The generator makes a full timetable draft from your lessons and rules. Nothing goes live until you publish it. See Versions and publishing.
What must be switched on
The generator is off until three things are true. Ask your SunRuby contact for the first two.
- The server has the timetable generator switched on. If not, the page says "The generator is switched off on this server."
- The server runs the background solver. Without it the run stays at "Waiting for the solver".
- Your organisation is at the Standard plan level or higher for the timetable. The owner sets the level. The page says "This needs the Standard plan level" if not.
The timetable builder, versions and the substitution desk work without these.
Step 1: lessons
- Open Academics > Lessons (under Timetable).
- Press Build from teaching assignments. Lessons are made from who teaches what. Pressing it again creates nothing new.
- Check the Totals. A class over its weekly periods is marked "More than the week holds".
- Edit a lesson to set Periods a week, Blocks (for example 2,1,1 for a double and two singles), Blocks a day at most, the room kind it needs and a second teacher for team teaching.
- Use Option blocks for subjects the students choose between, and Fixed and preferred times to fix a lesson to a time (Fixed, Only here, Avoid, Prefer).
Step 2: teacher rules
Open Academics > Teacher rules. For each teacher set Periods a day at most, a week at most, in a row at most, free periods, whether they take substitutions and Availability (Not available, Avoid, Prefer). A reason is seen only by the head.
Step 3: generate
- Open Academics > Generate and press Check the inputs. It lists problems in plain words, such as a teacher who needs more periods than their limit. Fix them.
- Choose the Time limit (up to the cap for your plan level). Choose What to generate: Everything, or Keep locked cells, regenerate the rest.
- Press Generate. A bar shows progress. Stop ends it.
- When done, press Open the draft. Lessons the solver could not place are listed under Not placed with the reason and Fixes.
- Press Compare with the live timetable to see what changed.
In the draft you can lock good cells (Lock), swap two cells (Swap), and press Generate again with Keep locked cells.
Common questions
The Generate page is missing.
You need the permission to see generation. The page also hides when the plan level is below Standard.
It leaves some lessons unplaced.
Open the reason. Usually a teacher limit or a room is too tight. Loosen a rule, add a room, or place that lesson by hand.