Knowledge Base

Video Tracking

• The Start Trial button is grayed out
• I track from the live camera image, and I get missing samples
• I track from video, yet I get missing samples
• Tracking from video is slow
• During tracking there is a significant lag
• The subject's trail (or the area where it was first detected) is detected as the subject
• The text on top of the video window during acquisition is too small
• Tracking does not start when the animal is inside the shelter
• I cannot make tracks of long duration
• I selected the DDS option but my video plays at normal speed. Why?
• I see spikes in the track
• Error: The trial duration does not correspond with the system time (Id: 12015)
• The subject is detected in one arena, while in another arena I only see an orange blob

Manual Scoring

• I do not see a behavior category in the Manual Scoring screen
• I want to remove the center point of the subject while observing
• The body points of one or more subjects are not displayed in the Manual Scoring screen

Other Issues and Questions

• I cannot start acquisition with a remote control
• I cannot import external data, or I get an error message "a gap was detected in the raw data"
• How can I randomize the start time of my trials?
• The Acquisition screen is not available in a Quality Assurance (GLP) experiment
• How do I start data acquisition on multiple PCs simultaneously?

The Start Trial Button Is Grayed Out

This may also happen when trials are planned. Adding trials in the Trial List does not help.

1. Make sure that, in the trial list, all the necessary settings are selected (Arena, Trial Control, Detection).
2. Make sure that the video selected in the Trial List is the same as that selected in the Acquisition screen (you find its name next to the Video button).
3. If you defined behaviors in the Manual Scoring Settings, make sure that there is one selected as initially active.

I Track From the Live Camera Image and I Get Missing Samples

This could be due to a number of reasons.

• Tracking is too processor-demanding.
  • Try reducing the sample rate, or use another detection method (e.g. Dynamic subtraction instead of Differencing).
• Camera settings are not optimal.
  • Make sure that the Exposure of the camera does not reduce the frame rate of the camera. See Adjust the Camera Exposure Time.
  • Make sure in EthoVision XT that Video Pixel Smoothing is set to None. See Detection Settings > Video Pixel Smoothing.
  • In the Experiment Settings, click the camera button. Make sure that the color space is Y800 for monochrome cameras. See Adjust Camera Settings in EthoVision XT.
• Communication between camera and computer not optimal.
  • In some circumstances the Ethernet board is not set properly, or the data transfer rate is too low for the frame size. You may see this message in pylon Viewer. Either reduce the video resolution and frame rate, or increase the packet size in pylon Viewer (in the Feature panel, locate Transport Layer). A packet size of 1500 should be fine. If this is not sufficient, increase the packet size to the maximum. If it does not help, there may be something wrong with the Ethernet board. See also Settings of the Ethernet Board.
  • Disable the firewall. See Disable the Windows Firewall for the Ethernet Board.
  • Disable your anti-virus software: check the settings in your anti-virus software or ask your local IT person to disable it.
  • As a last resort, do a factory reset on the camera. See Do a Factory Reset on the Basler GigE Camera.
  • If none of the above solves the issue, please Make a PC Report for Support.

See also: Missed Samples.

I Track From Video Yet I Get Missing Samples

This is probably caused by the option DDS (Detection Determines Speed) not being selected. When DDS is selected, EthoVision XT takes the time necessary to process the images, and samples are not missed. See DDS (Detection Determines Speed).

If you work with multiple subjects per arena, and you do not want to select DDS — for example because you score behaviors live and you do not want video to be played back too fast — then in the Detection Settings (Subject size section), move the Modeling effort slider towards Performance. This reduces the likelihood that samples are missed. See Advanced Detection Settings: Subject Size (Multiple Animals Per Arena).

Also make sure that the camera Exposure time does not conflict with the camera frame rate. See I Cannot Select a High Frame Rate.

Tracking From Video Is Slow

Close other programs, including virus scanners. Check if the drivers of the video board (not the encoder board) are up to date.

During Tracking There Is a Significant Lag

At times the system freezes a bit, then catches up and resumes.

1. Restart the PC daily to refresh the PC's resources.
2. Assuming you are using a PC purchased from Noldus and the setup isn't too demanding (e.g. multiple arenas, deep learning), then this is likely to be related to incorrect exposure settings in pylon Viewer. See Adjust the Camera Exposure Time.
3. Check that the video resolution is compatible with the frame rate; this may also need adjusting. See Adjust Camera Settings in EthoVision XT.
4. Also do a check for missing samples. See Check That the Camera Is Set Up Properly.
5. If none of the above resolves your lag problem, consider whether your PC was purchased from Noldus. If not, it may be insufficient to run EthoVision XT. To have Noldus Support review your PC specifications, please Make a PC Report for Support and submit a support case at my.noldus.com.

The Subject's Trail Is Detected as the Subject

Make a reference image of the empty arena. Or if you use video, open the Advanced section in the Detection Settings pane and click Background next to Detection Reference Image. Choose one of the options in the window that opens.

The Text on Top of the Video Window During Acquisition Is Too Small

The size of the text is proportional to the screen resolution. The higher the resolution, the smaller the text. To solve this, choose a lower screen resolution.

I Cannot Make Tracks of Long Duration

Try the following:

• Switch off the Windows power-save options.
• Remove virus scanners.
• Switch off the automatic Windows Update. If that cannot be done, disconnect the computer from the internet and restart it before acquiring data.
• Make sure that you have enough disk space.

For information on the maximum trial duration tested with specific cameras, see Resolution, Frame Rate, and Maximum Trial Duration.

To track or record video for longer than the durations reported above, we recommend that you make a series of trials. See Split a Multi-Day Test in Multiple Trials.

I Selected the DDS Option but My Video Plays at Normal Speed

The cause could be related to the amount of data processing that EthoVision XT carries out. For example, the following options in the Detection Settings may be enabled: Track noise reduction and Dropped frames correction. To speed up data acquisition, make a copy of the Detection Settings, set the options above to Off, and re-do the trial with those new settings. Alternatively, accept the slow data acquisition if you need those settings to produce good data.

Source: EthoVision XT 19 Help, Noldus Information Technology