Processed datasets
Labeled *_processed.set/.fdt files and optional *_eyesort_ia.set intermediates.
EyeSort 1.0 for EEGLAB
Turn synchronized fixation events into reproducible, analysis-ready EEG event markers.
EyeSort maps fixations onto text-defined interest areas, applies behavior-contingent labels, and preserves traceable event metadata for downstream analysis.
Where EyeSort fits
EyeSort operates after EEG and eye-tracking synchronization and eye-event detection, and before FRP, ERP, or deconvolution analysis. It labels fixation events using region, pass, fixation-class, neighboring-region, and incoming or outgoing saccade-direction criteria.
Deliberate scope
EyeSort does not synchronize modalities, detect fixations, repair blinks or missing eye data, clean eye-tracker data, preprocess EEG, separate temporally overlapping neural activity, or replace deconvolution.
Check your data fit
EyeSort 1.0 is for reading researchers working with co-registered EEG and eye-tracking data whose eye events and trial markers are already available in EEGLAB.
You will need
- Continuous EEGLAB
.setfiles - Synchronized fixation and saccade events in
EEG.event - Horizontal fixation and saccade position fields
- Item, condition, and trial-boundary triggers
- A tab-delimited stimulus and interest-area file
EyeSort 1.0 design envelope
The current text geometry is designed for single-line sentence displays using a fixed-width font, uniform pixels per character, and consistently named regions across the relevant trials. Region assignment uses horizontal X coordinates.
A workflow that matches the plugin
The sequence below follows the EyeSort menu. Optional steps can be added when your analysis needs them.
- Stage 11. Load EEG Dataset(s)
- Stage 22. Setup Interest Areas → Text-Based Sentence Contents and Interest Areas
- Stage 3Inspect Parsed Regions (optional)
- Stage 43. Import IA Columns to Events (optional)
- Stage 54. Eye-Tracking Event Labeling
- Stage 6Generate BINLISTER BDF File (optional)
- Stage 7Modify Event Code Format (optional)
- Stage 8Export a processing history script (optional)
What you get
Traceable event metadata
Canonical EyeSort codes, original event types, regions, words, passes, and label descriptions.
Run summaries
Optional labeling-summary CSV output with per-dataset and total counts.
BINLISTER definitions
An optional BDF, typically eyesort_bins.txt, grouped from labeled events.
Reusable configurations
Saved text-IA and label-queue configuration files.
Portable replay
An exported MATLAB processing script with the sidecars needed to rerun a batch.
Built for reviewable decisions
Diagnose before labeling
Preflight checks surface trigger, condition/item, and interest-area mismatches before they become silent zero-match results.
Repeat the same logic
Saved label queues, configurations, batch processing, EEGLAB history, and replay scripts make the applied criteria inspectable.
Keep options downstream
Display formats are reversible when original event types are present, while canonical codes support optional ERPLAB/BINLISTER handoff and other analyses.
Versioned, documented, and open
Current release
EyeSort 1.0
Published July 9, 2026.
Downloads and release record →Methods
Manual and manuscript
Use the versioned manual for the complete workflow. The citation is to be determined after publication.
View citation status →Sample target
A labeled processed dataset
The sample workflow leads to a *_processed.set dataset with canonical EyeSort codes and traceable fixation metadata.
Maintainers
Eye Movements & Cognition Lab
Brandon Snyder, Sara Milligan, and Elizabeth R. Schotter at the University of South Florida.
Project roles and support →Install and run the sample workflow
Start with the known-compatible files before adapting EyeSort to your own event fields and stimuli.
Open the quickstart