eXpTools: A C++ class library for animation, tachistoscopic presentation, and response timing

The eXpTools Library is a general-purpose tool for developing psychological experiments that combine animation with tachistoscopic presentation. The l ibrary's C++ classes and assembly language functions are specialized for th e creation of visual response time experiments. Its use is limited to varia nts of standard, 16-color, VGA. high-graphics modes. However, it extends th e capabilities of these modes through bit-plane animation techniques and a new, nonstandard, high-resolution graphics mode that will work with standar d VGA cards and register-compatible cards. These techniques make possible a powerful animation class for managing complex animation or tachistoscopic presentations consisting of hundreds or thousands of frames. The library al so combines such features as page flipping, screen blanking, video-refresh synchronization, interrupt-driven millisecond timing, interrupt-driven keyb oard response collection, graphics primitives, bitmaps, and screen fonts. U tilities allow for the conversion of PCX graphics files and the creation of new screen fonts from monochrome bitmap files. The technologies and techni ques underlying the library are presented along with an example program.