EegFun

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Plot GUI ​

The Plot GUI is a quick-access point for interactively exploring your EEG data. Launch it with a single command and use it to inspect any raw EEG file or saved JLD2 data file — or an entire batch of files at once using filename patterns.

Launching the GUI ​

julia
using EegFun
EegFun.plot_gui()

A window opens with three columns allowing file selection, plot selection, and plot setting type controls.

Plot GUI overview

GUI Layout ​

The window is divided into three columns.

Column 1 — File & Plot Selection ​

ControlDescription
Select DirectorySets the working directory used for batch file discovery
(directory label)Shows the currently selected directory path
Select FileOpens a file picker to choose a .jld2 or raw EEG file
(file / pattern box)Type a filename, full path, or batch pattern directly
Select LayoutOpens a file picker to load an electrode layout (.csv)
(layout label)Shows the currently loaded layout filename
Plot TypeDropdown — direct plots or category submenus (ICA >, ERP Analysis >, Diagnostic Plots >)
(submenu)Appears when a category is selected; choose the specific plot type
(components box)Active only for ICA plots — enter component numbers to plot

Column 2 — Data Filters ​

ControlDescription
ParticipantSpace/comma-separated integers or ranges (e.g. 1 2 3 or 1:10)
ConditionCondition numbers to include; blank = all
EpochEpoch numbers to include; blank = all
LayoutPlot layout: Single, Single Avg, Grid, Topo
Channel(s)Multi-select menu (populated when a layout is loaded)
(selected label)Shows the currently selected channels

Column 3 — Axis Settings ​

ControlDescription
X LimitsMin / max for the time axis
Y LimitsMin / max for the amplitude axis
Z LimitsMin / max for the colour axis (TF and ERP Image)
BaselineStart / end times in seconds for baseline correction
Baseline Type TFBaseline normalisation method for Time-Frequency plots
Invert Y axisCheckbox — flips the Y axis (ERP, Epochs, ERP Image)
PLOTTriggers the selected plot

Step-by-Step: Plotting a Single File ​

1. Pick a directory ​

Click Select Directory to set the working directory.

For batch mode (pattern input) this is essential — it tells the GUI where to search for matching files. If left unset, the GUI falls back to pwd(), which is the directory Julia was launched from and is rarely where your data lives.

For single-file mode (Select File picks a full path) the directory is not required.

2. Select a file ​

Either:

  • Click Select File and navigate to a .jld2 or raw EEG file, or

  • Type the filename directly into the text box.

The text box accepts full paths, relative paths, or just a filename if the directory is already set.

3. Choose a plot type ​

Click the Plot Type dropdown and select one of the direct plot types:

SelectionProduces
Data BrowserInteractive scrollable signal browser
EpochsEpoch-level waveform viewer
ERPERP waveforms
ERP ImageHeatmap of individual epochs
TopographyScalp topographic map
Time-FrequencyTime-frequency power plot

For more specialised plots, select a category to reveal a submenu:

CategorySubmenu options
ICA >Components (topographies), Activation (time-course)
ERP Analysis >ERP GUI
Diagnostic Plots >Channel Summary, Layout View

4. Configure controls (optional) ​

All controls are optional — leave them blank to use sensible defaults.

X / Y / Z limits — Enter a min and max value in the paired text boxes to constrain the plotted time range (X), amplitude scale (Y), or colour scale (Z). Both boxes must be filled for the limit to apply.

Baseline — Enter start and end times in seconds (e.g. -0.2 and 0.0) and choose a correction method from the dropdown.

Channels — If a layout file is loaded, pick one or more channels from the Channels menu. Click Select to clear the selection.

Layout — Choose how channels are arranged:

  • Single — all selected channels overlaid on one axis

  • Grid — one axis per channel in a grid

  • Topo — channels positioned according to their electrode locations

  • Single Avg — channels averaged together before plotting

Invert Y axis — Tick this checkbox to plot positive deflections downward, matching the neurophysiology convention used in some ERP labs. Applies to ERP, Epochs, and ERP Image plots.

5. Click Plot ​

Click the Plot button. The plot opens in a new window.

Batch Mode (Pattern Input) ​

Instead of a single filename, type a filename pattern into the file box. EegFun will discover all matching .jld2 files in the selected directory and plot them one after another.

text
# Example: type this into the file box
erps_good

This matches any file containing erps_good in the directory (e.g. 01_erps_good.jld2, 02_erps_good.jld2, …).

Filtering by participant ​

Enter participant numbers in the Participant box (space- or comma-separated integers, or ranges):

text
1 2 3         # participants 1, 2, and 3
1:10          # participants 1 through 10
1 3 5:8       # mixed

If the box is empty, all matching participants are plotted.

Filtering by condition ​

Enter condition numbers in the Condition box using the same syntax. Leave blank to plot all conditions.

If you enter a participant ID that does not exist in the discovered files, the GUI will warn you and list the available IDs before plotting.

ICA Plots ​

Select ICA > from the Plot Type dropdown to see two options.

Components — Plots the ICA component topographies. The file must be an InfoIca .jld2 produced by run_ica().

Activation — Plots the ICA component activation time-courses. The GUI automatically locates the original EEG source file from the path stored inside the InfoIca object. If the source file is a raw format (.bdf, .set, .vhdr), a 0.1 Hz high-pass filter and average rereference are applied automatically before plotting.

Use the Components text box to restrict which components are shown:

text
1:10          # first ten components
1 3 5         # specific components
              # (blank = all components)

Layout File ​

Some plot types (Data Browser with a raw .bdf file, Layout View) require an electrode layout. Click Select Layout to load a .csv layout file. The channel list in the Channels menu is then populated from the layout.

Tips ​

  • Data Browser with a .bdf file requires a layout to be loaded.

  • Z limits apply only to Time-Frequency and ERP Image plots (colour axis).

  • Baseline fields apply to ERP and Time-Frequency plots.

  • The GUI state is preserved between plots — change one setting at a time to compare results.

  • If a plot fails, a brief warning appears in the Julia REPL. The GUI remains open and usable.

Next Steps ​