A method has been developed to map the sequence of contraction as measured at the epicardial surface of the anterior free wall of the canine left ventricle during sinus rhythm and electrical stimulation of the ventricle. In an area of 35 x 45 mm, 40-60 white markers were attached to the epicardial surface. The motion of the markers was recorded on video and analysed off-line by computer. In an array of 35 regions, regional surface deformation and epicardial fibre strain were calculated from the motion of the markers. Between all adjacent regions, the differences in timing of contraction were determined by cross-correlation of the related fibre strain signals. A map of the time sequence of contraction has been calculated so that the sum of the squares of the deviations between time intervals of the map and the measurements was minimised. If individual correlation coefficients were found to be less than 0.85, the related time difference was discarded from the analysis. If more than 25% of the time differences were discarded because of this reason, the whole map was obtained by determining time of the negative peak of the second time derivative in the early phase of contraction. The accuracy in time marking was sufficient (+/- 7 ms), as compared to the time differences over the epicardial surface, which were found to be on the average between 10 and 80 ms in case of sinus rhythm and electrical stimulation of the right ventricular outflow tract, respectively.