Time Windows
A time window is a named slice of the day — Lunch, Business Hours, After Hours — that you define once and reuse across schedules. Pick the time window when creating a schedule and that schedule only plays during the window.
OTS Signs labels these Time Windows in the sidebar and page header.
Get there: sidebar → Time Windows
Why use a time window
Section titled “Why use a time window”- Consistent — every schedule that uses Lunch points at the same hours.
- Updatable in one place — adjust Lunch and every schedule using it follows.
- Readable — schedules show meaningful names instead of raw times.
What you see on the page
Section titled “What you see on the page”| Column | What it shows |
|---|---|
| Name | Time window name (links to the detail page) |
| Description | Optional description, or — |
| Start Time | Default start time |
| End Time | Default end time |
Right-click a row for the context menu — Edit and Delete (subject to your permissions). Tick checkboxes to enable a bulk Delete N button.
Common examples
Section titled “Common examples”| Name | Hours | Use |
|---|---|---|
| Business Hours | 9:00 AM – 5:00 PM | Standard office or retail |
| Breakfast | 7:00 AM – 11:00 AM | Morning menu |
| Lunch | 11:00 AM – 3:00 PM | Lunch menu |
| Dinner | 5:00 PM – 10:00 PM | Evening menu |
| After Hours | 6:00 PM – 8:00 AM | Brand content or screensaver |
Create a time window
Section titled “Create a time window”- Click the + button in the page header (tooltip: New Daypart).
- Fill in:
- Name — required, e.g. Lunch.
- Description — optional.
- Start Time — required, e.g. 11:00.
- End Time — required, e.g. 15:00.
- Optionally add Exceptions (see below).
- Click Create Daypart.
The new window appears in the Time Window dropdown when you create or edit a schedule.
By default, a time window applies every day of the week. Add exceptions to vary the hours on specific days.
Exceptions
Section titled “Exceptions”An exception overrides the default hours on a specific weekday. Use exceptions when a window has the same name across the week but different hours on certain days — for example, Business Hours runs 9–5 Monday to Friday, but Saturday should be 10–3.
To add one:
- Open the time window for editing.
- In the Exceptions section, click Add Exception.
- Pick the day (Monday through Sunday).
- Enter a start time and an end time for that day.
- Save.
Add as many exceptions as you need. Days without an exception use the default start and end times.
Use a time window in a schedule
Section titled “Use a time window in a schedule”When creating or editing a schedule, select the time window from the Time Window dropdown. The schedule only plays during the window. Outside the window the screen falls back to its default layout or to whichever schedule is next active.
Edit a time window
Section titled “Edit a time window”Right-click the row → Edit, or open the detail page. Editing a time window changes the hours for every schedule that uses it. Worth checking which schedules will be affected before saving.
Delete a time window
Section titled “Delete a time window”Right-click → Delete and confirm. If schedules use that time window, they may be affected; review related schedules before deleting.
For bulk delete, tick the row checkboxes and click Delete N in the toolbar.
Permissions
Section titled “Permissions”The page appears only when your role includes time window access. Create, edit, and delete buttons appear based on your time window permissions.