Add a custom event
For meetings, lunches, dinners, satellite events not in the VSS program.
How to use the VSS 2026 Scheduler
1. Getting started
- Download the file (
vss-2026-scheduler.html) onto your computer or phone. Don't try to open it from inside an email viewer — it won't run there. - Double-click the file. It opens in your default browser. No internet, no install needed.
- Keep the file in one folder once you start adding items (see "Auto-save" below).
2. Find talks & posters
- Search box at the top — type any combination of words. It searches title, authors, abstract, session, track, room, and ID. Examples: degraded fovea, Kwon, chill vision, crowding, mesopic.
- Day chips (Fri/Sat/Sun/Mon/Tue) — click to filter to those days. Click again to remove.
- Type chips — Talks · Posters · Symposia · Events.
- Click any row to expand it and read the full abstract. Click again to collapse.
3. Build your schedule
- Click + Add on a row → it appears in My Schedule on the right.
- Two items overlapping in time on the same day are flagged in orange with an "overlaps" note (warning only — not blocked). Conflict warnings apply only between talks, symposia, and events (including custom events). Posters never trigger conflicts — even with each other, with talks, or with anything else — because poster sessions span hours and you can drop in/out.
- Click the × on a scheduled item to remove it.
- Click Only my schedule chip in the filter row to view just what you've added.
- Symposia: click a symposium row to expand it — you'll see the list of individual talks within. Add each talk separately if you want.
- Custom events: click + Add custom event in the header to add a meeting, lunch, dinner, or anything else not in the VSS program. It shows up in your schedule alongside official items, gets exported, and counts toward conflict detection. Removing a custom event from your schedule deletes it (it isn't kept in a "library").
4. Auto-save (read this!)
Your schedule is saved automatically in your browser. It survives closing the browser, restarting your computer, and coming back days later.
It will NOT survive any of these:
- Using Private / Incognito mode
- Clearing browsing data / site data / cookies
- Moving the HTML file to a different folder
- Opening the file in a different browser (Safari and Chrome each have separate storage)
5. Export & print
Buttons in the top-right header:
- Save PDF — opens your browser's print dialog. Choose destination "Save as PDF" (Mac) or "Microsoft Print to PDF" (Windows) → Save. You get a clean compact list, one line per event.
- Export CSV — downloads
vss-2026-schedule.csv. Opens in Excel, Numbers, Google Sheets, or LibreOffice. Columns: Day, Date, Start, End, ID, Session, Track, Room, Authors, Title, Abstract. - Load file — imports a previously-exported
.csvor.icsback into "My Schedule". See section 7 for the cross-device workflow. - Export .ics — downloads
vss-2026.ics. Double-click to import into Apple Calendar, Google Calendar (File → Import), or Outlook. Each event includes title, room, authors, and abstract in the description.
6. Customize what's printed
Open the Print / Export options panel in the right sidebar (above your schedule). You can:
- Toggle columns: Time, ID, Type, Room, Title, Affiliations, Abstract, Conflict flag.
- Authors: none / first only / last only / first & last / all.
- Sort order: time → type → room (default) · time → room → type · type → time → room · room → time → type.
These options affect the Save PDF output. They're also remembered across visits.
7. Move your schedule between devices
Each device's "My Schedule" is independent (they're stored locally). To copy your schedule from one device to another:
- On device A: click Export CSV (or Export .ics) — saves a small file.
- Send that file to device B — AirDrop, email, iCloud Drive, Dropbox, anything.
- On device B: open the same
vss-2026-scheduler.html→ click Load file → pick the.csvor.ics. - Your items are added to that device's schedule. You can then keep editing locally there.
By default, Load file merges with what's already in your schedule. To do a clean replace, hit Clear schedule first, then load.
Heads-up: Safari's iCloud Tabs feature only syncs https URLs, so it won't share an open tab pointing to a local file:// copy of this app. Export → Load is the workaround.
8. Browser & OS support
This app is designed for desktop / laptop use. Mobile works with caveats.
| Device | Status | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Mac (Safari, Chrome, Firefox, Edge) | ✅ Full | Recommended |
| Windows (Chrome, Edge, Firefox) | ✅ Full | Recommended |
| Linux (Chrome, Firefox) | ✅ Full | Recommended |
| iPad (Safari, Chrome) | ⚠️ Workable | Layout fits, touch works. Downloads/Print go through Share sheet (extra taps). Saved schedule may not persist reliably for local files — see Mobile note below. |
| iPhone (Safari, Chrome) | ⚠️ Browsing only | Layout is cramped (designed for wider screens). Saved schedule may not persist for local files. Use it to look up abstracts during the meeting; build/save your schedule on a laptop or iPad. |
| Android phones | ⚠️ Browsing only | Same layout issue as iPhone. |
Mobile note (iPhone & iPad)
iOS handles AirDrop'd HTML files unpredictably — the file may just open in Safari from a temp location and not really save. To get a persistent copy: open Files app → Browse → search "vss". If not there, email the file to yourself and use the Share icon → Save to Files.
Also, when this HTML runs from a local
For full mobile reliability, host this HTML at an
iOS handles AirDrop'd HTML files unpredictably — the file may just open in Safari from a temp location and not really save. To get a persistent copy: open Files app → Browse → search "vss". If not there, email the file to yourself and use the Share icon → Save to Files.
Also, when this HTML runs from a local
file:// location on iOS, the saved schedule (browser localStorage) can be reset between opens. Workaround: build your schedule on a laptop, then Export CSV → AirDrop or email to your iPhone/iPad → Load file on the mobile device when you need it.For full mobile reliability, host this HTML at an
https:// URL (e.g. drop.netlify.com — drag-and-drop, instant URL, no account). Then bookmark the URL on your phone — localStorage persists, iCloud Tabs syncs, etc.
Any modern browser from the last 5 years. Internet Explorer is not supported.
9. Sharing with friends
- Send the single
vss-2026-scheduler.htmlfile. Best methods: AirDrop, iMessage, Slack, WhatsApp, or a Dropbox / Google Drive / iCloud share link. - If sending by email, Gmail may block the attachment — zip it first or use a cloud share link.
- Each person's "My Schedule" is independent (saved in their own browser). Selections don't transfer.
Contact
MiYoung Kwon · m.kwon@northeastern.edu
Press Esc or click outside this box to close.