Random Timing

[andman]

I am creating a timetable for a university and need to schedule the same
class, English 101 for example, at different times of the day. I really
don't care when the class is scheduled; however, it must fit in between the
hours of 7 a.m. and 9:30 p.m. Is there a function in Project that can
randomly set the time? Or another option, is there a way to set predecessors
and have the lag time between the classes be randomly set?

 

[JulieD]

Hi

i would have thought creating a calendar with working time of 7am to 9.30pm
(tools / change working time / new) and assigning it to the English class
(task information, advanced tab) would give you what you're after.

 

[John]

Hi

i would have thought creating a calendar with working time of 7am to 9.30pm
(tools / change working time / new) and assigning it to the English class
(task information, advanced tab) would give you what you're after.

Julie,
Setting the Calendar working time will indeed bound the Start and Finish
times for the English classes but it won't schedule them randomly. In
order to do that, two things are needed. First, Nada needs to define how
long each class lasts (e.g. 50 minutes). Second, some VBA will be
necessary to schedule each class within the working time using the Rnd
(Random) function. The task is probably a little too complex for a
custom formula.

It can be done, it just isn't as straightforward as Nada wants.

Hope this helps.
John
Project MVP

 

[John]

Hi

i would have thought creating a calendar with working time of 7am to 9.30pm
(tools / change working time / new) and assigning it to the English class
(task information, advanced tab) would give you what you're after.

Julie,
Excuse me, I had another poster's name on my brain when I wrote my
response - I should have referred to the poster as "andman". Too early
for my neurons I guess.

John

 

[JulieD]

--
Cheers
JulieD
check out www.hcts.net.au/tipsandtricks.htm
....well i'm working on it anyway

Julie,
Setting the Calendar working time will indeed bound the Start and Finish
times for the English classes but it won't schedule them randomly. In
order to do that, two things are needed. First, Nada needs to define how
long each class lasts (e.g. 50 minutes). Second, some VBA will be
necessary to schedule each class within the working time using the Rnd
(Random) function. The task is probably a little too complex for a
custom formula.

It can be done, it just isn't as straightforward as Nada wants.

Hope this helps.
John
Project MVP

good point John, (apart from wondering in project is the right place to do
this in) the other problem i see is that in you are scheduled for English
101 on Monday at 2pm in Week1 of Semester 1, then you'ld also probably like
to attend English 101 in Week2 on the same day & time ... so the
"randomness" would only apply to when the English 101 class is repeated and
therefore, i'm wondering if the OP only schedules the first week of the
semester and then uses task calendars & resource calendars (lecturer & room)
& levelling whether or not this would give a good enough "randomness".

Cheers
JulieD

 

[John]

good point John, (apart from wondering in project is the right place to do
this in) the other problem i see is that in you are scheduled for English
101 on Monday at 2pm in Week1 of Semester 1, then you'ld also probably like
to attend English 101 in Week2 on the same day & time ... so the
"randomness" would only apply to when the English 101 class is repeated and
therefore, i'm wondering if the OP only schedules the first week of the
semester and then uses task calendars & resource calendars (lecturer & room)
& levelling whether or not this would give a good enough "randomness".

Cheers
JulieD

Julie,
I agree fully. After I wrote my response I began to really question the
point of "random" scheduling of classes. There are so many reasons why
it is a really bad idea for students, the instructor and the
institution. For example, if English is randomly scheduled then all
other classes at the institution would also need to be on the same
random schedule so that students who are taking more than just English
(probably most of them) could get to their other classes.

It certainly is an interesting post, but in my view, totally impractical.

John