[sims] Printing Two Timetables Per Page Post-T4

[CAM]

A popular request from staff following the T4pocalypse in the Summer Update is as follows:

 

Why is it in Nova-T4 we could print two timetables per page but in this SIMS Reports menu thing I can only print 1 per page?

 

We run a two-week timetable and SIMS does indeed print two pages, one for each week. Unfortunately we cannot access print preferences in the Reports->Timetables screens to set-up two per page printing. There is a tick box to print two on a page but it doesn't work and just changes the position of the second page from below the first to next to it!

 

Has anyone got any idea how to fix this? Every member of staff who has come to see me is complaining about the lack of two-per-page printing and it seems T4 was very heavily used before I got here.

Edited August 30, 2012 by CAM

[Brucy]

As a work around could you print to PDF and then print from acrobat with multiple pages per page?

 

thats what i've done to print on A5.

[matt40k]

...I wish people tried the new functions when Capita actually had Developers allocated and activity developing it rather then waiting until the old solution is no longer supported and avalible...

 

Sorry, I know it's not want you want to hear and I'm sure you agree. At least now I can refer back to this when we're about to do the same thing with something else... like SOLUS3

[nickbro]

Surely when you print timetables, you can use the printer properties window to tell the printer driver to print 2 pages per sheet

[vikpaw]

Surely when you print timetables, you can use the printer properties window to tell the printer driver to print 2 pages per sheet

 

That's what i did, but maybe not all drivers have that function.

[CAM]

@matt40k: My last school didn't use T4 at all but I am months into a new position where they use it heavily.

 

I found the solution, or more accurately my SEN department found it! Print Timetables prints two-per-page but Reports -> Timetable doesn't allow it.

 

Thanks guys.

[matt40k]

Print Timetable uses the Nova-T4 print engine. So it won't work on 64bit machines nor will it work forever.

[vikpaw]

Print Timetables menu route is only available to Timetablers or high level users as far as i recall. To give it to lay staff i had to make a custom group.

which reminds me, i need to go and de activate it.

[PRicho]

This can be done via the Reports / Timetables as we ran into the same issue,

 

Change the orientation to portrait

Week 2 under Week 1 from the right

Modify the 'Gap below Title' to make them both appear on 1 page.

 

And you need a special permission(I think Curricular Manager/Timetabler) to be able to view the save button which should appear next to 'Default' so you can save you design as the default view for all users.

[Rammie]

...I wish people tried the new functions when Capita actually had Developers allocated and activity developing it rather then waiting...

 

With respects, Matt, people have been complaining about the provision of replacement timetable reports for a long time (from soon after Capita announced that NT4 was doomed). We could repost that developers ought to have looked properly at what NT4 provided - and ensured that they reproduced this as a minimum. Whereas in practice, they apparently went off wending their own path, making it difficult or impossible to reproduce then-existing reports. I'm all for providing flexibility - but you must make it easy for people to migrate! Frankly, this didn't happen.

 

We gave up on this some while ago and created our own timetable output on our Intranet (using the approved method of exporting from SIMS overnight). This is way more customizable.

[vikpaw]

...

 

We gave up on this some while ago and created our own timetable output on our Intranet (using the approved method of exporting from SIMS overnight). This is way more customizable.

 

Anything you can share?