Knowledge Base

Problem

Users performing zero-one (instantaneous) sampling need to export data in a matrix format (one row per time interval, one column per behavior, values 0 or 1) but Observer XT's built-in Excel export produces a timestamped event list rather than this layout.

Details

Affects Observer XT version 15 and likely other versions. The standard File > Export > Observational data > Excel export outputs a sequential event log with timestamps. There is no built-in option to directly produce a zero-one sampling matrix. Users must post-process the export.

Solution

1. Export your observational data using File > Export > Observational data > Excel as usual. This produces a timestamped event list.
2. In the resulting Excel file, add a new column that bins each event record into your desired time intervals (e.g., every 30 seconds) using an Excel formula such as =INT(timestamp_cell / interval_in_seconds).
3. Use Excel pivot tables or COUNTIF formulas to create the zero-one matrix: rows = time bins, columns = behaviors, values = 1 if the behavior was recorded in that interval, 0 if not.
4. There is no direct built-in solution in Observer XT for this output format; the reshaping must be done in Excel after export.