What is Production Scheduling?
Kitsu’s scheduling feature provides:- Gantt-style timeline view of your production
- Task type scheduling by asset type or sequence
- Team assignments with workload visualization
- Estimation-based planning using task estimations
- Schedule versions to compare different plans
- Real vs. Planned mode to track actual progress
The Schedule Page
The scheduling page (~/workspace/source/src/components/pages/ProductionSchedule.vue:1) shows your production timeline.Timeline Controls
Date Range: Set the visible timeline:- Start Date: Beginning of your view window
- End Date: End of your view window
- Today Button: Jump to current date
- Week View: See months at a glance
- 1 Day: Daily granularity
- 2 Days: Balance detail and overview
- 3 Days: Maximum detail view
- Planned (prev): View scheduled dates
- Real: See actual progress dates
- All: Show all entity types
- Asset/Shot/Sequence: Filter to specific type
Schedule Hierarchy
The schedule organizes work in levels:Level 1: Task Types
Top-level rows represent task types:- Modeling, Rigging, Animation, etc.
- Color-coded by task type
- Shows overall date range
- Click to expand/collapse
Level 2: Asset Types or Sequences
When expanded, shows:- For Assets: Asset types (Characters, Props, etc.)
- For Shots: Sequences (SEQ010, SEQ020, etc.)
Level 3: Individual Tasks
Expanding an asset type/sequence shows:- Individual tasks grouped by assignee
- Each person’s tasks listed separately
- Task bars span from start to end date
Creating a Schedule
Setting Task Dates
Drag task bars to set dates:- Click and drag the left edge to set start date
- Click and drag the right edge to set end date
- Drag the middle to move without changing duration
Dates automatically adjust for weekends and days off. The duration matches the task estimation.
Assign Tasks Modal
Bulk assign tasks to team members:- Select a task type row
- Click Assign Tasks button
- Choose the task type from dropdown
- Drag entity types from the list onto the schedule
- Set start and end dates
- Select assignees (remove unwanted people)
-
Set options:
- Force Unassign: Remove other assignments
- Forced Daily Quotas: Override calculated quota
- Estimated Daily Quota: Auto-calculated
- Click Apply
Estimation and Duration
Task duration comes from estimations:- Set in the task details or asset/shot lists
- Measured in man-days
- Converted to calendar days based on:
- Number of assignees
- Days off and weekends
- Daily quota settings
Schedule Versions
Create multiple schedule scenarios:Creating Versions
- Switch to Planned (prev) mode
- Click the New Version button (calendar-plus icon)
- Name your version (e.g., “Aggressive Schedule”, “With Buffer”)
- Click Confirm
Using Versions
Select versions from the dropdown:- Reference: The production’s active schedule
- Your versions: Named alternatives
- Task assignments
- Start and due dates
- Estimations
The “Reference” version represents the production’s official schedule. Custom versions are scenarios for planning.
Applying to Production
When ready to make a version official:- Select your version
- Click Apply to Production
- Confirm the action
- Task dates update in the main production
Version Management
- Edit: Change version name and settings
- Delete: Remove a version permanently
- Lock: Prevent changes to a version
Working with the Timeline
Expand/Collapse
Control detail level:- Expand All: Click the expand-all button to see all levels
- Collapse All: Click again to hide details
- Individual expand: Click arrows on specific rows
Drag and Drop
Rearrange and assign:- From side panel: Drag entity types onto the schedule
- Within schedule: Move tasks to different dates
- Between assignees: Reassign by dragging
Visual Indicators
Task Colors: Match task type colors Assignee Grouping: Tasks group by person:- Shows assignee avatar
- Lists all their tasks
- Visualizes workload
Real vs. Planned Mode
Planned Mode (prev)
Shows scheduled dates:- Based on start_date and due_date
- Editable (drag to change)
- Used for planning
- Can use schedule versions
Real Mode
Shows actual progress:- Based on real_start_date and done_date
- Read-only (dates come from task activity)
- Tracks what actually happened
- No version support
Department Filtering
Filter tasks by department:- Select a department from the dropdown
- Only shows tasks for that department
- Useful for department heads to focus on their team
Exporting Schedules
Export timeline data:- Click the Export button
-
Generates a CSV file with:
- Task type and entity information
- Start and end dates
- Assignees
- Estimations and durations
- Use in other tools (Excel, Project management software)
Side Panel Features
Task Type Selection
Choose which task type to assign:- Dropdown lists all production task types
- Filters available entities
- Shows assigned/unassigned entities
Entity List
Shows entities grouped by type:- Asset Types: For asset tasks
- Sequences: For shot tasks
- Show Assigned: Toggle to hide already-assigned entities
- Expand/collapse to see individual items
- Drag to schedule or select for bulk operations
Assignment Form
When assigning tasks: Dates: Start and end dates for the assignment Assignees: List of team members:- Filtered by department (if task type has one)
- Remove people you don’t want assigned
- Click minus button to remove
- Force Unassign: Remove existing assignments first
- Forced Daily Quotas: Override auto-calculation
Task Selection and Editing
Select Individual Tasks
Click a task bar to open the edit panel:- View task details
- Edit start date and estimation
- End date calculates automatically
- See assigned entity
- Click Apply to save changes
Keyboard and Mouse
- Click: Select item
- Drag: Move dates
- Drag edges: Resize duration
- Double-click: Open entity page
Best Practices
Planning Your Schedule
- Start with big milestones
- Work backwards from delivery date
- Add buffer time for iterations
- Account for dependencies
- Include time for reviews and approvals
Using Estimations
- Base on historical data when possible
- Add contingency for complex work
- Review and adjust as you learn
- Track actual time to improve future estimates
Team Assignment
- Balance workload across team
- Consider skill levels and experience
- Account for part-time or split assignments
- Factor in holidays and time off
- Leave some capacity for unexpected work
Schedule Versions
- Create optimistic and conservative versions
- Test “what-if” scenarios
- Compare different team compositions
- Keep reference version updated
- Archive completed versions
Timeline Management
- Update regularly (weekly recommended)
- Flag issues early when dates slip
- Communicate changes to the team
- Use Real mode to review progress
- Adjust future tasks based on actuals
Limitations
- Not available for TV shows with multiple episodes
- Real mode is read-only
- Version changes don’t auto-notify team
- Requires task estimations to be set
- Manual sync with external tools needed
Related Features
Tasks
Set estimations and track time
Assets
View asset production status
Shots
Track shot progress