# 🫧 Blob tracking data project in SimBA

## CREATE A BLOB DATA PROJECT IN SIMBA

Before working with Blob tracking data in SimBA, make sure you have the latest version of [SimBA installed](https://github.com/sgoldenlab/simba/blob/master/docs/installation_new.md).

If you have SimBA installed on your system, you can make sure you have the latest version by typing `pip install simba-uw-tf-dev --upgrade`. 

For instructions on how to create blob data in SimBA, see [THIS](https://github.com/sgoldenlab/simba/blob/master/docs/blob_track.md) or [THIS](https://simba-uw-tf-dev.readthedocs.io/en/latest/tutorials_rst/blob_tracking.html) tutorial,
or [THIS](https://simba-uw-tf-dev.readthedocs.io/en/latest/nb/blob_tracking.html) notebook. 

To work with blob tracking data in SimBA, first create a BLOB tracking project in SimBA. 

Follow [Scenario 1](https://github.com/sgoldenlab/simba/blob/master/docs/tutorial.md#step-1-generate-project-config) tutorial up-to the `Generate Project Config` section. 

Next, under `TYPE OF TRACKING` select `Classic tracking`. Under `BODY PART CONFIGURATION`, select **SimBA BLOB Tracking** as in the screenshot below. 

<img width="746" height="742" alt="image" src="images/blob_data_project_simba/blob_data_project_simba_1.png" />

Once selected, click the <kbd>CREATE PROJECT CONFIG</kbd> button to create the project in your chosen directory. 

## IMPORT BLOB TRACKING VIDEO TO YOU SIMBA PROJECT

After clicking on the <kbd>CREATE PROJECT CONFIG</kbd> button, head to the [`IMPORT VIDEOS`] tab to import the **orginal** videos representing your blob tracking data into your new blob tracking SimBA project:
For more information on video import, see the [Scenario 1 documentation](https://github.com/sgoldenlab/simba/blob/master/docs/tutorial.md#step-1-generate-project-config). 

The import of videos is not a strict requirement, but recommended, for amongst others, visualization puposes and the ability to read video meta data relevant for data smoothing if selected (see next step).

<img width="743" height="400" alt="image" src="images/blob_data_project_simba/blob_data_project_simba_2.png" />

## IMPORT BLOB TRACKING DATA TO YOU SIMBA PROJECT

Next, we need to import the blob tracking data to the project. Click on the `[Import tracking data]` tab. Here, select `CSV (SimBA BLOB)` from the `DATA TYPE` dropdown:

<img width="682" height="430" alt="image" src="images/blob_data_project_simba/blob_data_project_simba_3.png" />


(i) If the SimBA blob data contains missing data, you can interpolate it using one of the options available in the `INTERPOLATION METHOD` dropdown. For more information on interpolation, see the 
interpolation section in the [Scenario 1 tutorial](https://github.com/sgoldenlab/simba/blob/master/docs/Scenario1.md#to-import-multiple-dlc-csv-files).

(ii) If the SimBA blob data is "jittery", we may want to smooth the tracking data using one of the options available in the `SMOOTHING` dropdown. For more information on interpolation, see the 
smoothing section in the [Scenario 1 tutorial](https://github.com/sgoldenlab/simba/blob/master/docs/Scenario1.md#to-import-multiple-dlc-csv-files).

>[!NOTE] 
> If you are performing smoothing, it is required that you import the videos first (so SimBA can read the FPS frame-rate from the video file meta-data).

(iii) Next, to import a directory of blob tracking CSV files, select a directory containing `.csv` files and hit the import button. Alternatively, to import a single SimBA blob `.csv` file, go to the labelframe
`IMPORT SimBA BLOB CSV file to SimBA project` and hit the import single file button. You can follow the progress in the main SImBA terminal. 


Once complete, close the `PROJECT CONFIGURATION` window and load the project as documented [HERE](https://github.com/sgoldenlab/simba/blob/master/docs/tutorial.md#step-1-load-project-config)

>[!IMPORTANT] 
> When working with SimBA blob data in SimBA, there is no need to correct outliers (or no need click `skip outlier correction`).