Step 7: Review and Generate

Step 7: Review Data, Generate, and Optimize Your Timetable

You've diligently entered all the foundational data: general settings, subjects, teachers, classes, rooms (if used), and the crucial lesson assignments. Now, it's time to review your setup, harness the power of TimetableMaster's intelligent engine to generate your schedule, and then view the results.

Reviewing Your Data Overview

Before initiating the generation, TimetableMaster provides a valuable overview and analytical tools to help you quickly assess your data and identify potential imbalances or missing information.

Caption: The review screen showing key statistics and distribution graphs for classes and teachers.

Key Data Statistics:

• Summary Counts: You'll typically see a summary of:
  • Total Number of Classes
  • Total Number of Teachers
  • Total Number of Subjects
  • Total Number of Lessons Added
• Period Analysis:
  • Total Lesson Periods: The sum of all periods assigned through your lesson entries (e.g., a lesson for 5 periods a week with a length of 1 period counts as 5; a lesson for 2 sessions a week with a length of 2 consecutive periods counts as 4).
  • Total Available Periods in Grid: Based on your working days and periods per day.
  • Vacant/Unallocated Periods (Estimate): An approximate number of periods that will remain free in the grid after all lessons are scheduled. This helps gauge how densely packed your timetable might be.

Workload Distribution Visualizations:

Two horizontal bar graphs provide an at-a-glance understanding of workload distribution:

1. Class Wise Period Distribution:

   • Display: Shows each class and a bar representing the total number of periods assigned to it through all its lessons.
   • Purpose: Allows you to quickly verify if each class has the correct total teaching load. You can spot if a class has significantly more or fewer periods than expected, indicating missing lessons or over-scheduling.

2. Teacher Wise Period Distribution:

   • Display: Shows each teacher and a bar representing the total number of periods they are assigned to teach across all their lessons.
   • Purpose: Helps assess teacher workload balance. You can identify teachers who might be under-utilized or overburdened. This accounts for lessons with extended durations (e.g., double periods count as 2 towards their load).

Generating Your Timetable

Once you're satisfied with the data overview and distributions, you're ready to generate the timetable!

Caption: The prominent banner or section with the "Generate Timetable" button.

1. Initiate Generation: Click the "Generate Timetable" button.

2. Generation Process:

   • The system will begin its intelligent scheduling process, working to place all your defined lessons into the timetable grid while respecting all constraints (teacher/class/subject/room availability, lesson lengths, consecutive periods, split classes, joint lessons, etc.).
   • You'll see a progress indicator or modal showing that generation is underway. This might take a few seconds to a minute or two, depending on the complexity and size of your data.
     

     Timetable Generation in Progress Modal

     Caption: The system processing and generating the timetable, often with a progress indicator.

3. Initial Timetable Ready & Optimization:

   • Once the initial conflict-free timetable is generated, it will often become visible in the background grid, with lesson cards populating the cells.
   • The system may then enter an optimization phase. During this phase, it continues to refine the timetable, aiming for better load balancing for teachers, minimizing gaps, or improving other qualitative aspects, all while strictly adhering to your hard constraints.
   • User Control: You usually have the option to stop the optimization process at any point if you are satisfied with the current state of the timetable or need to access it immediately. The timetable generated before or during optimization is always valid and conflict-free.

Viewing the Generated Timetable

Congratulations! Your timetable is now ready.

Caption: The successfully generated timetable displayed in the grid, with options to switch views.

TimetableMaster allows you to view the generated schedule in different formats, similar to the lesson views:

• Class Wise Timetable View: See the complete schedule for all classes.
• Teacher Wise Timetable View: View the complete schedule for all teachers.

Downloading Your Timetable

Once generated and reviewed, you can export your timetable in various formats for distribution and offline use.

PDF Download Formats:

TimetableMaster offers several PDF layout options:

1. Teacher Wise Combined PDF:
   • Layout: A consolidated document where teacher names are listed (in the leftmost column), followed by columns for each day of the week, which are further subdivided into period slots. Shows all teachers' schedules in one compact view.
   • Use Case: Useful for administrative overview, notice boards, or a master staff schedule.
2. Class Wise Combined PDF:
   • Layout: Similar to the teacher combined view, but with class names listed, followed by days and period slots. Shows all class schedules together.
   • Use Case: Good for overall school schedule display, departmental planning.
3. Teacher Wise Individual PDF:
   • Layout: Generates a separate page (or set of pages) for each teacher, displaying their complete personal weekly/cyclical timetable.
   • Use Case: Ideal for distributing individual schedules to each teacher.
4. Class Wise Individual PDF:
   • Layout: Generates a separate page (or set of pages) for each class, showing their complete weekly/cyclical timetable.
   • Use Case: Perfect for students, parents, and classroom displays.

Excel/CSV Download:

• Layout: Exports the timetable data into a spreadsheet format (e.g., .xlsx or .csv).
• Use Case: Useful for further data analysis, custom reporting, integration with other systems, or creating custom print layouts.

Next Steps: Fine-Tuning and Distribution

Your timetable is generated! While TimetableMaster strives for optimal results, you might want to make minor manual adjustments or prepare the timetable for distribution.

Confirmation Checklist:

• Reviewed the data overview and distribution graphs.
• Successfully initiated and completed the timetable generation.
• Viewed the generated timetable in different views (class wise, teacher wise).
• Explored the available PDF and Excel download options.