SuperLab’s experiment files can be moved freely between Mac OS and Windows computers.

From the File menu, choose Create an Experiment Package. This will create a single .zip file that contains your experiment and all the pictures, audio, and movies files that are needed to run it. You can then move this .zip file easily to another computer via network or USB stick.

There are some factors to be aware of.

Fonts

Examples:

• You use a Helvetica font on the Mac and then move the experiment to Windows, which has no Helvetica font by default. 
• Oftentimes, even if a font is available on both platforms, sizes will look different due to hardware differences and display settings.

In summary: when moving an experiment between platforms, you need to change the font settings.

Tip: Internally, SuperLab stores the font information for each platform separately. For example, your experiment has an event of type Text that uses Helvetica 12 on the Mac. You then move the experiment to Windows and change the font to Arial 14. If you move the experiment back to the Mac, SuperLab will use the original Helvetica 12.

Stimuli Files

If your experiment uses stimuli files (as opposed to text only), it would be easier to move it between Windows and Mac with some careful planning.

• Pictures are usually not a problem because the most commonly used file formats (JPG, PNG, BMP, etc.) are supported on both platforms.
• Movies might require you to install a type of software called “CODEC” to allow your operating system to play a particular file format. QuickTime (.mov files) is standard on the Mac, but it is possible to play QuickTime movies on Windows. Conversely, AVI movies are standard on Windows, but it is also possible to have them play on Mac OS with additional software installed. Installing additional software would be less time consuming than converting movie files from one format to another. 
• Audio: we recommend the .wav file format on both platforms.

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Last Revision: Aug 7, 2023