Calculation criteria

The calculation criteria specified by default are suitable for the majority of the institutions.

Customize the calculation criteria (automatic placement)

By default, the calculation criteria are balanced: the assigned value is high enough so that every criterion is efficient and low enough so that a criterion does not exercise its influence at the expense of another. This is why it is recommended to keep the by default values during the first calculation.

If you have the time to conduct simulations and a criterion is more important than others, you can give it more weight. Do not modify too many criterion at the same time; otherwise you will not know which one influence the results.

1. Go to the menu Calculation > Launch auto-placement.
2. From the tab Information, click on the button Customize calculation criteria. By default, the values are configured so that no criterion conflicts with another:
   • Favor free 1/2 days: to be augmented if you want to prioritize free half-days in the teachers’ timetables;
   • Penalize gaps: to be augmented if you want to prioritize the avoidance of gaps in the timetables of the teachers and classes;
   • Favor free days: to be augmented if you want to prioritize free days in the teachers’ timetables.

Things to know:

• If you allocate a nil value to a criterion, it is not taken into account; if you allocate a negative value, you will obtain the opposite effect. For example, if you allocate a negative value to the criterion Favor free 1/2 days, EDT divides the timetables to the fullest extent.
• Except for a particular reason, allocate to Penalize gaps (class) a value inferior or equal to that of Penalize gaps (teachers). As the number of hours for a class is usually greater than those of the teachers, the higher the value of the criterion is for the classes, the higher the risk of penalizing the teachers’ timetables.