thanks for the quick response!

If I am not mistaking, it is very easy: a single constraint activities max simultaneous in selected time slots, select all the activities of the teachers A, B, and C, and select with X (or red) all the slots of the week, max simultaneous = 2.

Where can I find that constraint? Under "Time constraints > ..." or "Space constraints > ..." and?

I would recommend you to update your FET. There are many improvements and nice new features.

Thanks. I have updated to Version: 6.8.0 (January 2023) and I hope I can generate a well designed schedule for my school!

[Liviu Lalescu]

You're welcome!

Where can I find that constraint? Under "Time constraints > ..." or "Space constraints > ..." and?

Under Time constraints for activities, Others (2), 11th entry.

Please don't be afraid to explore FET 

[Volker Dirr]

Even Livius answer is correct, I suggest to using rooms. It is easy.

Just add 2 rooms and add a roomS constraint for that subject. That is all. You don't need to add other rooms if you don't need them.

I recommend this, because:
- only with rooms the teachers and students know where to go. If you do it with the "max simultaneous" constrint it is still unknown which room they must use.
- you will change/modify in 6, 12, 18, 24... month. And then you might add other activities. You will forget to update the "max simultaneous" constraint and you will get a "wrong" solution by that. If you use the room constraint it won't matter if you add activities. You don't need to update the constraint and it is still correct.

[infoo_]

Hello, thanks for the replies

Just add 2 rooms and add a roomS constraint for that subject. That is all. You don't need to add other rooms if you don't need them.

Ok, I will try to do this instead of adding a "combined subject" and "combined teachers".

Now I have two rooms: Art Room and Music Room.

I went to Space > Activities > An activity has a preferred room (for Arts it is Art Room; and for Music is Music Room) and selected 2/3 activities and 1/3 activities (since these subjects has a duration of 3).

Now How do I tell FET that Arts and Music must be teached at the same time in the same course? For example:

GOOD:
       

	1A	1B
09.00-09.30	Arts | Music	History
09.30-10.00	Arts | Music	History
10.00-10.30	History	Literature
10.30-11.00	History	Literature

BAD:

	1A	1B
09.00-09.30	Arts	Music
09.30-10.00	Arts	Music
10.00-10.30	History	Literature
10.30-11.00	History	Literature

Also, can I set the available time for the teacher that teachs Arts and the teacher that teachs Music (they may differ) and FET will look for the "intersection" of both available time?

[Liviu Lalescu]

Now How do I tell FET that Arts and Music must be teached at the same time in the same course?

Hello,

Isn't it the constraint activities same starting time (day+hour)?

[infoo_]

Hello

Isn't it the constraint activities same starting time (day+hour)?

I spent a few minutes thinking about what you said, but I think that this is of no use to us because I don't want to tell FET the preferred time, rather FET has to look for it. What I need to tell it is that two subjects must be taught at the same time in the same course by 2 different teachers.

If I am not clear please let me know and I will try to recreate a more realistic example.

EDIT: By "in the same course" I mean for this particular moment, only at this time the course is divided in 2; but other than that, the course is one.

[Liviu Lalescu]

Oh, no, I meant this constraint accepts the two activities and constrains them to happen at the same time, but any time chosen by FET.

Note that the two activities must not have common teachers or students.

[infoo_]

and add a roomS constraint for that subject

How can I do that?

[infoo_]

Oh, no, I meant this constraint accepts the two activities and constrains them to happen at the same time, but any time chosen by FET.

I think we are on different pages, sorry for the mistake. I want to follow the Volker Dirr's answer but I don't understand the part that says "and add a roomS constraint for that subject". Which constraint should I look for?

[Liviu Lalescu]

Oh, no, I meant this constraint accepts the two activities and constrains them to happen at the same time, but any time chosen by FET.

I think we are on different pages, sorry for the mistake. I want to follow the Volker Dirr's answer but I don't understand the part that says "and add a roomS constraint for that subject". Which constraint should I look for?

I think he meant you to add a constraint subject preferred rooms (rooms, not room).

In Volker's approach, you have only two rooms available at any time slot. In my approach, with max simultaneous in selected time slots, you can select the time slots (with X or red).

[infoo_]

Hello

Note that the two activities must not have common teachers or students.

I guess this is the problem. I need 1A to be on Arts Room with some teacher and Music Room with another teacher at the same time. Arts and Music should always go hand in hand (at least in the early years, then there's only Arts subject). Should I divide 1A into two subgroups? Will this division affect the rest of the schedule?

[Liviu Lalescu]

You can divide the year 1 by selecting the categories and divisions (please see the Help).

Or make an activity with 1A and subject Arts/Music and both teachers and use a virtual room to make this activity occupy two real rooms.

[infoo_]

Hello

Or make an activity with 1A and subject Arts/Music and both teachers and use a virtual room to make this activity occupy two real rooms.

Thanks. I think I might use this approach.

What is a virtual room?