Knowledge Base

Problem

The trajectory map in EthoVision XT displays multiple trials overlaid or merged together (e.g., all water maze trials shown as one combined track), and the user wants to view or export each individual animal's trajectory separately.

Details

EthoVision XT's analysis and visualization tools include options for grouping or nesting data profiles, which can cause multiple trials to appear as a single merged trajectory. This is commonly seen when working with water maze or open field data where many trials are combined for visualization. The issue lies in the Data Profile filter settings. Affects EthoVision XT across versions when using grouped or nested data profiles.

Solution

1. In EthoVision XT, go to Analysis > Data Profiles.
2. Select the Data Profile currently applied to your trajectory visualization or export.
3. Check the current Filter Profile setting — if it is set to 'Grouping' or 'Nesting', this will cause multiple trials to be combined into a single display.
4. Change the filter to show data as individual trials: remove or disable grouping/nesting so that each trial is treated independently.
5. Return to the trajectory visualization (e.g., Track Visualizer or Analysis output) and confirm that each trial now displays as a separate track.
6. To export individual trajectory maps, select each trial individually or use the export function with the ungrouped data profile applied.
7. If you need both grouped (summary) and individual views, create two separate Data Profiles — one with grouping enabled for summary analysis and one without for per-trial trajectory maps.