Experiment Designer Quick Start

Learn the interface and create your first protocol in minutes.

Interface overview

Top bar: ← Back | Experiment Designer | [Import YAML] [Export YAML]
──────────────────────────────────────────────────────────
Left panel        │  Right panel
                  │
  Experiment      │    Condition / Phase Editor
  Arena Config    │    (appears when you click a
  Structure       │     block on the timeline)
  Phases          │
──────────────────────────────────────────────────────────
Timeline: [+ Add] | summary          [−] [+] [Fit]
  PRE │ Cond 1 │ ITI │ Cond 2 │ ITI │ Cond 3 │ POST
  0s     5s    10s    15s    20s    25s

The page has three zones:

Left panel — experiment settings, arena choice, repetitions, phase toggles
Right panel — editor for whichever block you click on the timeline
Bottom timeline — your experiment sequence. Green = conditions, gray = phases (PRE/POST), dark = inter-trial intervals (ITI)

Walkthrough: create an optomotor protocol

We will build a simple experiment with 3 stimulus conditions, 3 repetitions, randomized, with inter-trial intervals.

Set experiment metadata (left panel, top section)

Name: Optomotor Response Test

Author: your name

Pattern Library: the directory where your .pat files live, e.g. /Users/you/patterns/

Choose arena configuration (left panel, Arena section)

Select G4.1 CCW (2×12) - 360° from the dropdown.

The summary below the dropdown confirms: G4.1 — 2 rows × 12 cols

Set repetitions and randomization (left panel, Structure section)

Repetitions: 3

Check Randomize order

The summary bar on the timeline updates to show total trials and duration.

Enable phases (left panel, Phases section)

Check Pretrial — a gray PRE block appears at the start of the timeline

Check Intertrial — dark ITI blocks appear between conditions

Edit the first condition (right panel)

The first condition is auto-selected on page load. In the right panel:

Condition ID: rightward_grating

Pattern File: pat0002_rightward_grating.pat

Duration: 5 seconds

Mode: Constant Rate, Frame Rate: 60

The timeline block updates in real time as you type.

Add a second condition

Click + Add Condition in the timeline toolbar. A new green block appears and is auto-selected.

Condition ID: leftward_grating

Pattern File: pat0003_leftward_grating.pat

Duration: 5, Frame Rate: 60

Add a dark control condition

Click + Add Condition again.

Condition ID: dark_control

Leave Pattern File empty — this generates an allOff command in the YAML

Duration: 3 seconds

Configure the pretrial phase

Click the gray PRE block on the timeline.

Pattern File: pat0001_test_grid.pat

Duration: 2, Wait After: 0.5

Configure the inter-trial interval

Click any dark ITI block on the timeline.

Pattern File: pat0004_uniform_gray.pat

Duration: 2, Wait After: 0.5

Reorder conditions (optional)

Drag any green condition block and drop it onto another to swap positions.

Export your protocol

Click Export YAML (or press Ctrl+E). A .yaml file downloads.

The file is a valid protocol v1 YAML ready for MATLAB execution.

Importing an existing protocol

Click Import YAML in the top bar and select any protocol v1 .yaml file. The editor populates with all settings, conditions, and phases from the file. You can then modify and re-export.

Try it now: Download the example file simple_optomotor_protocol.yaml and import it into the designer to see the walkthrough above pre-filled.

Timeline controls

+ Add Condition adds a new condition block and selects it
× button on a condition block removes it (visible on hover, needs 2+ conditions)
Drag a green condition block onto another to reorder
− / + zoom the timeline in and out
Fit scales the timeline to fit the window

Keyboard shortcuts

Ctrl+E Export YAML
Delete Remove selected condition (when not typing in a field)

Key concepts

Conditions vs. Trials

You define conditions (unique stimulus configurations). The experiment runs each condition × repetitions, optionally in random order. The actual sequence of trials is shown in the summary bar.

Phases

Pretrial runs once before all trials. Intertrial runs between every trial. Posttrial runs once after all trials complete. Each phase has one pattern command + an optional wait.

Modes

Constant Rate (mode 2): pattern plays at a fixed frame rate. Set Frame Rate in fps.

Closed-Loop (mode 4): pattern responds to analog input. Set Gain value.

The irrelevant parameter is automatically dimmed and disabled.

Empty pattern = allOff

If you leave the Pattern File field empty for a condition, the YAML export generates an allOff controller command. This is useful for dark control conditions.