Ask MetaFilter questions tagged with mat

How do you get the mat file name?

cali59 — Tue, 15 Sep 2009 03:50:49 -0800

How do you get a Matlab script to know the name of its own .mat file? I have a bunch of .mat files that have descriptive names (ex "round fluffy A.mat", "square fluffy B.mat") and I'd like to process the data and generate a figure with the name of the mat file, only .fig. I don't want to have to hard code the filename, or use a dialog box to input it or anything, I just want a way to be able to retrieve the argument that was used in the command that shows up when you double click the .mat file, namely

load('C:\PATH\FILENAME.mat')

I'm sure there's plenty of other ways I could be doing this, but after searching google and MATLAB help, it's kind of driving me nuts that I can't just find a simple way to do this. Am I overlooking something? Thanks.

Mat and frame pros in Toronto?

iona — Sun, 17 May 2009 14:35:41 -0800

Where in Toronto should I take a 19th century print to be matted and framed? Just what it says on the tin really - I have a 19th century print on heavy paper (maybe rag paper? I'm not sure) that needs to be matted and framed - possibly cleaned as well. I want it done properly, but I'd sort of like to avoid paying a fortune (the print itself cost less than £100). Any recommendations? Thanks!

the welcome mat

edtut — Fri, 13 Mar 2009 17:29:25 -0800

where is the welcome mat? (the band!) one of the best pop grunge bands from australia in the 90's was called the welcome mat. i would like to get my hands on some of there stuff, jsut for old times sake. but there is no contact detail for the band on the net, and thus it's hard to know where to find them? any leads?

what kind of mat would be good to sleep on every night (instead of a bed)?

nevers — Sun, 15 Feb 2009 19:46:45 -0800

are there any roll-up/fold-up mats i could be comfy sleeping on every single night for, let's say, a year? i'm about to move to a teeny tiny room (about 11'x5'4"). i have plenty of common space available to me in the larger apartment but would love for my room to contain more than just a bed. it would be great if i could quickly roll up my bed every morning and gain floor space. i fear that the foam pads/mats made for hikers aren't meant to be used daily (in terms of comfort and/or durability), although i have no idea. another thing that came to mind was a thai massage mat (i remember getting a thai massage and thinking the mat was so comfortable i could sleep on it). again, i don't know how long one would last if it were used for 8 hours every night.

i know that plenty of people all over the world sleep on mats/the floor and their bodies survive just fine. any recommendations?

i'm a professional acrobat, so it IS important to me to have a sleeping situation that is good for my back and my body in general.

and i don't want a loft bed.

How do I mount a wrinkled print?

allisonrae — Wed, 04 Feb 2009 16:10:52 -0800

How do I mount somewhat wrinkled prints for framing? Or alternately, how can I smooth out a wrinkled screenprint before framing – would a water bath be a horrible idea? I have an assortment of large prints I've purchased at odd sizes. Most of them have come in mailing tubes and have a curl to them.

I am also a cheapskate when it comes to custom framing. Lately I've taken to purchasing assemble-it-yourself frames at custom lengths from an online store. Upon trying to frame the prints, they all appear buckled and do not sit flat under the mat like I want. The plexiglass does press firmly against the mat by way of some springy clips, so that's not the problem... it's more the print against the mat window and foamcore.

So, am I missing a crucial mounting step? Is there an archival spray adhesive that I should be using to affix the print to the foamcore?

Furthermore, the one print I like the best is the most wrinkled of the lot. It is a screenprint on recycled 100# cover. Would it be ill-advised to give it a water bath in the hopes of evening out the ripples, and then reframing after it has dried?

Help me with my garage mat!

brandman — Thu, 20 Nov 2008 18:09:35 -0800

Help me keep the melting snow on my garage mat. I have a garage mat on one side of my two-car garage, similar to the garage floor protector shown here. It's maybe 7' wide by 16' long, and our car fits comfortably on it. During the winter months, my goal is for the snow that accumulates on the car to fall onto the mat, and stay there. Unfortunately, since it's a flat piece of vinyl/rubber, the melting snow will often run off the mat toward things I don't necessarily want to get wet (e.g., a wooden workbench). I'd like to find a way to keep the water from the melting snow from leaking off the mat - in the past, I've tried stapling 1x2 boards around the edges of the mat, but they tend to pull away from the staples and separate. Any ideas?

Test: Skill :: MAT : ?

Miko — Mon, 28 Jul 2008 13:21:55 -0800

MAT vs. GRE: Does it matter? The graduate program I'm applying to [American Studies with a certificate in Public Culture and History] requires either the GRE -or- the MAT.

I don't want to take both and won't have time to take either more than once between now and the application deadline. I'm inclined to take the MAT because it's shorter, cheaper, and I think I have good skills at logical analysis. Evidence suggests I would probably do very well on the GRE verbal, but low-mediocre-to-very-poor on the mathematics.

My question is this: is there any reason to think one is a better choice than another? Funding? Strength on the application? Fit with field? Just want to make sure I don't create a detriment. Thanks for anything you can offer.

Dark chair mats?

kindall — Tue, 15 Apr 2008 20:45:08 -0800

Is there such a thing as a dark-colored (black or brown) chair mat? Possibly woodgrain? If so, where can I get one?

Scat, cat - get off the mat!

taz — Tue, 26 Feb 2008 03:01:40 -0800

How can I make my "welcome mats" unwelcoming to cats? I'm getting ready to replace all my outside door mats (three) because they're yucky and covered in cat hair from my neighbor's cats who like to hang out on them. The current ones have been very hard to clean from cat hair, and would need constant, labor-intensive attention to keep them presentable. But I'm afraid the new ones (stiff coconut fibre, something like this) are going to be just as bad, or possibly even worse.

But I just can't bring myself to buy those ugly black rubber door mats. Is there some way I can discourage the kitty mat love? Most of the Google info on natural cat repellents focus on keeping cats out of plants and gardens. Have any of you dealt successfully with this kind of problem?

I'm going to be on the lookout for repellent spray, but so far I haven't found any (I don't live in the U.S. or U.K., and some things are not as easy to find as they are there) - and I'm picking up my mats today, so even if I am able to find a packaged repellent, I need some strategy in the interim.

Un-warp self-healing possible?

sweetmarie — Wed, 04 Apr 2007 16:05:32 -0800

How do I straighten a warped self-healing cutting mat? Yes, I left it in the back seat of my car and with the combo of the sun and the way it was leaning it no longer lays flat. It's rather large, around 23x35 so pressing it under a book isn't an option. Anyone have some ideas / go through this before?

Framing Prints

stray — Tue, 04 Apr 2006 22:31:45 -0800

Where should I go to get some art framed nicely and affordably in Vancouver, Canada?

Where to get a M.A.T. in visual arts?

Marit — Wed, 22 Dec 2004 17:30:55 -0800

Where can I find a comprehensive list of US schools offering an M.A.T. in visual arts? Also, will it make things difficult if I receive my M.A.T. in a state I do not intend to teach in?