Changing default length of appointment?

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Level 1

13 points

Changing default length of appointment?

I schedule up to 150 appointments in a given day, would like to have them set at 30 minutes long by default. On a separate calendar my standard appointment is for 2 hours. It is very cumbersome to have to modify each appointment manually, often results in inadvertent changes in appointments already scheduled.
Can I change the default for length of appointment? Can I change default on a calendar by calendar basis (30 minutes for one calendar, 2 hours for another, for example)?

Mac and MacBook Pro, Mac OS X (10.6.1), multiple user accounts

Posted on Nov 9, 2009 8:06 AM

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Answer 1

Nov 9, 2009 2:51 PM in response to jpcranch

Hi,

You can set this preference using Terminal, it is not available in iCal's user interface.

The command below sets the default duration of new events in iCal to 30 minutes. You should quit iCal before running this to see the result. Open Terminal, enter the following and press return:

defaults write com.apple.iCal 'Default duration in minutes for new event' 30

Then open iCal. New events entered by double clicking or pressing Command-N will have the default time of 30 minutes. You can set different values, but this change is global across all calendars in iCal.

To remove this setting altogether, enter the following in the Terminal and re-start iCal:

defaults delete com.apple.iCal 'Default duration in minutes for new event'

Best wishes

John M

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Answer 2

jpcranch Author

Level 1

13 points

Nov 9, 2009 6:33 PM in response to John Maisey

Thank you, John. Simple & straightforward. Even I could follow it. It works beautifully in iCal, but once changed, iCal apparently no longer syncs with MobileMe.
I rely heavily on viewing iCal in MobileMe for a couple of reasons:
1. The view in MobileMe is SO VERY MUCH easier to read than the native iCal screen once I have 100+ entries in a day, and
2. I have several people scheduling onto my iCal by giving them access to one of my MobileMe accounts and working on the calendar there. Some of these folks have not yet become "Applified" so they're limited to working on a PC. MobileMe makes my iCal work on their PCs.

Is this the price I pay?
Is there another way to change iCal defaults?
Is there, perhaps a way to change something in MobileMe so the sync function works again with the new default time frame?

(We have a non-profit which rescues discontinued designer fabrics and makes them available to local textile artisans once a month. We schedule appointments for the treasure hunters, and I have a volunteer that schedules helpers with a different calendar and different entry color. My iCal assembles them all for my master calendar. I haven't found an application that accomplishes this as well as iCal, though I suspect I'm using it in a way probably not foreseen by the design team. Suggestions are most welcome!)

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Answer 3

jpcranch Author

Level 1

13 points

Nov 10, 2009 11:40 AM in response to jpcranch

Well, I'm not sure how or why, but after an hour or more of trying varying combinations some of my calendar entries in iCal did not sync with MobileMe - the whole calendar didn't get reflected. But other calendars did sync. Entries made in iCal using the responding calendars had the new default time, and synced as such. Entries made on MobileMe calendar displayed with and came through with the 60 minute default.
Then, after a time, the reluctant calendar that I started with began to sync, too.

Bottom line is this: It now seems to work as I had hoped. I appreciate your communication. Wish I understood why it happened, but at least it seems to give me desired results.

Thanks again.

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Answer 4

Nov 10, 2009 12:04 PM in response to jpcranch

Well, I'm glad it's working now and glad to help.

Perhaps the calendar is large and slow to sync, or perhaps you have some sync issues?

Best wishes

John M

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