Plays a movie file (avi, mov, etc.). Note if you have image files to use as frames, you can use tool images2movie in <PsychBench folder>/tools to render them into a movie file.

("Ends on its own" means ends automatically at that point. If an element can end on its own, you don't need to set end conditions for it in property end, unless you want it to maybe end earlier.)

fileName

No default

A string that is name of movie file to show. Include path if the file is not in the MATLAB current folder or search path (or not the first file with that name on the search path). File can be any format and codec GStreamer accepts, which should include all the major ones.

crop

Default: show whole movie image

A 1×4 vector [x_tl y_tl x_br y_br] setting part of the movie image to show. +x = right, +y = down, <cd>[0 0]<cd> = top left of image. Units are px in the movie file (independent of your screen or the size you show the movie at). For right and bottom you can use <cd>inf<cd> to mean that edge of the image, e.g. <cd>[0 0 inf inf]<cd> = show whole image. Other properties like height below are applied after crop. The cropped part of the movie is shown centered at position.

height

Default: 1 px in movie file = 1 px on screen

A number that is height on screen to show at (deg).

OR a string setting overall size of the movie on screen:

<cds>"fit"  <cds> – fit to window
<cds>"fitw" <cds> – fit width to window
<cds>"fith" <cds> – fit height to window
<cds>"fill" <cds> – fill window
<cds>"px"   <cds> – native resolution: 1 pixel in movie file = 1 pixel on screen (scaled down if you use a partial screen window)

All the fit and fill options assume the movie is centered in the window.

times

Default: play whole movie file

You can set this to a vector [t1 t2] (sec) to play only a specific time range in the movie file. t1 = <cd>0<cd> = start, t2 = <cd>inf<cd> = end. If you combine with maxNumLoops/phase below, those properties work within the part specified here.

maxNumLoops
breakInterval
phase
loopMode

Default: maxNumLoops = play once
Default: phase = start at start of movie file
Default: loopMode = 1

maxNumLoops is a number > 0 that is number of loops through the movie file or time range to play, after which the object ends. Note this number can be fractional, not just integer. <cd>inf<cd> = repeat until a condition you set in property end.

breakInterval is blank interval to show between loops, at the end of the movie file or time range (sec). 0 = none.

phase is start time in the movie file or time range (sec). 0 = start. phase is best used to set a starting point for a looping stimulus. If you just want to play the file from a certain point to its end (or from a certain point to its start playing in reverse), use times above instead with maxNumLoops = 1.

loopMode is a number that goes to Psychtoolbox Screen('PlayMovie') input loop. It applies if properties above are set such that the movie element loops between the end–start of the movie file with no break. This is a technical parameter that you can usually leave at default.

speed

Default: normal

Play speed: +1 = normal, −1 = reverse, etc. Not all play speeds are possible for all movie formats—see Psychtoolbox Screen('PlayMovie') for more information.

grayscale

Default: show a color movie in color

<cd>true<cd>/<cd>false<cd>: show a color movie in grayscale.

volume

Default: current system volume

A number between 0–1: 0 = no sound, 1 = current system volume. This scales the volume in your system sound settings. Mainly useful if you want different movie elements to play at different volumes.

position
nn_eyes
rotation
colorMask
alpha
intensity
contrastMult
drawCodeVars