Step 5 — Alignments and groups of groups

This step is optional — skip it if you have no shared cross-class courses. It becomes necessary as soon as students from different classes must attend the same course together (Latinists from several classes, cross-class electives, speciality courses, etc.).

Alignments

Usable in all timetable types, but most relevant for recurring timetables (weekly / cyclic) with parallel classes of identical structure. See the reference page: Group alignments.

Summary:

• First create, in each class concerned, a group with the same name ("Latinistes" in 8A, in 8B, in 8C).
• Then, on the Group alignment tab, click Add an alignment and link the groups from the three classes.
• Check that the hourly volumes are identical across the aligned groups (otherwise Omniscol will raise an inconsistency diagnostic).

Groups of groups

See the reference page: Groups of groups.

Summary:

• Group of groups tab.
• Create the group of groups by selecting the member groups (from the same class or from different classes).
• Then assign the courses to the group of groups — they will appear in all the parent classes.
• Editable at any time (adding / removing member groups).

Assigning several groups directly to a lesson

There is also a shortcut to assign several groups directly to a lesson, without creating a named group of groups.

This mode is convenient for a one-off or exploratory need:

• you tick several groups in the lesson's group selector;
• the lesson is then shared between these groups without creating a dedicated named entity;
• you can later revert to a single group, or formalize the case as a group of groups if the need becomes lasting.

On the other hand, it is less readable and less reusable than a named group of groups: the explicit business intent is lost and it is harder to spot, re-edit or reapply the same grouping across several lessons.

When to use which

Classic pitfalls

• Different volumes across the aligned groups. If one group has 3 hours of Latin and another 2, the alignment raises a diagnostic. Either harmonize, or unalign.
• A course shared by only 2 classes out of 3 aligned ones. For one of the classes to have its independent course on that time slot, duplicate its group and unalign the clone.
• Students with a double enrollment (for example a student who takes Latin in 8A but is enrolled in 8B). Solution: create a "Latinistes" group in 8A and in 8B with the same student in both, then align.

What next

Next step: Distribute the hours and create the lessons.