MetroNG: Computer-Aided Scheduling and Collision Detection

In this paper, we propose a formal model of the objects involved in a class of scheduling problems, namely in the classroom scheduling in universities which allow a certain degree of liberty in their curricula. Using the formal model, we present efficient algorithms for the detection of collisions of the involved objects and for the inference of a tree-like navigational structure in an interactive scheduling software allowing a selection of the most descriptive view of the scheduling objects. These algorithms were used in a real-world application called MetroNG; a visual interactive tool that is based on more than 10 years of experience we have in the field. It is currently used by the largest universities and colleges in the Czech Republic. The efficiency and usability of MetroNG suggests that our approach may be applied in many areas where multi-dimensionally structured data are presented in an interactive application.