Knowledge Base

Import ODX Files

Import ODX Files As Separate Observations

1. Choose File > Import > Observational Data. Alternatively, in the Project Explorer, click the Observations item, then in the overview window, click Import Observations.
2. Make sure that The Observer XT (*.odx) is selected in the Files of Type list.
3. Browse to the file and click Open.

Import ODX Files to an Existing Observation

1. Open the observation you want the data to be imported to.
2. Click the Import Data button on the toolbar, then choose Import Observational Data.
3. Make sure that The Observer XT (*.odx) is selected under Files of Type.
4. Browse to the file and click Open.

Notes

• If the ODX file contains multiple observations and you import it into an existing observation, data are imported only for the first observation.
• The imported event logs retain their original names. If the observation already contains event logs with that name, a suffix _imported [#] is added to the imported file names.
• If your coding scheme or data contain special characters like ü or ç, or Chinese, Japanese, or Cyrillic language characters, make sure that your Windows Regional Options support those characters before importing *.odx files. Open the Control Panel, choose Language, select your preferred language, then close and restart The Observer.
• Export files from FaceReader can be very large when you choose the option to save all analyses to a single odx-file. Such large files take very long to import into The Observer XT, or it may not be possible to import them at all. We recommend transferring FaceReader data to The Observer XT with the Noldus network communication protocol N-Linx. See Observe Live and Analyze with FaceReader in Set Up Your Project. Alternatively, export results of single participants or analyses and import them one by one into The Observer XT.

What Happens to the Coding Scheme?

An ODX file contains information on the coding scheme of the project it was exported from. All elements of the coding scheme are imported, regardless of whether they were scored in those observations. When you import an observation to a project, The Observer XT checks that the elements in that observation have exactly the same characteristics as the elements in the coding scheme of the destination project — for example, that a behavior has the same name, properties (with or without duration, belonging to the same group type, etc.), and modifiers.

If the element is exactly the same, the existing element is used. Differences in Description, Sound File, Plot Color, and the Always Add Comment option are ignored. If there is any other difference, a new element is added to the coding scheme.

Possible conflicts between imported data and existing data: if your imported data contain restrictions between subject and behavior, or connections between a subject/behavior and a modifier that are not specified in your coding scheme, the data already present in your project may be invalidated. The Observer XT performs a check when you import observational data. If errors are found, a window appears listing the errors. You can choose to let The Observer XT fix the errors automatically, or you can correct the errors yourself. See Check the Event Log for Errors.

• Example 1 — You import an observation where the behavior Play can be scored for subject Child, but not the subject Parent. If the project contains data like Parent-Play, these are marked as errors.
• Example 2 — You import an observation where the behavior Play is attached to the required group of modifiers Play Type. If the project contains events like Play without modifiers, these are marked as errors.

Event logs with errors cannot be analyzed or visualized. Open those observations and edit the data to correct the errors. See Correct Event Log Errors Manually in Carry Out an Observation.

What Happens to the Independent Variables?

If a variable is already present in the Independent Variable List of the destination project, it is updated with the values from the imported observations. If it is a new variable, it is added to the Independent Variable List.

Import Media Files and External Data

If you have chosen to include media files or external data files in the exported observations, the program looks for those files in the folder where the ODX file was stored.

• Media files — The original path to the file written in the ODX file is stored in the Independent Variables List under Video or Audio if the file was not found in the folder where the ODX is stored. When opening the observation, the program asks you to locate that media file.
• External data — The ODX file contains a link to the location of the external data files associated with the observations, not the external data itself. When you next import the observations into another project, make sure that the external data folder contains those files; otherwise the program cannot open them. If the external data cannot be opened, locate the file with the extension *.pbi in the folder to which you exported the observation. Create a new project and save it, then close the new project and copy the *.pbi file to the folder /External of the new project. Do not rename this file. Reopen the new project and import the ODX file. The external data are now imported together with the observational data.

How Are the Imported Data Synchronized?

When you import observational data that are collected offline from video, the absolute time stamps differ from the time stamps of the observation. Therefore, the time stamps of the imported data are not aligned with the time stamps of the Event Log. This is also the case when you import data from FaceReader that were collected offline. The Observer XT will align the time stamps of the imported data with the time stamps of the Event Log depending on the circumstances described in the synchronization table.