[JIM] Schedule Mode v.6.0

Owned by Christian Schabasser
Last updated: Sept 06, 2023
6 min read

Starting with version 4.0, Just Control communicates with the macOS Calendar application and therefore the application must have access to the macOS Calendar application. Upon its first launch, Just Control requests access to the macOS Calendar application.

If Calendar access hasn't been granted, follow these steps to enable Calendar access:

  1. Open the macOS “System Settings”.

  2. Select “Privacy & Security”

  3. Look for the Calendars option and click on it

  4. Look for Just Control and make sure that accessing Calendars is enabled.

Preface

In Schedule Mode a Channel records files based on Calendar Events from the macOS Calendar application of the machine running Just Control. You may use any Calendar which can be added to the macOS Calendar app, such as iCloud or Gmail Accounts or from other Mail/Calendar servers. Events scheduled in the corresponding/selected Calendar will automatically switch the Channel to Schedule Mode and start a Recording. When stopping a Schedule Recording manually, the corresponding Event will be deleted automatically.

When working in Schedule Mode, ensure that Just Control is running at all times. New Events or changes to existing Events can only be received when Just Control is open and connected to the appropriate Channel.

Choose a Calendar for a Recording Channel

Run Just Control and select a Channel. Switch the Channel Mode to “Schedule” and select the appropriate Calendar from the Calendar selection box at the very top.

You can either use the Channel Calendar (will be created automatically when using the Plus (“+”) button next to the Calendar selection box) or any other available Calendar on that machine.

Please be aware that Just Control can only create a channel-specific calendar (using the Plus (“+”) button) when new calendars can be created locally. Please let us know if you need help in this regard.

Add Calendar Events for Schedule Mode

Open the macOS Calendar application and select the desired Calendar for this Channel. Add Events to the Calendar (the max. duration of an Event is 12 hours).

The Events will show up in the Inspector of Just Control. Each Event will result in one Recording.

Additional Functionality

Custom Calendar Event Variables

There are three custom Calendar Event Variables that can be used to simplify the naming process of the scheduled events:

  • <Channel> will be replaced with the actual Channel Name of the Channel.

  • <Date> will be substituted with the actual date of the current Recording.

  • <Time> will be substituted with the actual start recording time of the current Recording.

Date & Time Format

 

Please note that you cannot change the Date format within the “Language & Region” preference pane within the “System Settings” pane, as this will override the custom Date and Time settings applied above (macOS Ventura only).

Repeating Calendar Events

Repeating a Calendar Event would result in a file that gets overwritten every time the same event is executed again. To avoid this, you can add the variables <Channel>, <Date>, and <Time> to the Calendar Event. This appends the channel name, date, and time (i.e. beginning of the corresponding Calendar Event) to the Clip Name.

Maximum Event Length

It is not possible to use Calendar Events, that exceed a length of 12 hours. Just Control will truncate the Recording length automatically if required.

Adjustable Event End Time while Recording

The Recording Event End Time can be changed during recording. This is especially useful if you have to make changes during an ongoing recording. Simply adapt the Event End Time in the Calendar application and Just Control will recognise the change.

Manually stopping a Scheduled Recording

You can manually stop a Scheduled Recording by simply pressing the “Record” button within the Channel Viewer. Doing so will delete the Calendar Event in the macOS Calendar application.

List of Scheduled Events in the Inspector

The Scheduled Event list only shows the upcoming ten (10) events scheduled in the chosen Schedule Calendar provided that these Events are within the next 24 hours. All further Events are only visible in the Calendar itself and get displayed within Just Control as soon as one of the previous recording Events has been completed.

Quit Just Control

Quitting Just Control results in the application no longer receiving updates or new Events. It is necessary to have Just Control open all the time when using Schedule Mode for a Channel.

Working with shared Calendars in Schedule Mode

As mentioned above, you can also work with shared Calendars (such as Gmail, iCloud, or any other Mail/Calendar server that can be added to the macOS Calendar application) in Schedule Mode. This enables you to use two or more machines for adding recording events to the appropriate Calendar. You need to make sure though that the machine running Just Control has access to the Calendar and that the Just Control application is running.

Importance of the Timecode Source in Schedule Mode

When using the Schedule Mode in just:in (mac and linux), the Timecode Source is an important setting, and should be chosen correctly to ensure a smooth operation.

Generally, all available Timecode Sources can be used for Schedule Mode. System administrators need to ensure that the just:in engine (mac and linux) are provided with the same Timecode Source as the macOS machine, where the Scheduling process (Just Control User Interface and macOS Calendar application) is running. For instance, when using an NTP Server as a source (i.e. ”Computer Time”), then the macOS machine running the Just In Engine application and the machine running the Just Control User Interface need to have the same NTP server configured (this also applies to just:in linux).

It is also possible to use an LTC source (AJA Capture Card LTC) for Scheduling as the engine can receive the required signal via the Timecode In of the video device card and the machine running Just Control can be configured with NTP.

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