Knowledge Base

Zones and Points for Behavior Recognition

Aim

When you use the Rat/Mouse Behavior Recognition function, defining a few special zones and points significantly increases behavior recognition accuracy.

• Drinking spout points to detect drinking.
• Feeder zones to detect eating behavior at the feeder.
• Wall zones to detect rearing to wall.

Prerequisites

• You need the Rat or Mouse Behavior Recognition Module of EthoVision XT.
• You have read important notes about behavior recognition. See Behavior Recognition: Requirements.
• In the Experiment Settings under Tracked Features, you selected center-point, nose-point, and tail-base detection. Under Behavior Recognition, you selected one or more of the options Feeder, Drinking Bottle, Arena Walls. If one of the options is not selected, the corresponding layer is not added in the Arena Settings.
• Make sure that the outline of the arena covers all possible regions where all detected body points of the animal can be, including when rearing. Make sure that the aspect ratio of the video image is correct.

To Define the Drinking Spout Points

1. In the Arenas and Zones section, click Select Shape and Draw Zones (Optional).
2. Click the Drinking Spout Points zone group.
3. Click the Add Point button on the toolbar. The mouse pointer changes to a cross.
4. Click the background image to position the point.
5. In the Add Point window, accept the default name or enter another name, then click OK.

Repeat these steps to define more points.

Tip: To have a better view of the background image and locate the tip of the drinking spout more easily, in the Arenas and Zones section deselect the View option for the Arena and other zone groups.

To Define the Feeder Zones

1. In the Arenas and Zones section, click Select Shape and Draw Zones (Optional).
2. Click the Feeder Zones zone group.
3. Using one or more drawing tools available on the toolbar, draw the outline of the feeder.
4. If the Auto-label Zone option is activated, the zone is automatically named Feeder Zone 1. Right-click the label to rename it.

Repeat steps 3 and 4 to define more feeder zones.

To Define the Wall Zones

All high objects that the rat can use for supported rearing should be defined as wall zones.

1. In the Arenas and Zones section, click Select Shape and Draw Zones (Optional).
2. Click the Wall Zones zone group.
3. Using the polygon drawing tool, draw the outline of the floor of the arena. It is important that all sides of the arena are included in the wall zone, even when the side walls are barely visible.
4. If the Auto-label Zone option is activated, the zone is automatically named Wall Zone 1. Right-click the label to rename it.
5. Make sure that the zone label points to the arena walls in the video image. If it points to the inside of the arena, move the label.

When the camera is not centered on the arena, as in a multiple arena setup, side walls may be partly or totally hidden. Draw the polygon in such a way that the wall zone also covers those regions.

Notes:

• In the Drinking Spout Points group, you can only define points, not zones.
• You cannot delete one of the zone groups Drinking Spout Points, Feeder Zones, or Wall Zones. You can delete the zone or point label, but the zone group itself remains. To delete a group, deselect the corresponding option under Behavior Recognition in the Experiment Settings.

Work with Shapes

What Do You Want to Do?

• Draw simple shapes
• Draw subdivided shapes
• Move, rotate, and resize a shape

Draw Simple Shapes

Line, Rectangle, Ellipse

1. Click the appropriate shape button on the toolbar, or press L for a line, S for a rectangle, and E for an ellipse.
2. Click the background image to define the first point of the shape, keep the mouse button pressed, and drag to the end point. When ready, release the mouse button.

To create a circle with the Ellipse tool, hold Shift down.

Polyline

1. Click the appropriate shape on the toolbar, or press O for an Open Polyline and Y for a Closed Polyline.
2. Click in the background image to position the first point, move the mouse pointer to the position of the second point and click in the background image. Next, move the mouse pointer to a new position for the third point, etc.
3. When ready, double-click.

3-Point Circle

1. Click the 3-point circle button on the toolbar or press T.
2. Click in the background image to position the first point, move the mouse and click to position the second point.
3. Move the mouse to position the 3-point circle and click to finish.

When you resize a 3-point circle, it becomes an ellipse. If you don't want that, press Shift while you resize the circle.

To show or hide the center of the bounding rectangle of a shape, right-click it and select Show/Hide Center.

To Copy and Enlarge a Shape

1. Right-click the shape and select Duplicate.
2. In the Duplicate window, enter an Enlargement factor and click OK.