Glitter2 User Guide

Overview

Glitter2 is an application for coding and analysing behavioral data from videos.

It supports coding events with event channels, spatial tracking with position channels, and static zones with zone channels.

Coded data is stored in H5 files created by default alongside the video files. The complete raw coded data can then be batch exported to excel files. Additionally, summary statistics can be computed from the coded data and batch exported to a single excel file that can be loaded in any statistics program.

Externally coded data (such as from automatic tracking tools) can also be batch imported into Glitter2 for correction or analysis.

Video guide

Following is a video guide for each of the Glitter2 components. Or you can watch the complete playlist.

Please see the Installation section for instructions on how to download and install Glitter2.

Example video, coded H5 file, and python scripts can be found in the repository examples directory. Example exported raw and summary files as well as files Glitter2 can import (csv, cleversys, H5 files) can be found in the data sub-directory.

Data file management

Glitter2 stores the coded video data in H5 files. This video shows how to load and save the video and data files.

Player controls

This video shows that various video controls in Glitter2.

Event channels

Event channels code behavioral events that occur in the video. This shows how to code and manage event channels.

Position channels

Position channels track the position of objects within the video. This shows how to track and manage position channels.

Zone channels

Zone channels define static regions in the video used for analysis. This shows how to draw and manage zone channels.

Spatial calibration

Calibration is used to relate the video pixel dimensions to the real-world dimensions in meters.

Exporting raw data

Glitter2 can export the raw coded data and metadata in the H5 data files to excel files.

Exporting statistics

Glitter2 can compute summary statistics from the coded data and then export them to a single excel file for analysis.

Importing overview

Glitter2 can import externally coded data and create Glitter2 H5 files from them that can be opened in Glitter2. This provides a general overview of the process.

Importing - CSV files

Glitter2 can import CSV files that contain event, position, or zone channels that has been coded externally.

Importing - legacy Glitter files

Glitter2 can upgrade H5 files that have been created by older versions of Glitter and which cannot be opened with the current version of Glitter2.

Importing - CleverSys TXT files

Glitter2 can import TXT files exported by the CleverSys tracking program. These files contain tracked position channels as well as, optionally, static zones.