Knowledge Base

CatWalk is designed for use with live video from the walkway, but it is possible to use it with video files. Normally this is only for demonstration purposes.

The video file must be specified on the command line when CatWalk is opened. This can be achieved most easily by editing a shortcut or by creating a .bat file.

Video Files

You will need suitable videos. We have three available for download here: https://noldus.sharefile.eu/d-s7e04648930d4f2aa

Unzip the downloaded file and put the videos in this folder: C:\Users\Public\Documents\Noldus\CatWalk XT\DemoVideos

Option 1: Create a shortcut

Open the folder that contains the CatWalk program. 

• In CatWalk XT 10.7, this is normally C:\Program Files\Noldus\CatWalk XT 10
• In previous versions, it is C:\Program Files (x86)\Noldus\CatWalk XT 10

Find CatWalk.exe in the folder. (If Windows is hiding file extensions, there will be three files named CatWalk. It's the one with the Type shown as "Application", with the red CatWalk icon associated.) Right-click this file and pick Send To > Desktop (Create Shortcut).  (In Windows 11, you will first need to pick Show More.)

The shortcut will be created on your desktop. Find the new shortcut, rename it as desired, then right-click it and pick Properties.

Change the Target to:

"C:\Program Files\Noldus\CatWalk XT 10\CatWalk.exe" /videofile "C:\Users\Public\Documents\Noldus\CatWalk XT\DemoVideos\Sample_Video_Rat.avi" /framerate 100

Change the name of the video file shown (e.g., Sample_Video_Rat.avi in this example) to the name of your video.

Also, change Start In to:

"C:\Program Files\Noldus\CatWalk XT 10"

Then click OK.

Note: if you are using CatWalk XT 10.6 or earlier, "C:\Program Files\" must be changed to "C:\Program Files (x86)\" in both of the above settings. The text shown is correct for CatWalk XT 10.7.

Option 2: Create a .bat file

A .bat file is a small text file that contains command line statements. When it is executed (e.g., by double-clicking the .bat file), those statements are executed as if you had typed them at the command line.

The easiest way to create a .bat file is to open the folder you want it in (or use the desktop), right-click any open space, and pick New > Text Document. Give it a suitable name, then double-click it to edit (normally in Notepad). Paste the following into the file:

"C:\Program Files\Noldus\CatWalk XT 10\CatWalk.exe" /videofile "C:\Users\Public\Documents\Noldus\CatWalk XT\DemoVideos\Sample_Video_Rat.avi" /framerate 100

Replace the name of the video file (Sample_Video_Rat.avi in this example) with the name of the video you want to use.

Note: if you are using CatWalk XT 10.6 or earlier, "C:\Program Files\" must be changed to "C:\Program Files (x86)\" in both of the above settings.

Save the file and close Notepad.

Now you need to change the file type from .txt to .bat. If Windows is hiding those file extensions, you must show them first. In Windows 10, in the file explorer go on the menu to View, then check the checkbox for File Name Extensions. In Windows 11, go on the menu to View > Show > File Name Extensions.

Then rename the file so it has a .bat extension instead of .txt.

If you need to edit an existing .bat file, you can easily do so. Right-click the file and pick Edit. You can also copy and paste the file so you have different copies linked to different video files.

Using the video

When you double-click the shortcut or double-click the .bat file, CatWalk XT will open normally. It will indicate no camera is connected. However when you go to the Detection Settings or Acquisition, it will show the specified video in place of the camera image. This video will repeat endlessly. There is no way to select a different video within the program, to do that you must close CatWalk and open it from a different shortcut or .bat file.

Before acquiring a run, you will need to define the walkway (which normally will be the entire video) and calibrate.