Managing custom setup files

What custom setup files are...

In Wintrack, the arena itself, the goal, and all other objects, reference annuli, quadrants, release points, etc., which make up your experimental setup are treated as fields. Fields are displayed in case windows along with the animal's path and can be referred to by data analysis. For each predefined type of arena, a limited set of predefined fields can be specified in the dialog box of the Arena Properties command. As an alternative, the command also reads custom setup files, plain text files (ASCII) which in a very flexible way can define any number of fields identified by unique field names. Bullets for graphical data analysis as well as symbols used to represent event data are always defined as in a custom setup file. The name, shape, size, position, graphical appearance, and other properties of each field are defined by corresponding Field or Key statements in the custom setup file. Fields may have specific properties or positions for different trial ranges. Moreover, you can define several versions of a setup (which for example apply to different cases in a study). Optionally, you may use Path statements to change the appearance of paths or to replace paths by timelines that represent the flow of time rather than the position of the animal. The general structure of a custom setup file looks like this:

any comment, title or text

[fields]
'comment 
arena statement 'comment 
field/key statement 'comment 
field/key statement 'comment
 
[end] 

How to create a custom setup file ...

1. Create a blank file using Windows™ NotePad or any word processor that can save files as plain text.
2. On a new line, type [fields] to indicate the beginning of the file section containing relevant statements.
3. As the first statement below the [fields] mark, type the Arena statement.
4. Following that, type a Field statement for each field relevant to your experiment. Add a Key statement for each event key that should be represented graphically. If you want to change the appearance of the line used to draw the animal's path add a Path statement. This latter statement can also be used to specify the rules for the generation of timelines.
5. Where properties change depending on trials or setup versions, add additional Field and/or Path statements.
6. When done typing statements, type [end] on a new line to indicate the end of the field definition section
7. Above [fields] and below [end] you may enter any free text or commentary.
8. Save the file as plain text and give it the extension .WSP. Load it into Wintrack using the Arena Properties command.

Additional information...

• The topic Arena Properties command explains the basics of the command.
• See the topic Arena Properties dialog for details on the associated dialog box.
• Inside case documents provides more information on case documents.