To configure RatBat, choose Parameters from the main screen.
RatBat allows you to run a selection of tasks. You must therefore tell RatBat which tasks you want to run, and in what order.
You may load a configuration file or save it again. (If you load a configuration file, alter the settings, and click OK, your changes will be saved automatically for next time.) Loading may take a few seconds if the configuration files contain many stimuli, such as the supplied ID/ED task stimuli.
You may set any of the subject details (ID, session number, comment) by typing in the relevant boxes. You may set a data file if you choose; if you load a configuration file, the program will choose a default data file for you. This data file contains a textual summary of your results. The full result set is saved in a database via the ODBC (Open Database Connectivity) protocol. You may select the database at this point, or when the program finishes running.
A sample configuration is supplied with RatBat. It's called "RatBat_TestConfig_And_SampleObjectLibrary.xml" and it lives in the directory you installed RatBat into (typically C:\Program Files\RatBat).
To pick an ODBC database in advance of finishing, click Pick and you will be offered the ODBC Data Source picker (below). Your choice will be recorded and will apply to this subject from now on (or until you specify a different source).
If you don't specify an ODBC data source now, or you delete the value in the ODBC data source name box, you'll be asked to choose when the task ends (and that choice will only apply to the session in progress).
The bottom half of the screen contains the module (task) list for the subject. You may specify any number of tasks from those that RatBat provides. They may be executed in any order. Click Add Module to add a new module to the end of the list. Click a module in the list to select it, and click Remove Module to or remove that module from the list. Click Move Up or Move Down to move a module up/down the list.
Click Configure general parameters to set up parameters that apply to all tasks.
Click Configure visual objects to set up objects used by the tasks.
Select a module from the list and click Configure module to set up parameters for the chosen module. Parameters that are specific to each task are explained with each task's description (click on the links below). The module names are: