BESA files extensions

From BESA® Wiki
Jump to: navigation, search
Module information
Modules BESA Research Basic or higher
Version BESA Research 5.2 or higher

One of the most important rules in BESA software is that the original data will never be changed during data processing (unless the user explicitly wants to do it by himself). All changes (e.g. signal processing like filtering) performed in BESA are kept in PC memory and not saved in the file. That type of approach has a drawback since all settings have to be re-generated whenever the data file is reopened. Therefore to keep all settings and be able to reload them whenever a file will be opened, BESA saves additional files beside the original one (with the same base name, but different file extensions). Note that this approach has one additional advantage: whenever the user wants to start analysis from scratch he or she just needs to delete the files responsible for a particular setting (or all files to get back to the initial state). Therefore a good understanding of BESA file nomenclature may be useful for advanced BESA users.


Besa Research file extensions

Application File extension File function When generated/changed Wiki page
Main .atf Artifact coefficients After setting up artifact correction (right mouse click, "Define artifact topography" menu) Handling Artifacts in BESA
Main .bad Bad channels Whenever electrode is marked as bad or is interpolated Review
Main .cot Head center coordinate External file loaded to BESA. Information about file localization on disk is saved in .fst file Working With Additional Files
Main .ela, .elp, .eps Additional electrode configuration files When electrodes configuration was loaded ("File → Load Channel Configuration"). *.elp file can be manually saved in "File → Head Surface Points and Sensors → Save Electrode File for Current Montatage"
Main .evt Events External text file. Can be loaded by selecting "ERP → open event file…" (and saved by "ERP → save event file…"). After loading information is copied to .ftg and also .fst file is updated. Event File Format
Main .fst General setup file When data file is opened for a first time, updated whenever various settings are changed (i.e. filtration parameters, surface point file localization)
Main .ftg Triggers On file close
Main .ica ICA topography Can be saved after ICA analysis by clicking right mouse button on desired component name and selecting "Save Topography" BESA Research ICA
Main .mtg Montages If montage was changed, just .fst file is updated. Mtg files are kept in "C:\Users\Public\Documents\BESA\Research_6_1\Montages" BESA Research Montage Editor
Main .sel Additional Channel Montages In Montage Editor window, menu "File → Save Montage As..." → Change 'Save as type' to 'Additional Channel Montages (*.sel)' Saving Additional Channel Montages
Main .pdg Paradigm After loading or creating the paradigm Paradigm File Format in BESA
Main .pmg MEG magnetometer sensors coordinates External file loaded to BESA. Information about file localization is saved in .fst file MEG Sensor Coordinate Files
Main .pos MEG gradiometer sensors coordinates External file loaded to BESA. Information about file localization is saved in .fst file MEG Sensor Coordinate Files
Main .sfh Coregistration info Created when coregistration with MRI is started ("File → MRI Coregistration.."). Can be loaded externally, then information about file localization is saved in .fst file Integration with MRI and fMRI
Main .sfn Labels assigned to electrode configuration .eps External file loaded to BESA. Information about file localization saved in .fst file Electrodes and Surface Locations
Main .sfp Digitized head surface points coordinates External file loaded to BESA. Information about file localization saved in .fst file Electrodes and Surface Locations
Main .tal Talairach coordinates External file loaded to BESA.
Main .smt Schmitt trigger file Can be generated by "ERP → Create Triggers From EMG/EEG..."
Export .avr ASCII vectorized data file Can be generated by "File → Export…" Working With Additional Files
Export .dat Simple binary matrix with data Can be generated by "File → Export…" Working With Additional Files
Export .edf EDF+ (European Data Format) data file Can be generated by "File → Export…" Working With Additional Files
Export .foc BESA continuous native data file Can be generated by "File → Export…" Working With Additional Files
Export .fsg BESA averaged native data file Can be generated by "File → Export…" Working With Additional Files
Export .generic Additional header file for binary data (.dat) File automatically created when binary data file was exported. This file is needed to reopen .dat file Working With Additional Files
Export .mul ASCII multiplexed data file Can be generated by "File → Export…"
Export 0.001, 0.002 … ASCII vectorized or multiplexed epochs around triggers Can be generated by "File → Export…" File extension indicates epoch number
Export .stddev ASCII standard deviations of data points in .fsg files Can be generated by "File → Export…" Type of data to export
Top Viewer .bmp bitmap file Save of current state of Top Viewer window ("File → Save as Bitmap...") Advanced Top Viewer Features
Top Viewer .eps EPS graphic file Save of current state of Top Viewer window ("File → Save as eps file...") Advanced Top Viewer Features
Top Viewer .tva Top viewer arrangement On Top Viewer window close, only if settings or electrode position was changed Advanced Top Viewer Features
Top Viewer .tvs Top Viewer settings On Top Viewer window close, only if settings or electrode position was changed Advanced Top Viewer Features
Time Frequency Analysis .tfc Averaged time-frequency data Can be created when Time-Frequency Analysis is used ("ERP → coherence tab") Source Coherence Introduction and Concepts
Time Frequency Analysis .tfcs Single trial time-frequency data Can be created when Time-Frequency Analysis is used ("ERP → coherence tab") Source Coherence Introduction and Concepts
Source Analysis .bmp bitmap file Save of current state of 3D window ("File → Save 3D window as a bitmap...") Source Analysis 3D Imaging
Source Analysis .bsa Source analysis solution (i.e. dipoles) Can be loaded or saved in menu of source analysis window ("File → Save Solution..") Source Analysis Introduction
Source Analysis .dat 3D Image ASCII file or voxel values for each dipole orientation Can be exported in 3D window of Source Analysis ("Image → Export Image as…") if sources for more than one latency was computed you can select option to save voxel values for each dipole orientation Source Analysis 3D Imaging
Source Analysis .hdr 3D Image ANALYZE file Can be exported in 3D window of Source Analysis ("Image → Export Image as…") if sources for more than one latency was computed you can also choose option to save data for all latencies Source Analysis 3D Imaging
Source Analysis .laura Result file of LAURA After computation of LAURA in Source Analysis Source Analysis 3D Imaging
Source Analysis .loreta Result file of LORETA After computation of LORETA in Source Analysis Source Analysis 3D Imaging
Source Analysis .swf Source waveforms Can be saved in file menu of source analysis window ("File → Save Source Waveforms...") Export Dipole Moments of Fitted Sources
Source Analysis .vmp 3D Image BrainVoyager File (can be written with current resolution or with 1 mm) Can be exported in 3D window of Source Analysis ("Image → Export Image as…") Source Analysis 3D Imaging
Source Analysis .vtc BrainVoyager VTC File for all latencies If sources for more than one latency was computed it can be exported in 3D window of Source Analysis ("Image → Export Image as…") Source Analysis 3D Imaging
Source Analysis .vts Image ASCII voxel time series If sources for more than one latency was computed it can be exported in 3D window of Source Analysis ("Image → Export Image as…") Source Analysis 3D Imaging
FFT .faa, .fap, .far, .fai Exported amplitude (fma), power (fmp), real (fmr) and imaginary part (fmi) of signal spectrum for average reference (Interpolated-81) montage One of the export options in FFT window "File → Export FFT data menu" with "Interpolated-81" menu item selected (in the same menu) BESA Research Spectral Analysis
FFT .fba Exported Amplitude in Bands In FFT window menu "File → Export Amplitude in Bands" BESA Research Spectral Analysis
FFT .fbp Exported Power in Bands In FFT window menu "File → Export Power in Bands" BESA Research Spectral Analysis
FFT .fft result of FFT In FFT window "File → save…" BESA Research Spectral Analysis
FFT .fma, .fmp, .fmr, .fmi Exported amplitude (fma), power (fmp), real (fmr) and imaginary part (fmi) of spectrum for current montage One of export options in FFT window "File → Export FFT data" menu with "Current montage" menu item selected (in the same menu) BESA Research Spectral Analysis