With the McIDAS Scheduler commands (SKE, SKL, SKU, and SKED), you can set up McIDAS to automatically run commands at certain times of the day and at certain intervals. You can display images and graphics automatically, or you can list out data to the text frame, or you can even save images as JIF or JPEG images automatically. The Scheduler GUI allows you to easily add, delete, and edit scheduled commands.

In this exercise, you will create your own scheduler entries using the Scheduler GUI.

1. Open the Scheduler GUI, and confirm that the scheduler is turned ON.

   Select: Configure/Scheduler

   If you have any scheduler processes running, you will notice they are listed in the Main window. If you do not have any scheduler processes running, there will be a message saying "The Scheduler file, SKEDFILE is empty".

   Click: Status

   The light bulb should be lit (yellow), indicating that the scheduler is ON. If it's not ON, click the Status button again, until it is lit. If it asks you to start a scheduler process, click "Yes".

2. Add a scheduler entry that will display the current surface observations over Seattle, WA for the next two hours, starting at the upcoming hour (##:00:00).

   Click: Add

   Under "McIDAS Command", type: SFCLIST KSEA

   Select: Starting Time / the next upcoming top of the hour

   Select: Repeat / 2

   Click: Save Entry

   This entry runs the SFCLIST command for the next two hours starting with the upcoming hour.

   If you choose to repeat the command "MANY" times, the command will run at the specified time interval (default of once every hour) for as long as you keep your scheduler file (SKEDFILE).

3. Execute the SFCLIST scheduler entry and dismiss the Scheduler GUI.

   Click: the SFCLIST scheduler entry you just entered

   Click: Execute

   The SFCLIST command is run and the output is displayed in the text command window. Executing the scheduler entry does not decrement the counter or change the scheduled run time.

4. When you are finished, close the Scheduler GUI and exit McIDAS.

   Click: Dismiss

   Select: File/Exit McIDAS

   Click: Yes