SeatSolver

Classroom seating arrangement generator with constraint satisfaction solver.

SeatSolver is a Java Swing application that lets teachers design classroom layouts by dragging and dropping desk types onto a canvas, then automatically generates optimal seating arrangements using a constraint satisfaction algorithm. Define rules like "keep these students apart" or "put this student in the front zone" and the solver finds arrangements that satisfy all constraints — usually in under 100 milliseconds.

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Quick Start

Windows (recommended)

1. Download SeatSolver-Windows.zip from the latest release
2. Extract the zip (right-click → Extract All)
3. Open the SeatSolver folder and double-click SeatSolver.exe

No Java installation required.

Note: If Windows shows a SmartScreen warning, click "More info" then "Run anyway."

Mac / Linux (requires Java 11+)

1. Download SeatSolver.jar from the latest release
2. Run from terminal:

   java -jar SeatSolver.jar
   

Build from Source

git clone https://github.com/AccelerateHumanity/SeatSolver.git
cd SeatSolver
./gradlew build         # compile + test
./gradlew run           # launch the application
./gradlew jar           # build standalone JAR at build/libs/SeatSolver-*.jar
./gradlew zipAppImage   # build Windows app with bundled JRE (requires JDK 17+)

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Features

• 5 desk types — Single, Pair, Group Table, Lab Bench, Circle Table
• Drag-and-drop placement with grid snapping and collision detection
• Classroom landmarks — Teacher desk, door, screen, window (draggable, rotatable)
• Multi-select — Rectangle drag to select, group move/rotate/delete/duplicate
• Room templates — Rows, Groups, Lab, Perimeter layouts
• 3 constraint types — Proximity (apart/together), Zone (front/back), Balance (gender/skill)
• CSP solver with MRV heuristic, forward checking, and local search optimization
• Multiple solutions — Generates up to 5 ranked arrangements
• Heat map overlay — Green-to-red visualization of constraint satisfaction per seat
• Conflict overlay — Red dashed lines between students violating proximity rules
• Full undo/redo — Ctrl+Z / Ctrl+Y for all desk and landmark operations
• Save/Load — JSON project files preserving desks, students, constraints, zones
• CSV import — Bulk student roster import
• PNG export — High-resolution seating chart images
• Disco mode — Easter egg with bouncing desk physics (Ctrl+D)

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Keyboard Shortcuts

Shortcut	Action
Ctrl+Z	Undo
Ctrl+Y	Redo
Delete	Delete selected desk(s) or landmark
Escape	Cancel selection / exit modes
Ctrl+D	Disco mode (easter egg)
Scroll wheel	Rotate selected desk (15 deg/tick)

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Example Files

The examples/ directory includes ready-to-use classroom configurations:

File	Description
full_demo.json	20 students, 8 desks, 5 constraints
traditional_rows.json	Pair desks in row layout
group_tables.json	Group table arrangement
computer_lab.json	3-wall perimeter lab benches
students.csv	24-student roster for CSV import

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Architecture

seating/
├── SeatingApp.java          Entry point
├── model/                   Data models (Desk hierarchy, Student, Seat, Zone, Classroom)
├── constraint/              Constraint system (Proximity, Zone, Balance)
├── solver/                  CSP solver + adjacency graph
├── layout/                  Command pattern (undo/redo) + grid management
├── io/                      JSON save/load
└── ui/                      Swing GUI (canvas, panels, overlays)

Data Structures

Structure	Class	Purpose
Graph	SeatGraph	Adjacency list (HashMap<Seat, Set<Seat>>) for seat neighbor relationships
PriorityQueue	CSPSolver	MRV heuristic — selects most constrained student first
Stack	UndoManager	Dual undo/redo stacks via Command pattern
HashMap	Throughout	Seat assignments, solver domains, constraint lookups

Inheritance

• abstract Desk → SingleDesk, PairDesk, GroupTable, LabBench, CircleTable
• interface Constraint → ProximityConstraint, ZoneConstraint, BalanceConstraint
• interface Command → AddDeskCommand, MoveDeskCommand, RotateDeskCommand, DeleteDeskCommand, + landmark commands

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License

MIT