Schedule
By using the scheduling features, the Viewer can automatically switch data folders according to the schedules saved in a schedule file, or execute arbitrary applications through “Triggers.”
Several predefined Triggers are available, including Sleep (Windows) / Sleep (macOS), Restart, and Shut Down.
The Scheduler (SmartSignage Scheduler) allows you to create and edit these schedule files. This chapter explains the concept and behavior of Schedules.
Warning
Using schedule files for content playback requires SmartSignage (the Viewer).
SmartSignage is a separate application from SmartSignage Scheduler and must be installed independently.
Important
If you operate SmartSignage Scheduler and SmartSignage on different devices (PC or Mac), it is strongly recommended that both devices use the same operating system.
For example, if SmartSignage runs on Windows, you should also create schedules on a Windows PC.
Schedule files contain folder paths, and the path separators differ between Windows and macOS, which may cause issues.
Additionally, if you create schedules on a device other than the one running SmartSignage, pay close attention to the data folder paths you specify.
Note
SmartSignage Scheduler can view, create, and edit schedules up to one year into the future, as well as schedules from the past year.
When you open and save a schedule file in SmartSignage Scheduler, any schedules older than 366 days from the current date are automatically removed.
Assignable Items
There are three types of items that can be assigned within a schedule: All Day Schedules, Timed Schedules, and Triggers.
Add Day Schedule
An All Day Schedule specifies the data folder that SmartSignage will display. When no Timed Schedule is active, the content shown will be the one from the data folder assigned to the All Day Schedule.
Timed Schedules
A Timed Schedule specifies the data folder that SmartSignage will display during a defined time period. You can set a start time and an end time, and the content shown during that period will be the one contained in the assigned data folder. Times can be set in one‑minute increments, and the minimum duration is 3 minutes.
Example
- Start Time:
8:30 - End Time:
10:05 - Data Folder:
C:\Users\Fukuneko\Documents\signage\data1
With the settings above, SmartSignage switches the data folder toC:\Users\Fukuneko\Documents\signage\data1 at 8:30.
At 10:05, it switches to another data folder.
About “another data folder”
The folder SmartSignage switches to at the end of a Timed Schedule depends on the other items assigned in the schedule.
If another Timed Schedule is configured to start at 10:05, SmartSignage switches to the data folder assigned to that Timed Schedule.
If no Timed Schedule is assigned for that time, SmartSignage switches to the data folder specified in the All Day Schedule.
If no All Day Schedule is set, SmartSignage either displays the data folder configured in its settings or shows nothing (a black screen), depending on the configuration.
Triggers
A Trigger launches the specified executable file at the specified time. Multiple Triggers can be assigned to the same time slot.
Several predefined Triggers are available, including Shut Down, Restart, and Sleep. To launch an arbitrary application, add a Custom Trigger and specify the executable file and any required arguments.
Warning
When multiple Triggers are assigned to the same time, they are executed sequentially.
Assigning too many Triggers at once is not recommended.
Additionally, if both Shut Down and Restart are assigned to the same time, only one of them may be executed.
Notes for macOS
To execute Shut Down, Restart, or Sleep on macOS, the user running SmartSignage (the Viewer) must have permission to execute the shutdown command.
Run the following command in Terminal using sudo visudo, and add the line below:
<user_name> ALL=(ALL) NOPASSWD: /sbin/shutdownImportant
SmartSignage Scheduler also allows you to test Triggers such as Shut Down or Restart.
When executing these actions from the Scheduler, the same permission settings for the shutdown command are required.
For details, see: macOS: How to Enable shutdown Execution
Schedule Targets
A schedule can be assigned to one of four targets: Date, Holiday, Day of Week, and Default. Each target can contain All Day Schedules, Timed Schedules, and Triggers.
Priority Rules
Schedule targets are applied in the following order of priority:
SmartSignage (the Viewer) evaluates schedules in this order. If a target contains no All Day Schedule, Timed Schedule, or Trigger, it is treated as not set, and SmartSignage falls back to the next target in the priority chain.
Schedule Target Types
Date
A Date Schedule applies to a specific calendar date, such as July 11, 2026.
If SmartSignage is running on a date that matches a Date Schedule, that schedule is applied.
If the Date Schedule contains no All Day Schedule, Timed Schedule, or Trigger, it is treated as not set, and SmartSignage falls back to the Holiday schedule.
Holiday
If the current date is a holiday, the Holiday Schedule is applied.
Only one Holiday Schedule can be configured.
If the Holiday Schedule contains no All Day Schedule, Timed Schedule, or Trigger, it is treated as not set, and SmartSignage falls back to the Day of Week schedule.
Day of Week
There are seven Day‑of‑Week Schedules: Sunday, Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday, Friday, and Saturday. SmartSignage applies the schedule that corresponds to the current Day of Week. If the Day‑of‑Week Schedule contains no All Day Schedule, Timed Schedule, or Trigger, it is treated as not set, and SmartSignage falls back to the Default schedule.
Default
If the Date, Holiday, and Day of Week schedules are all treated as not set, the Default schedule is applied. If the Default schedule also contains no All Day Schedule, Timed Schedule, or Trigger, SmartSignage treats this as no schedule.
Conditions for “No Schedule”
A No Schedule state occurs when none of the four schedule targets—Date, Holiday, Day of Week, or Default—contain any assigned All Day Schedule, Timed Schedule, or Trigger.
In addition to this, there are further conditions under which SmartSignage determines that the current state is No Schedule.
To be considered a valid schedule, each target (Date, Holiday, Day of Week, Default) must contain at least one of the following:
an All Day Schedule, a Timed Schedule, or a Trigger.
Even if a target is valid, SmartSignage enters a No Schedule state when the following conditions are met:
A No Schedule state occurs when:
✓ There is no Timed Schedule that covers the current time.
In other words:
- When no All Day Schedule is assigned and the current time does not fall within any Timed Schedule.
- When only Triggers are assigned, and neither an All Day Schedule nor a Timed Schedule is present.
Display Behavior When in a No Schedule State
What SmartSignage displays in a No Schedule state depends on its configuration.
This is controlled by the checkbox under:
Settings → General → Schedule → “Use the default data folder when the schedule type is ‘No Schedule’.”
Checked
SmartSignage displays the content inside the folder specified as the Data Folder in its settings.Unchecked
SmartSignage displays nothing—a completely black screen.
macOS: How to Enable Shutdown Execution
To execute Shut Down, Restart, or Sleep on macOS, the user running either SmartSignage Scheduler or SmartSignage (the Viewer) must have permission to run the shutdown command.
This requires editing the /etc/sudoers file using sudo visudo.
By default, visudo opens the file in vi, which uses special key operations. If you are not familiar with vi, it is recommended to use another editor.
This section describes both the standard procedure using vi and an alternative method using the built‑in TextEdit application.
Caution
Please proceed with extreme care.
If the /etc/sudoers file is edited incorrectly, macOS may fail to start.
Fukuneko Inc. assumes no responsibility for any issues resulting from these operations.
The following examples assume the user account name is fukuneko.
Standard Procedure (Editing with vi)
The steps below include the necessary vi key operations.↩ indicates the Return key.
Run the following command in Terminal
sudo visudo ↩ Enter your password if prompted.
vi starts
The /etc/sudoers file opens in vi.
(This file is protected and cannot normally be edited directly.)
Move to the end of the file
SHIFT + G
(Press Shift and G together.)
Add a new line and enter insert mode
o
(Press the o key — do not press Shift.)
Enter the following line
fukuneko ALL=(ALL) NOPASSWD: /sbin/shutdownReplace fukuneko with the actual macOS user name.
Save and exit vi
ESC : w q ↩
(Press Esc, then :, then w, then q, then Return.)
Using the Standard macOS Editor (TextEdit)
If editing with vi is difficult, you can use the built‑in TextEdit application to edit the sudoers file through a GUI.
Run the following command in Terminal
sudo EDITOR='open -eW' visudo ↩ Scroll to the end of the file and add the following line
fukuneko ALL=(ALL) NOPASSWD: /sbin/shutdownReplace fukuneko with the actual macOS user name.
Save and close TextEdit
⌘ + S⌘ + Q
Using Other Editors
You can specify a different editor by setting the EDITOR environment variable in the Terminal command.
For example, to use Visual Studio Code, run:
sudo EDITOR='code --wait' visudo ↩