Schedule window

Schedule window and its control elements.  Adding tasks to the schedule. Editing task schedule. Creating and editing bandwidth plan.

In the Schedule window you create a plan for the future NetPumper work, including

• times of start and stop of downloads
• bandwidth limits in dependence of time

This window is available in NetPumper Pro only.

Click on the picture of the window below to find a detailed description of the part.

Schedule task list

The list contains downloads schedules to execute in the future. A file name, a moment of a start and a finish are shown.
You can perform several operations by selecting a task (or several tasks) in the list and invoke a context menu (press right mouse button for this).

Context menu

• change start time: change start time for selected task(s) in a special dialog window
• change stop time: change stop time for selected task(s) in a special dialog window
• continue tomorrow: start and stop time will be incremented by 24 hours
• remove: remove selected tasks from the schedule

Timeline graph

This graph contains start and stop icons for scheduled tasks and a bandwidth usage plan.

Horizontal axis is  time and vertical axis is bandwidth.
You can change a scale of time axis with Zoom tool.
You can change a scale of  bandwidth axis with Bandwidth range switch.

Timeline graph - tasks

Tasks with equal start and stop time are grouped and each group is represented by two icons:

 - start icon
- stop icon

Horizontal position of each icon represents a time of the scheduled event.
Vertical position of icons has no sense.

To edit download schedule, select a Move Start/Stop tool and move icons to appropriate positions.
This will change a times of the scheduled events.

You can select a tasks of the group in the Schedule task list by pressing a corresponding icon.
You can also invoke a Context menu for the whole group by pressing an icon with right mouse button.

Timeline graph - bandwidth

Bandwidth plan is represented by a red  line (can be cleared).

Vertical segments represents moments of  automatic changes of bandwidth limit and horizontal segments represents values of bandwidth limit in corresponding times.

To start creation of  a bandwidth plan, select a bandwidth edit tool and press a mouse button when cursor is at appropriate bandwidth level.
To change bandwidth plan, move line segments to appropriate times and bandwidth levels with a mouse.

You can also

• automatically repeat the same bandwidth plan on the next week
• clear bandwidth plan at all

Bandwidth range

This switch defines a scale for Timeline graph bandwidth axis.
The switch is similar to Bandwidth range switch in the Preferences window (see).

Editing tools

Each operation on the Timeline graph requires you to select appropriate tool:

Move Start and Stop schedule: you can move icons which represent start and stop events with a mouse

  Edit bandwidth plan: you can edit with a mouse a red line which represents bandwidth plan

Zoom in / Zoom out Timeline graph: you can switch between day view and week view and also between days

  Add tasks: this tool is available only when you add new task group; the button helps to return to addition after you temporarily selected another tool.

Next week repeat the same bandwidth timeline

If this checkbox is checked, NetPumper will fill bandwidth plan for future days automatically using plans for corresponding days of current week.

Default value is unchecked.

Cleanup bandwidth timeline

Pressing to this button you clear bandwidth plan line at all.

This is useful when you do not want to use bandwidth plan at all, and also if you wish to create a new plan very different from current.

Adding tasks to the schedule

To add new tasks to the schedule, you need first to select tasks in the Main window and then execute Schedule command (available via button and  menu in the Main window).

Then Schedule window popups and you are to drop an icon into Timeline graph at appropriate position. (To do this, move mouse pointer to the position and press left mouse button.)

After you dropped icon at appropriate position, NetPumper adds selected tasks to Schedule task list and creates Start and Stop icons for the group.

Then you can adjust time of start and stop of downloads more precisely (see Editing task schedule below).

While selecting a position for new group, you are free to switch to another editing mode or zooming mode by selecting appropriate Editing tool. You can continue adding a group by selecting Add tasks tool ().

Editing task schedule

There are two main methods to edit task schedule:

• Move Start and Stop icons down the time axis. To do this: select a Move Start/Stop tool () and then drag start and stop icons with the mouse.
• Set start and stop time precisely in a special a dialog window. The window is available via Context menu, which can be invoked by pressing right mouse button
  • either on  Schedule task list; you will change a time for each selected task in the task list
  • or on the start or stop icon on the Timeline graph; you will change a time for each task within a task group represented by this icon.

You can also reschedule  downloads to next day or remove them completely from the schedule with a help of the Context menu.

Creating and editing bandwidth plan

If you want to work with bandwidth plan, you should select an Edit bandwidth plan tool () first.

If there is no a bandwidth plan at all (there is no red line on the Timeline graph), you need to create it first.
Move a mouse pointer to appropriate vertical position and press mouse button. The first (and still single) segment of the plan appears. Now you can continue editing the plan.

To edit  the plan, take a line with the mouse and drag it to appropriate position.

(To do this: move mouse pointer to the line, press left mouse button and and do not release it, move a mouse pointer to appropriate position and then release the button).

You can move any horizontal segment in vertical direction and any vertical segment in horizontal direction.
To split a horizontal segment into two parts, drag its middle point up or down.

NetPumper will smartly split line into segments and merge them again while you perform editing,
and after a little experience you will agree that plan editing is a simple and clear operation.