Creating and Using Schedules with OptiSigns – OptiSigns

OptiSigns offers flexible and powerful scheduling options, allowing you to schedule your content on a calendar. Schedule events to recur daily, on specific days and times, or any way you wish.

In this article, we will cover:

Creating a Schedule
Generating a Recurring Schedule
Copying a Schedule
Handling Overlapping Schedules
Scheduling Around Time Zones
Setting Live-Expire for your Schedules
Assigning a Schedule to Your Screens
Playlist Item Scheduling
Frequently Asked Questions About Schedules

Creating a Schedule

Click on the Schedule tab on the top navigation bar.
Click Create Schedule.
Rename the schedule by clicking on its name.
Add an event by clicking the Add Event button or by dragging and selecting the calendar view to create a schedule at your desired time.
Fill out the details of your schedule item:
- Use assets or playlists in your schedules.
- Fine-tune the time and set it to repeat daily, weekly, etc., or not at all.
Click Save.

OptiSigns 1.0

OptiSigns 2.0

Your schedule item is created. You can edit the schedule item or add more schedule items as needed. It will look something like this:

Generating a Recurring Schedule

Follow the steps in the "Create a Schedule" section.

Set Recurrence:
- Choose from options like:
  - Repeat Daily
  - Repeat Weekly (you can select specific days like Sunday, Monday, etc.)
  - Repeat Monthly (on a specific date each month)
- Create a Custom Recurrence:
  - Scroll down to and click on the Custom option.
  - Set up a more tailored schedule, such as repeating every other day, or specific days of the week on a bi-weekly basis.
  - Define the recurrence pattern according to your needs.
Save the Recurring Schedule: After setting the recurrence pattern, click Save to finalize the recurring schedule.

Copying a Schedule

Navigate to Schedules: Click on Schedules from the menu.
Select a Schedule: Choose the schedule you want to copy from the list.
Copy Schedule: Click on the Duplicate Schedule button located at the top of the schedule.
A copy of the schedule will populate. You can modify the copied schedule as desired.

Handling Overlapping Schedules

When creating or editing schedules, OptiSigns will notify you of any overlaps.

Types of Overlaps:

Unintentional Overlaps:
- Adjust the start and end times of the schedules to ensure there are no conflicts.
Intentional Overlaps:
- The last updated schedule will take priority during the conflicted time.

Scheduling Around Time Zones

The screens/devices will play according to their local time zones.

Example:

You (and your computer) are in the CST time zone (GMT - 6).
Device 1 is in the EST time zone (GMT - 5).
Device 2 is in the PST time zone (GMT - 8).

You set a schedule item to play from 10 AM to 11 AM on 1/1/20XX.

Device 1 will play the schedule item from 10 AM to 11 AM on 1/1/20XX in its local time (EST).
Device 2 will play the schedule item from 10 AM to 11 AM on 1/1/20XX in its local time (PST).

Daylight saving time adjustments will be handled automatically.

Setting Live-Expire for Your Schedules

You can use the Set Asset to Live & Expire feature to schedule content to go live or expire on specific dates.

Assigning a Schedule to Your Screens

There are two ways to assign a schedule to your screens.

Method 1:

Navigate to Screens: Click on the Screens tab.
Select Screen: Click Edit on the screens you'd like to assign the schedule to.

Assign Schedule: In the Edit Screen modal:
- Select Type = Schedule.
- Select the schedule you just created from the list of available schedules.

Click Save.

Method 2:

Navigate to Schedule: Click on the Schedules tab.
Select Schedule: Select the schedule you would like to push to the screen(s).
Push to Screen: Click on the Push to Screen icon on the top menu of your schedule.

Playlist Item Scheduling

Playlist item scheduling is a great tool for tailoring your content to different times of the day, week, or even specific dates.

Create or Edit Playlist: Select the playlist you want to manage.
Schedule Items: For each item in the playlist, set specific start and end times or days when they should be displayed.
Save Playlist: Click Save to apply the item-specific scheduling.

Frequently Asked Questions About Schedules

What if there is a one-time schedule overlapping a recurring schedule?

The one-time schedule will take priority.

Example:

Recurring schedule A (9 AM - 5 PM daily) overlaps with a one-time schedule B (10 AM - 11 AM) today.

Playback Order:

9 AM - 10 AM: Recurring schedule A
10 AM - 11 AM: Single schedule B
11 AM - 5 PM: Recurring schedule A resumes

What if there are two recurring schedules overlapping?

The most recently created/ updated schedule will take priority.

What happens when there's nothing scheduled?

If there is no scheduled content, the screen will display a black screen by default. To avoid this, you can set default content. There are two ways to do this:

At the Schedule Level: Edit the specific schedule, click on Settings, and select your preferred default content (None, Account Default, Asset, or Playlist).

At the Account Level: Apply a default content setting that will apply to all newly created schedules. The schedule-level setting will take priority if both are set.

For detailed information, visit: Assign Default Content for Schedules

Can I move an existing schedule to a folder I created?
Yes.

On OptiSigns 1.0 you can click on Move Schedule on the top of the Schedule menu and then select the folder you wish to move the schedule to. On OptiSigns 2.0, you'll need to select the schedule you wish to move, then hit the Move to button which appears. You may then select the folder to move the schedule to.

Is it possible to manage schedules for multiple locations from a single interface?

Yes, users can manage schedules for multiple locations from a central interface. This is particularly useful for organizations with screens in different geographical areas.

That's it!

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