**ShowPlay Reference Manual, Chapter 1 (Introduction): Contents** 



===== Chapter 1 -- Introduction=====
To see a beginner's tutorial for ShowPlay, go to [[jvs:cigal:showplay:manual:tutorial|Tutorial]].

ShowPlay is a CIGAL paradigm program that can present a variety of audio and visual stimuli under real-time control, while simultaneously monitoring behavioral and physiological responses. This program is written in [[jvs:cigal:manual:chapter1:cigal|CIGAL]] (Compilable Image and Graphics Analysis Language), which provides the interactive programming environment for running the ShowPlay program. The '[[jvs:cigal:showplay:manual:chapter2|Running]]'  portion of this ShowPlay help page contains a general overview of how to install, use, and quit CIGAL for the purposes of running stimulus files and collecting data from stimulus presentation runs. Please refer to the [[jvs:cigal:manual|CIGAL]] help document for a more detailed explanation of how to use CIGAL's many tools.

The ShowPlay program allows
customized stimulus presentation as well as integration with fMRI analysis software. The major input to ShowPlay is a text file specifying display parameters and a list of the stimuli to present. This [[jvs:cigal:showplay:manual:chapter4|stimulus file]] is commonly named with a '.ppf' extension (for "paradigm parameter file"). The stimuli are specified in a text list in which each line indicates the type, timing, and screen location of an individual stimulus event. [[jvs:cigal:showplay:manual:chapter2|Running ShowPlay]] can be done from the CIGAL [[jvs:cigal:showplay:manual:chapter2:commandlinesyntax|command line]] or from the Graphical User Interface ([[jvs:cigal:showplay:manual:chapter1:menus|menus]]). ShowPlay [[jvs:cigal:showplay:manual:chapter5|output files]] exist in several forms and contain all data relating to the presentation of stimuli. The ShowPlay program itself is a collection of text files (e.g. [[jvs:cigal:showplay:manual:chapter1:showplay.imp|showplay.imp]]), organized in separate program modules to facilitate customization if desired.  

This introduction covers the following topics:
  * [[jvs:cigal:showplay:manual:tutorial|Tutorial and common questions]]
  * [[jvs:cigal:showplay:manual:chapter1:ppf|Showplay paradigm parameter file (PPF)]]
  * [[jvs:cigal:showplay:manual:chapter1:defaultparameters|Showplay default parameter settings]]
  * [[jvs:cigal:showplay:manual:chapter1:inputfiles|Showplay input files]]
  * [[jvs:cigal:showplay:manual:chapter1:outputfiles|Showplay output files]]
  * [[jvs:cigal:showplay:manual:chapter1:scaledisplay|Screen display scale and offset]]
  * [[jvs:cigal:showplay:manual:chapter1:programfiles|Showplay program files]]
  * [[jvs:cigal:showplay:manual:chapter1:settings|Hardware and Software settings]]
  * [[jvs:cigal:showplay:manual:chapter1:feedback|Real-time behavioral monitoring]]
  * [[jvs:cigal:showplay:manual:chapter1:makingmenu|Organizing workflow in a menu]]
  * [[jvs:cigal:showplay:manual:chapter1:showplayhelp|Showplay Help]]

**See Also:**\\
[[jvs:cigal|CIGAL Home]], 
[[jvs:cigal:manual|CIGAL Manual]], 
[[jvs:cigal:showplay|ShowPlay Home]], 
[[jvs:cigal:showplay:manual|ShowPlay Manual]], 
[[jvs:cigal:showplay:manual:help|Manual Help]]