Experiment

Definition :

An experiment is a set of tests carried out on animals according to a specific protocol .

An experiment includes:

all the parameters that define the tracking method (video source, arena, ...)

Video recordings of animal behavior.

information on the animals used.

analysis parameters.

The tests carried out.

Different reports and filters to analyze the results obtained.

Files:

An experiment is made up of several files:

The main experiment file ( experiment_name.etdb ).

The video files of the various tests:

If these files are saved with EthoTrack they are saved in a subfolder named "my_experiment_files" in the same folder as the main experiment file. These files are named "Test_nnn.etf" (where 'nnn' represents the test number).

If these files are saved with other software, they may be located anywhere on your computer. It is advisable to place all the video files in
a subdirectory of the folder that contains the experiment file (for example: a "Videos" folder) so that all the experiment files are located in the same location.

Report export files:
You can save these files anywhere on your computer, but again, it is recommended to save them in a subfolder of the experiment folder (for example in a "Reports" folder) .

It is advisable to create a specific folder ( experiment folder ) to contain all these elements.

Example of organization of experiment files:

	The experiment folder :
	The main folder that contains all the experiment files.

	The main experiment file :
	The main file created by Ethotrack.

	Video files recorded by Ethotrack :
	Video files recorded by Ethotrack. This folder must not be deleted or renamed.

	The report folder :
	Report files generated by Ethotrack

	Video files recorded by other software :
	Video files recorded by another software or directly by a camera and imported into Ethotrack.

When a file used by Ethotrack is located in the experiment folder (or in a subfolder), Ethotrack uses the relative path of the file in relation to the experiment folder. This allows you to move or copy the experiment while keeping the link to the different files used. All you have to do is move or copy the entire experiment folder.

Saving changes to the experiment file:

Ethotrack offers 2 modes for saving modifications in an experiment file:

1. Using a temporary file (default mode):

When opening an experiment, Ethotrack creates a copy of the experiment file and saves the modifications in this temporary file. This temporary file is automatically destroyed when the experiment is closed. To keep the changes you can, at any time:

•Click on the main button of the Command Ribbon then choose the "Save" command.

•Click on in the ribbon in the "Experiment" view.

•Click on in the "File" view.

When closing an experiment, if Ethotrack detects modifications that have not been saved, a dialog box will allow you to choose whether or not you want to keep these modifications.

2. Background recording:

In this mode, there is no ""Save" or "Save as..." command. All changes are automatically saved in the experiment file in the background:

•or, directly when modifying a parameter.

•or, when closing a dialog box by clicking on the "Ok" button.

Warning: this recording mode does not allow you to cancel a modification.

You can change how changes are saved on the Miscellaneous tab of the Options dialog .

Automatic data recovery:

Regardless of the recording mode chosen, your data is saved in the event of an untimely shutdown of the computer (for example in the event of a power failure):

In the recording mode with a temporary file, it is enough to re-open the experiment file opened during the crash. A dialog box will allow you to choose whether or not you want to keep the changes saved in the temporary file.

In background save mode, changes are saved in real time, and are therefore saved in the event of a crash.

Copy of an experiment, transfer to another computer:

If you have organized your experiment according to the recommendations above , just copy the experiment folder and all its contents.

When a test has been analyzed, the corresponding video file is no longer required (unless you want to redo an analysis). However, if this file is missing or has been moved, the test video will no longer be visible in EthoTrack.

Opening an experiment file located on a network drive:

Normally, it is advisable to work with an experiment file located on a local hard disk of the computer on which Ethotrack is installed. However, it is possible to open an experiment located on another computer through a local network. In this case, the experiment is opened as read-only and changes to the experiment cannot be saved.