Use an Executable Item that Needs to Open a Specific File?

I am trying to get MediaLab to run a program called Arena.exe that needs to open a .def file that I have created which specifies parameters for a virtual maze. What do I put in "file name" in a questionnaire file to make this happen? Also, the Arena program produces a .dat file with variable names as column headings and trial names as rows. This file writes over itself for each new participant. How do I get data for several variables from different trials for each participant into the MediaLab data files? If it is any help, information about the Arena program can be found at [URL]http://web.arizona.edu/~arg/data.html[/URL] Thanks much!

The manual for Arena gives and example of running a specific file like this:

[LEFT][I]Arena -software -exp c:\NewArena\test.def[/I][/LEFT]

[LEFT]To execute that in MediaLab you would use the Executable items type, listing "c:\arena\arena.exe" as the file (or whatever the full path of the arena.exe file is).[/LEFT]

[LEFT]Then in the parameters field, you would enter:[/LEFT]

[LEFT][I](c-exp c:\NewArena\test.def)[/I][/LEFT]

[LEFT]The [I]c[/I] parameter tell MediaLab that these are the [U]c[/U]ommand line options you would like tagged on when it calls the exe file.[/LEFT]

As for MediaLab to getting a hold of the data gathered by Arena and writing some of it automatically to the MediaLab data files, that is not currently possible. At least not unless the other program has some option to make its data available to other programs.

[I][edited from follow-up][/I]
Thanks for that reply. One more question - I did what you instructed to get MediaLab to call up Arena.exe and then the .def file for our virtual maze, but what seems to happen is that Arena opens to the point of having the file name selected in its start dialog box, but we still have to manually click Arena's "Start" button. Simultaneously MediaLab is displaying the message, "Click the Continue button to proceed." Is there any way I can change the MediaLab message at that point to tell the participant to click the Start button in the dialog box?

Yes, you can place a [I]substitute.txt[/I] file in your experiment folder. For details, see:

[URL]http://www.empirisoft.com/medialab/help/preferences.htm[/URL]

I've attached a sample you can try. Just unzip it and drop the file in the folder along with your exp and que files.

[I][edited from followup][/I]

Thanks, Blair. We have it all working now.