Working With Availability Views in 25Live

Availability grids in 25Live are a great way to find a time slot for your event. In many of these views, you can create new events and edit existing ones right from the grid.

In 25Live there are three main ways to access an availability view (or grid) in 25Live: through the More menu, a location or resource search, or the page of a specific event, location, or resource.

These views function in nearly identical ways, with a few small differences. 

Availability View Types

Default Availability

You can get to the default Availability view by selecting Availability from the More menu in the top navigation bar

Default Availability views are populated based on saved searches. If no search is selected, this view will use your starred location search.

  • Availability: With a list of locations in the left-hand column and hours in the top bar, this view uses location searches to populate a daily availability view. This view is interactive, allowing you to create and reschedule events right from the grid.
    Default availability viewImage: In this example, the Availability view shows all of the events that take place in a starred location, between 2pm and 7pm on October 24th.

Object Availability

Click any 25Live location, resource, organization, or contact to go to its Details page. Then click on the Schedule, Availability (Daily), or Availability (Weekly) tab.

  • Availability (Daily): With a list of dates in the left-hand column and hours in the top bar, this view shows all events that fall within a specific date range and have a specific location or resource attached on a daily availability grid.
The availability daily view on a location pageImage: In this example, the Availability view shows all of the locations that take place in location HSC 122 on October 24th, between 9am and 4pm.

  • Schedule: With a list of dates in the left-hand column and hours in the top bar, this variation of the Availability (Daily) view shows all of the occurrences and segments for the event you are viewing. This view is interactive, allowing you to reschedule right from the grid.
    Image: In this example, the Schedule view shows all of the occurrences of event "SPAN 212 01 26206 2024AMSU,"  that begin on or after May 3rd, and take place between 8am and 12pm.

  • Availability (Weekly): This view is unique to locations and displays a Sunday through Saturday (or customized) grid of events for a specific location. The top bar shows the days of the week and specific dates, while the left-hand column displays hours. This view is interactive, allowing you to create events right from the grid.
    The availability weekly view on a location pageImage: In this example, the Availability view shows all of the events that take place on a weekday in room HSC 122, between October 20th and November 9th, between 9am and 4pm. 

Search Availability

Search Availability views display events generated from searches run on the Search page, within a selected date range. Unlike the default views, the search does not need to be saved to use this view.

  • Availability: With a list of objects in the left-hand column, this view uses location and resource searches to populate a daily availability view. This view is interactive, allowing you to create and reschedule events right from the grid.
    Resource search availability viewImage: In this example, the Availability view shows all of the resource reservations that take place on February 8th between 6pm and 11pm, and that were returned after running a resource search named "AV".

  • Availability (Weekly): This view is unique to location searches and shows a Sunday through Saturday (or customized) grid of events that take place in a group of locations. This view is interactive, allowing you to create events right from the grid.
    Resource search weekly availability viewImage: In this example, the Availability view shows all of the events that were returned after running a location search name "Baker Classroom Complex," that take place on a weekday between October 20th and November 16th, between the hours of 9am and 6pm, 

Understanding the Availability Daily Grid

Availability grid mobile
Image: Availability views can be accessed on-the-go from a mobile device.

Each Availability view is specific to one or more locations or resources and shows their event schedules. The views consist of...

  • An availability toolbar at the top with several controls that allow you to adjust what you see in the grid. (More information on these in the "Using the Availability Controls" section.)
  • A list of locations, resources, or dates (depending on where you are in the application) are listed down the left-hand side of the grid.
  • A range of hours are listed along the top of the grid
    • A vertical bar advances across the grid (updating every 2 minutes) indicating the current time (to help differentiate past and future events)
    • This view allows you to check availability during specified dates/hours, see utilization, and create events using the pencil and paper (Create event icon) icon in the grid squares.
  • Within the grid are each event blocks that take place in that time frame. These could be "real" events, closed hours, or blackout dates.
  • Hover to view positive values from headcount fields and other event information on devices where available

The Schedule view is a type of Availability (Daily) grid that is specific to events. You cannot create additional occurrences from the grid, but you can reschedule them.


Understanding the Availability Weekly Grid

The weekly availability grid is unique to locations. This view displays the days of the week and dates at the top, with times on the left-hand side. A toolbar at the top provides several controls to adjust the grid display. (More information on these in the "Using the Availability Controls" section.)

Here you can compare location reservations on specific days from week to week. If multiple locations are displayed, each will have its own grid with the days and weeks selected. 

Events can be created from the weekly grid, but unlike the availability daily views, they cannot be rescheduled there. 

Availability weekly grid with two locations, representing four weeks of events that take place monday through friday, from 9am to 6pm Image: In this example, there are two locations displayed. Both locations show the Monday-Friday reservation schedule for a four week span, for events that take place between 9AM and 6PM.

Using the Availability Controls

Please note that some of the buttons, dropdowns, and other controls described below are not available on every availability view. What you see will depend on where you are in the application and whether you are viewing a daily or weekly grid. For more comprehensive explanations of the controls on Search pages, please see our articles on Quick Searching and Advanced Searching.

Updating the Dates Displayed

To move the grid's date(s) forward or backward, use the arrow buttons or click the dates to open the calendar picker. 

Date range with a forward and backward arrow on each side. Image: Use the arrows to move the date(s) forward or backwards. 

In the availability weekly views, use the Weeks dropdown to adjust the number of weeks displayed and the Select Days button to adjust the days of the weeks displayed.

Weeks dropdown set to 4Image: Use the Weeks dropdown to select the number of weeks displayed in an availability weekly view.
Select days buttonImage: Use the Select Days to adjust the days of the weeks displayed in an availability weekly view.

Updating the Hours Displayed

At the top-left corner of the availability grid are controls for changing which hours are shown. Click and drag a point on the hours bar to adjust the hours shown in the grid.

Demonstration of hours slider in availability viewAnimation: Use the hours slider to adjust the hours displayed on the availability grid.

Displaying the Location Name and Capacity View Options

An Options button is available on daily location availability views that rely on searches. 

Options buttonImage: The availability daily location Options.

When clicked, a modal will open with an option to choose whether you want the default layout capacity appended to the end of the location names in the left-hand column. This value will be displayed in parenthesis. Additionally, you can choose whether you want the short or formal location name displayed. Note that this column has limited space, so long names may be cut off.

Location capacity toggle with two options: No Capacity & Default Layout Capacity; Location Display Name toggle with two options: Name and Formal NameImage: Clicking options will let you choose whether how you want the location column to display names and capacities.
Left column of an availability daily grid showing short location names and layout capacity numbersImage: Short location name displayed with the default layout capacity in parenthesis.
Left column of an availability daily grid showing formal location namesImage: Formal location name displayed with no layout capacity.

Interacting With Grid Objects

Each event, location, and resource on an availability view is interactive.

  • Click on an object link to move to its Details page.
  • Hover over an object link to see a summary of its details. 
  • Right-click on an object to see more actions. 
Animation showing hover and right-click functionality on a calendar eventAnimation: Availability views are interactive. Hover, left-click, and right-click on links to see more information.

Using the Separated, Overlapping, and Edit Modes

Grids have SeparatedOverlapping view modes that adjust event block placement. Some views also include Edit Mode.

Viewing mode dropdown options: separated, overlapping, & edit modeImage: Edit Mode dropdown options.

Separated

All events with overlapping times will be displayed above one another for easier viewing.

Separated view mode exampleImage: Events that occur at the same time will be displayed above one another in Separated mode.

Overlapping

All events with overlapping times will be displayed in overlapping time-blocks to highlight the overlap.

Overlapping view mode exampleImage: Events that occur at the same time will be displayed on top of one another in Overlapping mode.

Edit Mode

Allows you to change the event date and time by dragging the event's colored block within any available grid squares.

You can drag the event block to a new date and time in the availability grid.Animation: Drag an event block to a new time using Edit Mode.

Select the Snap To Grid checkbox above the grid to restrict times to half-hour blocks, or uncheck the checkbox to freely move the event to any time.

Creating Events From the Grid

Availability views allow you to create events using the paper and pencil icon Pencil and paper icon directly from the grid. If a location is setup for Express Scheduling, clicking the icon will open the Express Scheduling form for quick event creation. Use the Open in Form button to create an event in the standard Event Form instead.

Understanding the Event Block Colors

The rectangular event blocks in the availability grid are color-coded to signal closed hours, blackout hours, and the different statuses and characteristics of events.

Events in several colors on a daily availability gridImage: In this example, the colors on event "Hold 423" indicate that it is a related event and has pre-event and post-event times.

Click or tap the Legend button to reveal the Availability Color Legend and see which colors/patterns are associated with your grid's event blocks.

Legend button above the availability gridImage: Tap the Legend button to view the Availability Color Legend.

The first several colors/patterns in the legend are standard:
  • Blank/White:  Available
  • Default Event Green (light green): A normal event with occurrence start and end times 
  • Related Event Orange: Location unavailable due to a relationship with another location
  • Pending Event Purple (purple with grey slashes):  Pending reservation
  • Blackout Grey (dark grey): A blackout hour
  • Closed Hours Grey (light grey): Closed hours, based on the location's open/closed hours

Setup, pre-event, post-event, and takedown times will display in a lighter shade of the block color. (See the "Hold 423" reservation in the image above.)

For more information on adding custom colors/patterns, please see Adding Grid Coloring to Availability Views.

Availability color legend view: Default event green, related event orange, pending event purple, requested event (color may vary), draft event (color may vary), blackout grey, closed hours grey
Image: The top seven colors in the legend are system colors. Colors added to your instance will be displayed under the standard colors. 

Changing to Location Utilization View

The View dropdown on location availability daily and weekly views allows you to choose between four modes that change the colors of your event blocks.

View dropdown set to utilization rhc/capImage: View dropdown.
Security Note

To access the utilization views, your security group will need the following permission in Series25 Group Administration: 

Academic Options: 2.0 View Utilization Statistics on Availability Grids = Yes

Standard (default) View

In the Standard view mode, the squares representing blocks of time in the availability grid are color-coded to signal different statuses of events (as shown above under "Understanding the Event Block Colors"). This view's custom colors are set in the Grid Coloring System Settings.

Utilization Views

In the three utilization views (Utilization (RHC/CAP), Utilization (EHC/CAP), Utilization (RHC/EHC)) the squares representing blocks of time in the availability grid are color-coded to represent the percentage of the location’s utilization for that block of time.

Utilization view modes:

  • Utilization (RHC/EHC): Registered Head Count/Expected Head Count:  Shows enrollment utilization.
    • For example, this view shows which sections can still register more students or are potentially over the enrolled (e.g. 38 students registered, with a max enrollment of 40) 
  • Utilization (EHC/CAP): Expected Head Count/Maximum Capacity:  Shows sections that might have room to grow in their current location.
    • For example, a section in which 40 students could register but the room holds 45. Or, conversely, a section that potentially could reach full enrollment but does not have enough seats in the current location. 
  • Utilization (RHC/CAP): Registered Head Count/Maximum Capacity:  Shows true seat utilization. 
    • For example, this view shows the number of registered students vs. the number of available seats in the location.
Utilization view with events in several shades of blueImage: Example of the Utilization RHC/CAP view.

Utilization color meanings:

  • Gradient Spectrum (white to blue):  White indicates the location is 0% utilized for that hour, with colors darkening along a spectrum to blue indicating 100% utilization
  • Grey:  Location utilization is complicated by one of the following:
    • The location max capacity is equal to zero
    • The location is a subdivision of, divides into, or blocked by a relationship with another location
    • The location assignment is shared for that hour
  • Red:  Location utilization is greater than 100% for that hour
Note: Expected Head Count in Campus Solutions

Expected headcount is typically defined as the maximum number of students that can enroll in a section. However, if your institution uses the Campus Solutions SIS, your setup may be configured to import the section's Requested Room Capacity instead of the maximum enrollment.

These utilization view modes are most useful when viewed in conjunction with the use of the Series25 LYNX Interface because LYNX exchanges up-to-the-minute registered headcount information between the Series25 database and your SIS (Student Information System). In addition, registered headcount and expected headcount values for combined/cross-listed sections are standardized in LYNX. If you are not already using LYNX, please contact your Series25 Account Manager to learn more.

Including Requested Events

Select the Include Requested checkbox to display requested events on the grid.

Include requested checkbox above the gridImage: Include Requested Checkbox.

Refreshing the Grid

If any changes have been made that affect the availability grid criteria, press the refresh icon to update the results.

Refresh buttonImage: Press the refresh button if recent changes are missing from the grid.

If the availability view that you are using has the time listed in parentheses, the refresh time will be reflected there.

(As of 4:50 pm)Image: The time displayed will reflect the last time the grid was refreshed.,

Scrolling to the Top

When navigating availability grids, use the arrow button (Button with arrow pointing up) in the bottom-right corner to quickly scroll to the top.