Exporting Data From DewesoftX

Course overview

The course teaches you to seamlessly transfer acquired and processed data into external tools for further analysis or reporting. Starting in Analyze mode, you’ll learn to define the exact time range and data type (e.g., full-speed, RMS, phase) to export. Visual previews guide you to select only the relevant portions of your dataset.

Next, you’ll customize your export by selecting which channels to include, rearranging their order, and specifying a custom export rate, with alias-free resampling options explained  . The course also teaches how to create export templates for commonly used configurations—especially useful for repeated exports to Excel or FlexPro.

Advanced features cover:

• Batch exporting multiple data files in one go

• Capturing on-screen visual data or instrument panels and exporting them as video files for presentations 

• Auto-export plugins to automatically save files upon storage stop, ideal for long-term or unattended testing 

• Sequencer integration, enabling scheduled or conditional export workflows

By the end of this course, you’ll have the confidence to export precisely filtered, well-structured data and visuals, ready for downstream analysis or client delivery. Let me know if you’d like to add details on template creation, sequence block setup, or handling export formats for large datasets!

We can use third-party post-processing software packages for advanced signal and data analysis. Data export in DewesoftX is easy, fast, flexible, and dynamic. It supports a wide variety of popular formats, making data files highly portable and compatible with virtually any analysis program.

To perform the data export process, follow these steps:

1. Set export data properties: Define the type of data to be exported and determine the time axis (the time range of data to be exported can be specified).

2. Select exported channels: Choose the channels to export from the channel list.

3. Choose export options: Select the target software application for data export and offline analysis (e.g., MS Excel, FlexPro, Dewesoft, File Export, Clipboard, etc.).

4. Manage templates: Create and edit templates (scripts) listed in the central post-processing section of FlexPro and MS Excel.

5. Perform export: Once all settings are configured, click the Export Data button to complete the export.

Additionally, two special functions are available:

• Export multiple files

• Export instrument display to video

Sometimes a data file contains more acquired data than needed, and the entire range does not have to be exported. In such cases, you can select only a specific portion of the data for analysis and export.

To export only part of the acquired data, select the desired time range on the recorder (or vertical recorder) by zooming in on that portion of the data.

To export the selected data, press the Export button on the main toolbar. The Export button is available only in Analyse Mode.

Once you press the Export button, the following window will appear:

File export in DewesoftX offers several options to ensure data is exported correctly in the desired format.

Type of data

Choose the type of data from the Data Export drop-down list:

Full speed data

Real: exports the real part of the values.

• Imag: exports the imaginary part of the values.

• Ampl: exports the amplitude of the data.

• Phase: exports the phase of the data.

Reduced data

Reduced data – allows export based on selected calculations:

• Min: exports the minimum values.

• Max: exports the maximum values.

• RMS: exports the RMS of the data.

• Average: exports the average values.

Time axis

Choose the type of time scale from the Time Axis drop-down list:

• Relative time: starts at 0 at the beginning of the measurement.

• Absolute time: exports the absolute date and time of the measurement.

• Trigger time: starts at 0 at the trigger point (pre-trigger values appear as negative time).

• Pre-trigger time: starts at 0 at the beginning of the measurement.

You can select the channels to export from the displayed channel list.

Selection can be made in two ways:

1. Click the icon in the Exported column to select from the displayed menu.

• Select all channels – selects all channels for export.

  Deselect all channels – deselects all channels; none will be exported.

  Invert selection – inverts the current selection. Channels previously selected for export will be deselected, and channels not selected will now be marked for export.

In the Exported column, toggle between the options to include or exclude specific channels from export. If the rectangle is dark gray, the channel will be exported. If the rectangle is light gray, the channel will not be exported.

Channels can be moved up by clicking the following button:

They can be moved down by clicking this button:

This changes the export order of the channels.

By clicking the following button, the selected channel will be moved directly to the top:

The export list options will be saved when you select Store Settings and Events from the main data menu.

DewesoftX "online" export options

Before starting the measurement, you can define:

• which channels will be exported,

• the order in which channels are exported, and

• the export rate.

To configure this, go to Global Channel View, located under More → General → Channels.

Right-click on the main column and select the Edit Columns option.

• Exported: In Analysis Mode, when exporting data, the channel is selected for export.

  Export order: Defines the order of export; the channel with number 1 is exported first, followed by the others.

  Export rate (Hz): Defines the export rate for each individual channel.

DewesoftX supports a wide range of export formats.

Export toolbar

The Export Toolbar provides shortcuts for the following export formats:

• Dewesoft: Stores the selected area in a new Dewesoft DXD data file (used to cut files).

• File export: Offers several file formats (TXT, UNV, UFF, MAT, DAT, WAV, etc.).

• FlexPro: Direct data transfer via ActiveX.

• MS Excel: Direct data transfer via ActiveX.

• Clipboard: Copies the data to the Windows clipboard, allowing it to be pasted into another running application.

We strongly recommend FlexPro, a third-party application that is easy to learn, powerful, and tightly integrated with DewesoftX. The software offers seamless export to this format, including advanced automation and the ability to run custom macro scripts.

Other file formats (except FlexPro and MS Excel) will prompt you for a filename, which you supply through a standard Windows file dialog box. Click Export and the software will complete the process. Be sure to include the proper file extension.

File export

When selecting File Export, the following data formats are available:

• FlexPro [*.fpd] – Powerful, easy-to-use data analysis software.

• Microsoft Excel [*.xls] – Standard spreadsheet software (not recommended for large datasets).

• DIAdem [*.dat] – Data analysis package widely used in the automotive industry.

• MATLAB [*.mat] – Common software for mathematics and data analysis.

• Universal File Format 58 [*.unv] – For import to 3D modeling and structural analysis software.

• FAMOS [*.dat] – FAMOS file format export.

• NSoft Time Series [*.dac] – NSoft file format.

• Text File [*.txt] – Delimited ASCII text file.

• Sony [*.log] – Sony DAT recorder data format.

• RPC III [*.rsp] – Format used for road load data analysis.

• Comtrade [*.cfg] – Standard format for power analysis.

• Technical Data Management [*.tdm] – LabVIEW-compatible data format.

• JSON [*.json] – Open-standard file format for transmitting structured data.

• ASAM MDF4 [*.mf4] – Standard format in the automotive industry.

• ASAM ODS [*.atfx] – Automotive industry standard file format.

• S3 [*.s3t] – nCode S3 Time Series data type.

• ATI [*.ati] – Direct import into the iDEAS analysis package (custom export).

• HDF5 [*.h5] – Widely used in aerospace, physics, engineering, research, and medical fields.

• DynaWorks Neutral File [*.nt] – DynaWorks-compatible data format.

• Standard Data File (SDF) [*.dat/sdf] – Direct import into Prosig analysis package (custom export).

• WFT [*.wft] – Nicolet file format (custom export).

• Replay [*.rpl] – Used to simulate data readings from Dewesoft acquisition devices.

• Wave [*.wav] – Standard audio data format (custom export).

• Google Earth [*.kml] – Exports GPS path to Google Earth (custom export).

• BWF [*.dat] – Multi-channel audio data format (custom export).

• CAN Messages [*.csv] – Tab-delimited export of CAN messages for replay in demo mode.

• CAN Messages [*.asc] – Tab-delimited export of CAN messages for replay in demo mode.

• IFile CA [*.ifl] – Exports combustion data to AVL Concerto compatible format.

• TAFFmat [*.hdr] – Teac Data Acquisition File Format.

• Winplot [*.sun] – Data format compatible with Winplot, a graphical analysis tool for large datasets.

When you select the File Export option from the toolbar, the following window appears:

The File Export dialog provides the following options:

• Export file name: The name of the exported file.

• File directory: The folder where the exported files are saved. Select it by double-clicking from the drop-down list.

• Existing files: Displays a list of existing files of the same type in the selected folder.

• Export file type: A list of available file types for export.

Supported Data File Formats

Built-in formats

• FlexPro (*.fpd): Powerful, easy-to-use data analysis software.

Excel (*.xls) 

Standard spreadsheet software. Please note that Excel is not the best option for handling large amounts of data.

DIAdem (*.dat)

A powerful data analysis package for the automotive industry. DIAdem allows exporting selected groups of channels at a specific sample rate, resulting in shorter data files. This can be achieved by deselecting Export all channel groups with full rate and defining the rate for each channel group (PAD, CAN, GPS, Plugin, and Math). If -1 is entered, the data will be exported at the full rate.

Matlab (*.mat)

A widely used software package for signal analysis and mathematical computation.

Export precision can be selected from a drop-down list as either Single or Double. In most cases, single precision is sufficient, but some MATLAB functions require data in double precision. Please note that choosing double precision will double the amount of exported data, and MATLAB files cannot exceed 2 GB.

MATLAB can also export each channel with its own time channel or export all data at full speed if you manually set the export rate (Hz) to the maximum value. The Resampler handles this process using linear interpolation, hold, or alias-free methods when exporting to a Custom sample rate.

Universal file format 58 (*.unv, *.uff)

Used for import into 3D modeling and structural analysis software from different vendors.

Famos (*.dat)

FAMOS file format export: The Use channel colors option can be enabled to apply DewesoftX channel colors; otherwise, the default FAMOS color is used.

NSoft (*.dac, *.mdf)

NSoft file format.

Text/CSV (*.txt, *.csv)

Delimited ASCII text file: If Export Events is checked, events will also be exported to the CSV file.

Sony (*.log)

Sony DAT recorder data format.

RPCIII (*.rsp)

RPC III data format: Used for road load data analysis. The buffer length field can be set to match the analysis capabilities. For large files, a larger buffer length is recommended. The buffer length should be a multiple of 2 (e.g., 256, 512, 1024, etc.).

Comtrade (*.cfg)

Data format used for power analysis.

CAN messages (*.csv, *.asc)

Tab-delimited export of CAN messages for replay in demo mode.

ASAM MDF4 (*.mf4)

MDF (Measurement Data Format): A binary file format used to store recorded or calculated data for post-measurement processing, offline evaluation, or long-term storage. The format has become a de facto standard for measurement and calibration (MC) systems, but it is also widely used in many other application areas.

Broadcast Wave Format (*.bwf)

Multi-channel audio data format (available as a custom export).

EthDump (*.txt)

Google Earth KML (*.kml)

Export of GPS path to Google Earth (available as a custom export).

HDF5 (*.hdf)

JSON Export (*.json)

S3 (*.s3t)

Standard data file (*.dat)

Technical Data Management (*.tdm)

UNV Export (*.unv)

Wave (*.wav)

Wave audio data format (available as a custom export).

WFT (*.wft)

Nicolet file format (available as a custom export).

FileReplay

Export channels and use them as a replay file in a new DewesoftX setup.

The function to export data files to a new Dewesoft DXD data file is primarily used to cut files into smaller chunks if needed.

The following options are available:

• File extension: Choose between *.dxd and *.dxz.

• Export filename: The name of the exported file.

• File directory: The directory where the exported file will be saved. Select it with a double-click from the drop-down list.

• Existing files: A list of existing files of the same type in the selected directory.

Exporting data to the desktop clipboard (or copying data to the clipboard) allows you to paste the data into another running application.

With this option, you can select the channels you want to export from the displayed channel list at the bottom of the window.

To enhance data export to Microsoft Excel and FlexPro, you can use the following settings:

• Select application: Click either FlexPro (ActiveX) or MS Excel (ActiveX) on the Export toolbar.

• Template management: Template management controls are available only for Microsoft Excel and FlexPro export options. Templates are listed in the central Postprocessing section under the FlexPro or MS Excel panel. Templates can be created, modified, or deleted.

• Select template (script): Choose the appropriate script from the list of available templates.

• Import FlexPro (databases): The MergeDB script allows the user to import existing FlexPro databases into the exported measurement data.

When you click FlexPro (ActiveX) or MS Excel (ActiveX) in the Export options, additional template management controls will appear in the lower-left section of the screen, along with the list of available templates.

Microsoft Excel

FlexPro

For both Microsoft Excel and FlexPro export options, a list of preformatted scripts will appear in the center of the screen, displayed in two columns: Setup name and Description.

From this list, select the desired script. After making your selection, click the Export data button located below the format icons to perform the export. Remember to select the channels you want to export before pressing the Export data button.

You can examine the preformatted MS Excel and FlexPro scripts and macros located in the \Dewesoft\System\X2\Scripts subdirectory to learn how to create your own export scripts.

The concept is very simple. Once the script is created, you only need to load any data file and run the script. What happens next is a major time-saver. DewesoftX executes the script and:

• Automatically starts the host application (a notice will appear on the screen that the other application is starting, with a slight delay as communication is established).

• Creates the dataset.

• Runs the script.

For example, imagine you have a script that:

• Takes four incoming signals,

• Performs a 3rd-octave analysis on them,

• Generates a polished report,

• Includes your company’s title bar and logo,

• Automatically inserts the data and other variables from the data file, and

• Formats everything for your color printer.

After you click the Export button and the process runs, your final report will appear on the screen. From there, you simply need to click Print to complete your report.

This demonstrates the power of “hot script” ActiveX data exporting to either MS Excel or FlexPro.

Typical FlexPro screen

Typical MS Excel screen

Template management controls

You can easily create your own scripts in MS Excel or FlexPro, or edit existing ones.

To create a new script, press the New template button. To modify an existing script, press the Edit template button.

To delete an existing script, simply select it and press the Delete template button.

When creating a new template, you will be prompted to enter a setup name, a description, and a comment for the script.

If you want to export several files at once, you can use the multi-file export function. Press the Analyse button to open the file explorer and select the files you want to export.

There are two ways to select multiple data files (similar to Windows Explorer):

• To select several files listed next to each other, hold down the Shift key while making your selection.

• To select multiple files that are not next to each other, hold down the Ctrl key while making your selection.

After marking all the files for export, select Multi-file export from the menu.

Now the Export Multi-File window appears:

This window allows you to select the following options:

• Export type: Choose between Dewesoft export type or file export type.

• Destination folder: Define the folder where the exported data will be saved.

• Export file type: Select from the available file types (described in the previous chapter).

• Data export:

  • Full speed data

  • Reduced data: Select Min, Max, RMS, and/or Average by checking the appropriate boxes.

• Time axis: Choose between relative, absolute, or trigger time.

Finally, press the Export button to start the export process, or Cancel to exit without exporting.

Dewesoft multifile export to Dewesoft format

Multiple files can also be exported to the Dewesoft data file format.

A new way of presenting data is through multimedia documentation. DewesoftX offers the option to export any display widget—such as a scope, recorder, 2D graph, and more—into a video file, which can then be replayed in any video player.

To do this, select Export screen to AVI from the Edit menu, and the following window will appear:

According to your requirements, you can adjust the export settings in this window. The following options can be modified:

• File name and storage path: Select the folder and filename.

• Compression: A DivX codec or a similar option is recommended. Press the Change button to open a window where you can select standard compression codecs from the drop-down list and configure them.

• Resolution: From 640×480 to 1920×1080, selectable from the drop-down list. Note that higher resolutions will result in larger file sizes.

• Frame output control:

  • Frame rate: From 1 to 60 fps. Standard video players cannot handle higher rates.

  • Play speed: Ideal for slow-motion playback (from 1/2× to 1/10000× real-time) or fast overview (from 1× to 5000× real-time).

• Sound channel: Select one of the available analog channels from the drop-down list to be used as the audio track in the exported video file.

Once you have made the necessary adjustments, press the Export button to start the export process, or Cancel to exit without exporting the video.

The export progress will be shown in the Export screen to AVI file window.

When DewesoftX completes the export (depending on data size and compression, this may take several minutes), you can open the exported file in any standard video player.

DewesoftX provides the option to automatically export data into a selected file format.

Go to Extensions (Settings → Extensions) and click the + button to add the AutoExport plugin.

Search for AutoExport and enable it.

Once enabled, the plugin icon will appear in the channel setup. Within the plugin, you can select the export format and define the destination folder.