Master Schedule modifications needed?

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pack529holycross
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Master Schedule modifications needed?

Post by pack529holycross »

I had a previous thread where I was concerned about the Master Schedule feature on GPRM not really doing alot to avoid consecutive heats. I understood the premise of the answer but I wanted to make sure we were looking at the same thing.

parameters used:

6 lanes
points scoring
1 heat per rank master schedule
15 Tigers
8 Wolves
14 Bears
11 WEBELOS (combined)
20 Open Class

Here is what the master schedule generated based on those parameters:

Round Master
Heat
Group Heat WHITE GREEN GOLD BLUE YELLOW ORANGE
1 1TIGERS 1 114 115 106 116 103 102
2 1TIGERS 2 102 111 105 104 110 115
3 2WOLVES 1 202 204 212 210 209 206
4 3BEARS 1 303 319 301 311 317 313
5 3BEARS 2 313 321 323 310 306 319
6 4WEBELOS 1 406 410 408 404 407 416
7 5OPENCLASS 1 504 509 512 513 516 502
8 5OPENCLASS 2 507 521 503 519 510 516
9 5OPENCLASS 3 509 512 514 511 506 510
10 1TIGERS 3 115 106 116 112 107 111
11 1TIGERS 4 111 105 104 103 117 106
12 2WOLVES 2 209 206 213 205 204 212
13 3BEARS 3 319 301 311 320 308 321
14 3BEARS 4 321 323 310 317 322 301
15 4WEBELOS 2 407 405 416 403 410 417
16 5OPENCLASS 4 521 503 513 502 520 506
17 5OPENCLASS 5 512 514 519 516 505 520
18 5OPENCLASS 6 503 513 511 510 515 505
19 1TIGERS 5 106 116 112 110 109 105
20 1TIGERS 6 105 104 103 107 113 116
21 2WOLVES 3 204 212 210 202 206 213
22 3BEARS 5 301 311 320 306 307 323
23 3BEARS 6 323 310 317 308 303 311
24 4WEBELOS 3 410 408 417 421 405 404
25 5OPENCLASS 7 514 519 502 506 508 515
26 5OPENCLASS 8 513 511 516 520 518 508
27 5OPENCLASS 9 519 502 510 505 517 518
28 1TIGERS 7 116 112 110 117 114 104
29 1TIGERS 8 104 103 107 109 102 112
30 2WOLVES 4 206 213 205 209 212 210
31 3BEARS 7 311 320 306 322 313 310
32 3BEARS 8 310 317 308 307 319 320
33 4WEBELOS 4 405 416 404 401 408 403
34 5OPENCLASS 10 511 516 506 515 504 517
35 5OPENCLASS 11 502 510 520 508 507 504
36 5OPENCLASS 12 516 506 505 518 509 507
37 1TIGERS 9 112 110 117 113 115 103
38 1TIGERS 10 103 107 109 114 111 110
39 2WOLVES 5 212 210 202 204 213 205
40 3BEARS 9 320 306 322 303 321 317
41 3BEARS 10 317 308 307 313 301 306
42 4WEBELOS 5 408 417 403 406 416 421
43 5OPENCLASS 13 510 520 515 517 521 509
44 5OPENCLASS 14 506 505 508 504 512 521
45 5OPENCLASS 15 520 515 518 507 503 512
46 1TIGERS 11 110 117 113 102 106 107
47 1TIGERS 12 107 109 114 115 105 117
48 2WOLVES 6 213 205 209 206 210 202
49 3BEARS 11 306 322 303 319 323 308
50 3BEARS 12 308 307 313 321 311 322
51 4WEBELOS 6 416 404 421 407 417 401
52 5OPENCLASS 16 505 508 517 509 514 503
53 5OPENCLASS 17 515 518 504 521 513 514
54 5OPENCLASS 18 508 517 507 512 519 513
55 1TIGERS 13 117 113 102 111 116 109
56 1TIGERS 14 109 114 115 106 104 113
57 2WOLVES 7 210 202 204 212 205 209
58 3BEARS 13 322 303 319 301 310 307
59 3BEARS 14 307 313 321 323 320 303
60 4WEBELOS 7 417 403 401 410 404 406
61 5OPENCLASS 19 518 504 509 503 511 519
62 5OPENCLASS 20 517 507 521 514 502 511
63 1TIGERS 15 113 102 111 105 112 114
64 2WOLVES 8 205 209 206 213 202 204
65 4WEBELOS 8 404 421 406 405 403 407
66 4WEBELOS 9 403 401 407 408 421 410
67 4WEBELOS 10 421 406 410 416 401 405
68 4WEBELOS 11 401 407 405 417 406 4

This seems to be the first time this has happened, as I do not remember the Master Schedule feature clumping race groups together in this fashion before. Is there a possibility that the software is malfunctioning?
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gpraceman
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Re: Master Schedule modifications needed?

Post by gpraceman »

I am not sure what problem you are trying to point out. The group heat numbers are progressing as I would expect (1,2,3,...,n). The larger groups will run more heats than the smaller ones, before the master schedule alternates to the next group. All heat numbers for each group stay in sequence. Your smallest group (Wolves) will run the minimum number of times, that you have set in the Software Options screen, before alternating to the next group. Your largest group (Open) will run the most consecutive heats before alternating to the next group. This all appears to be according to the intended design.

So, where specifically is the problem? :scratching:
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Awana Grand Prix and Pinewood Derby racing - Where a child, an adult and a small block of wood combine for a lot of fun and memories.
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pack529holycross
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Re: Master Schedule modifications needed?

Post by pack529holycross »

I would like to be able to edit the master schedule. I think that being able to tweak the schedule after its generated benefits the event and the efficiency of staging cars without duplication between heats. Using the same data, exported to Excel, I came up with this:


Group GREEN GOLD BLUE YELLOW
1TIGERS 115 106 116 103
2WOLVES 204 212 210 209
3BEARS 319 301 311 317
4WEBELOS 410 408 404 407
5OPENCLASS 509 512 513 516
1TIGERS 111 105 104 110
2WOLVES 206 213 205 204
3BEARS 321 323 310 306
4WEBELOS 405 416 403 410
5OPENCLASS 521 503 519 510
1TIGERS 106 116 112 107
2WOLVES 212 210 202 206
3BEARS 301 311 320 308
4WEBELOS 408 417 421 405
5OPENCLASS 519 502 506 508
1TIGERS 105 104 103 117
2WOLVES 213 205 209 212
3BEARS 323 310 317 322
4WEBELOS 416 404 401 408
5OPENCLASS 512 514 511 506
1TIGERS 116 112 110 109
2WOLVES 210 202 204 213
3BEARS 311 320 306 307
4WEBELOS 417 403 406 416
5OPENCLASS 503 513 502 520
1TIGERS 104 103 107 113
2WOLVES 205 209 206 210
3BEARS 310 317 308 303
4WEBELOS 404 421 407 417
5OPENCLASS 514 519 516 505
1TIGERS 112 110 117 114
2WOLVES 202 204 212 205
3BEARS 306 322 303 321
4WEBELOS 403 401 410 404
5OPENCLASS 511 516 520 518
1TIGERS 103 107 109 102
2WOLVES 209 206 213 202
3BEARS 308 307 313 301
4WEBELOS 421 406 405 403
5OPENCLASS 502 510 505 517
1TIGERS 110 117 113 115
3BEARS 322 303 319 323
4WEBELOS 401 407 408 421
5OPENCLASS 513 511 510 515
1TIGERS 107 109 114 111
3BEARS 307 313 321 311
4WEBELOS 406 410 416 401
5OPENCLASS 516 506 515 504
1TIGERS 117 113 102 106
3BEARS 303 319 301 310
4WEBELOS 407 405 417 406
5OPENCLASS 510 520 508 507
1TIGERS 109 114 115 105
3BEARS 313 321 323 320
5OPENCLASS 506 505 518 509
1TIGERS 102 111 105 112
3BEARS 320 306 322 313
5OPENCLASS 520 515 517 521
1TIGERS 113 102 111 116
3BEARS 317 308 307 319
5OPENCLASS 504 509 503 511
1TIGERS 114 115 106 104
5OPENCLASS 505 508 504 512
5OPENCLASS 507 521 514 502
5OPENCLASS 518 504 521 513
5OPENCLASS 517 507 512 519
5OPENCLASS 508 517 509 514
5OPENCLASS 515 518 507 503


I could have plugged in the last 5 open class rounds somewhere up top as well as what I already did, but you can see now the resorting of the heats eliminates any cars in consecutive heats, and increases efficiency in the pits. There are several solutions I see that would permit this.

1. on the schedule tab, there is an export function - all you would need to do is add an Import function, and the re-sorted excel table I just created could be pulled back into the software and then implemented by the software and printed out.

2. Make the schedule tab screen drag and drop, so if there are any heats that need to be tweaked as far as order, they can be dragged and dropped.

3. add another column with the master schedule heat order on the left, with the ability to alter the numbers in the column that represent the order in which the heats are run. Youtube has this when you make a playlist, and view the playlist, each video has a box at the left that shows the number in the playlist order. Change the number, and the video jumps to that position.

Those are some suggestions for increasing the customization capabilities of the master schedule feature.

Thank you for your consideration :)

Nicholas
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Re: Master Schedule modifications needed?

Post by Darin McGrew »

Just a thought on an algorithm to avoid scheduling consecutive races from the same group when interleaving schedules like this...
  1. Start with the largest group (group A).
  2. Interleave the next-largest group (group B). There should be no consecutive races from group B, but there will still be consecutive races from group A.
  3. Interleave the next-largest group (group C), but give preference for slotting the races for group C between consecutive races for group A.
  4. If there are still consecutive races for group A, then that means that B+C < A. Repeat step 3 with the next-largest group (group D).
  5. If there are no more consecutive races for group A, then you've optimized the interleaving to avoid consecutive races for the same group, and thus, to avoid consecutive races for the same car. Interleave the remaining groups randomly to complete the schedule.
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Re: Master Schedule modifications needed?

Post by gpraceman »

pack529holycross wrote:I could have plugged in the last 5 open class rounds somewhere up top as well as what I already did, but you can see now the resorting of the heats eliminates any cars in consecutive heats, and increases efficiency in the pits. There are several solutions I see that would permit this.
The problem with your example is that your smaller groups get done with racing well before the larger groups. That is something that GPRM is trying to avoid. We originally had the master scheduling that way, but we received quite a bit of feedback from users that they didn't like that situation, so we modified the master scheduling to factor in group sizes.
pack529holycross wrote:1. on the schedule tab, there is an export function - all you would need to do is add an Import function, and the re-sorted excel table I just created could be pulled back into the software and then implemented by the software and printed out.

2. Make the schedule tab screen drag and drop, so if there are any heats that need to be tweaked as far as order, they can be dragged and dropped.

3. add another column with the master schedule heat order on the left, with the ability to alter the numbers in the column that represent the order in which the heats are run. Youtube has this when you make a playlist, and view the playlist, each video has a box at the left that shows the number in the playlist order. Change the number, and the video jumps to that position.
Those are some things that we can consider. However, we have to balance flexibility with simplicity and how useful a feature would be. For our not so computer savvy users, too much complexity just scares them away or leads to a lot of time with us trying to provide them tech support. That and I do really have to wonder on how many people would take the time to manually resort the master schedule during the heat and stress of race day. IMO, it seems to make more sense to improve the existing algorithm as Darin suggests.
Randy Lisano
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Stan Pope
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Re: Master Schedule modifications needed?

Post by Stan Pope »

gpraceman wrote:IMO, it seems to make more sense to improve the existing algorithm as Darin suggests.
Yes, the current algorithm steps through each group taking a fixed number of heats from each. The result is temporary but high imbalance in heat rate.

In improved algorithm computes the current heat rate and selects the next heat to best restore balance. The result is temporary imbalance, but much less imbalance that the current algorithm.
Stan
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