# View and interpret variable plots

Effect of data selection on plots

If the data profile contains nesting criteria, the selected intervals are shown with a white background. The non-selected intervals are shown semi-transparent enabling you to see the excluded data in these intervals.

This example shows a plot of the dependent variables ‘Distance moved’ and ‘In zone’ after nesting over the border zone of the open field.

If the data profile contains time bins, these are not visualized.

Navigate through the data

Use the scrollbar at the bottom to run through the visualization. The hairline represents the current time in the trial, and is always fixed in the middle of the plot area. For numerical variables, the current sample is highlighted with a circle.

The current value of the variable is also shown near the variable name.

To move from the start to the end of the trial, you can also:

▪Click anywhere in the plot, hold the left mouse button and drag the background.

▪Hold the Shift key down and scroll with the mouse wheel. This way you zoom in/out while the cursor moves forward/backward by one time span.

note Each wheel step corresponds to the time span chosen from the Show/Hide menu.

If part of the data plot is not visible at the current zoom level, you can either zoom out or move the plot line. Use the scrollbar at the right end of the plot area, or drag the background of the plot. See also View and interpret variable plots

tip To visualize the whole vertical data range, zoom out the plot until you no longer see the vertical scrollbar.

Visualize a single variable value

▪For discrete variables (states or events). Each state or event is shown as a colored bar. When a variable includes multiple states like In zone (with different zones being defined) or Mobility (with its states Immobile, Mobile, Highly mobile), these are shown as parallel channels.

Keep the mouse pointer above a colored bar. A tool tip is shown with the following information:

▪The name of the dependent variable.

▪Label: the name of the state or event.

▪Time: The sample time the mouse pointer points to.

▪Duration: the length of the state, in seconds. For point events like Rotation or Trial Control events, the duration is not shown.

▪For numerical variables (including external data). Values are connected with lines. Keep the mouse pointer over the data plot. A tooltip is shown with the following information:

▪The name of the dependent variable.

▪The sample Time selected.

▪The value of the dependent variable at that time. This is indicated by a circle on the plot line.

important Although the plot lines may look continuous, the numerical variable values are not interpolated and do not become continuous. For data selection and analysis, the discrete samples are used.

Resize the plots

▪Resize the time window displayed. Point to the y-axis in the upper part of the plot, so the mouse pointer turns to a double arrow. Drag the y-axis to the desired position to resize the time window.

▪Resize the width of the plot. Point to the lower margin of the gray cell on the far left of the plot so the mouse pointer turns to a double arrow. Drag the margin to the desired position to have a larger or narrower plot.

note The data of continuous variables are stretched/condensed when you resize the plot, but the range of data does not change.

Adjust the time scale (x-axis)

Do one of the following:

▪Click the Zoom in or Zoom out button on the toolbar, then click the time scale one or more times.

▪Right-click the plot and select Zoom in or Zoom out. Next, click the time scale one or more times.

▪Press (Ctrl+ .) and (Ctrl+ ,) to zoom in/out, respectively.

▪Click the time scale, hold the Ctrl key down and turn the mouse wheel forward (to zoom in) and backward (to zoom out).

For the first two methods: To stop zooming in/out and return to the normal mouse pointer, click the No Zoom button on the toolbar, or right-click the plot and select No zoom.

Notes

▪Every time you zoom in/out, the plot scale is enlarged or reduced by a factor of 2.

▪The shortest time that you can display is 0.1 seconds, the maximum time seven days.

▪When you zoom in/out by clicking the plot, the clicked time becomes the new current time.

Set a specific time span

The time span is the duration of the time visible in the time axis at any moment. To set a specific time span, click the Show/Hide button on the toolbar, then click Time span and select one of the values available (minimum 5 sec; maximum 1 hour).

note The available values depend on the length of your trial. For example, if your trial is 10 minutes long, the 30 minutes and the 1 hour options are not available.

Zoom the y-axis in/out

You can adjust the range of values for continuous variables (dependent variables and external data). If you have two or more continuous data plots, the variable scale changes only for the plot you have clicked.

1.Do one of the following:

▪Click the Zoom in button or the Zoom out button on the toolbar.

▪Right-click the plot and select Zoom in or Zoom out.

Result: The mouse pointer turns to a magnifier symbol.

2.Click the y-axis scale one or few times.

3.To stop zooming in/out and return to the normal mouse pointer, click the No Zoom button on the toolbar, or right-click the plot and select No zoom.

Every time you zoom in/out, the plot scale is enlarged or reduced by a factor of 2.

tip To zoom in/out the y-axis in all plots, hold the Ctrl and Alt keys down and scroll with the mouse wheel.