GazePlotter Docs

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Bar Plot ​

Bar Plot in GazePlotter provides quantitative analysis of eye-tracking data through bar charts. It aggregates gaze metrics across Areas of Interest (AOIs) for statistical comparison and analysis.

Overview ​

The Bar Plot visualization displays quantitative metrics for each AOI in your selected stimulus, allowing you to compare attention patterns, fixation durations, and other gaze measurements across different areas of interest.

Main Controls ​

Stimulus Selection ​

Choose which stimulus to analyze using the Stimulus dropdown. Each stimulus contains its own set of AOIs that will be displayed as bars in the chart.

Group Selection ​

Select participant groups using the Group dropdown:

  • All participants - includes data from all participants
  • Custom groups - analyze specific participant groups created in the grouping interface

Aggregation Methods ​

The Aggregation dropdown determines what metric is calculated and displayed:

  • Absolute Time - total time spent in each AOI across all participants, summing all fixation durations
  • Relative Time - proportional time spent in each AOI as percentages of total viewing time
  • Time to First Fixation - average time when participants first looked at each AOI (from stimulus start)
  • Avg Fixation Duration - average length of all individual fixations within each AOI across participants
  • Avg First Fixation Duration - average duration of the very first fixation each participant made on each AOI
  • Avg Fixation Count - average number of separate fixations per participant for each AOI

Chart Features ​

Bar Display ​

  • Orientation - bars can be displayed horizontally (default) or vertically
  • Numeric values - exact measurements are displayed at the end of each bar
  • Color coding - bars use the same colors as defined in AOI customization
  • Proportional length - bar length reflects the relative magnitude of values

Interactive Elements ​

  • Menu button (⋮) - provides access to additional customization options
  • Responsive sizing - chart automatically adjusts to available space

Customization Options ​

Bar Chart Axes ​

Access advanced customization through the menu button (⋮) to open the "Bar Chart Axes" dialog:

Bar Orientation ​

Choose how bars are displayed:

  • Vertical - bars extend upward from a horizontal baseline
  • Horizontal - bars extend rightward from a vertical baseline (default)

Bar Sorting ​

Control the order in which AOIs appear:

  • None (Original Order) - maintains the original AOI order from your data
  • Ascending (By Value) - sorts bars from smallest to largest values
  • Descending (By Value) - sorts bars from largest to smallest values

Scale Range ​

Customize the chart's value axis:

  • Min Value - set the minimum value for the scale (0 for automatic)
  • Max Value - set the maximum value for the scale (0 for automatic scaling)
  • Automatic scaling - when both values are 0, the chart automatically adjusts to fit your data

Scale Range Usage

Use custom scale ranges to standardize comparisons across different datasets or to zoom into specific value ranges for better detail visibility.

All customization changes require clicking Apply to take effect.

Download Plot ​

Export individual bar plots as image files through the menu button (⋮) → Download plot:

Export Options ​

  • File formats: PNG (recommended) or JPG
  • Dimensions: Customizable width (height calculated automatically at 5:3 aspect ratio)
  • Quality: Adjustable DPI setting for print or web use
  • Margins: Configurable top, right, bottom, left margins
  • Preview: Live preview of your exported plot before downloading

Usage ​

  1. Click the menu button (⋮) in the bar plot
  2. Select Download plot
  3. Adjust export settings as needed
  4. Preview your plot in the dialog
  5. Click Download to save the file

Export Data ​

Export the calculated statistical data for external analysis through the menu button (⋮) → Export aggregated data.

This provides access to all computed eye-tracking metrics (absolute time, relative time, fixation counts, etc.) in CSV format for analysis in R, Python, SPSS, or other statistical software.

For detailed information about data export options and formats, see Aggregated Data Export.

Additional Menu Options ​

The bar plot menu (⋮) provides quick access to customization features:

  • AOI customization - Modify colors, names, and order of Areas of Interest. See AOI Customization for details.
  • Stimulus customization - Manage stimulus properties and settings. See Stimuli Customization for details.
  • Setup participants groups - Create and modify participant groups for comparative analysis. See Participant Groups for details.

These options allow you to modify your data presentation without leaving the bar plot view.

Interpretation ​

Use Bar Plot to:

  • Compare AOI performance - identify which areas attract most/least attention
  • Quantify differences - get precise measurements rather than visual estimates
  • Group comparisons - analyze how different participant groups behave
  • Statistical analysis - export exact values for further statistical processing