Course Timetabling Solver

Screen description

In the Course Timetabling Solver screen, you can load input data to the solver and run the solver in different configurations and modes. The operations available to you and the amount and kind of information displayed will depend on the status of the solver (the first item of the Solver section).

Course Timetabling Solver

For more details about the course timetabling solver, please refer to the Course Timetabling Solver Manual.

Solver not started

Solver

Note: Additional parameters may be available. The page shows all solver parameters from the Courses: Basic Settings parameter group as defined on the Solver Parameters page in the solver administration.

Operations

Loading input data

During the loading phase, input data and student information are loaded, and the classes that have only one required room and one required time will get them assigned.

Solver

For the rest, see above.

Current Timetable

An initial timetable is created as soon as you start loading data. Only classes with one required time and one required room get their assignments at this point.

See Solution Properties for the description of the items in this part of the screen.

Operations

Awaiting commands

Operations

Solving problem

Solver

See above

Operations

Solver stopped

Best Timetable Found So Far

During the automated timetabling (when the solver is running), the best timetable found so far is saved here. It is the timetable that is presented to the user when he/she stop the solver or when the time-out is reached.

When the user interacts and makes changes, he/she can save intermediate results as “Best Timetable Found So Far” and later come back to this timetable if the current one is not good.

Operations are self-descriptive

Current Timetable

When the solver is stopped, the Best Timetable Found So Far is the same as the Current Timetable. From that moment, any manual changes made by the user are applied to the Current Timetable.

Operations

Problems

The list of warnings appears if any problems occurred during the data load. If there is a problem while solving, there will be an error message (such as Error: FATAL).

Hint: See Solver Warnings to see a detailed list of warnings and errors that may be produced by the solver. If you see a FATAL message, keep the solver in memory and use Contact Us (located in the Help menu) page to report a problem.

Operations