Getting your data in#
Course step 7 of 9 · about 15 minutes
So far you have opened sessions someone else prepared. This page covers where sessions come from, how to bring your own data into Viewer, and how to get it back out.
Where is your data?#
| Your data is… | Route into Viewer | Learn more |
|---|---|---|
| Already in a SQL Race database | Add the database as a source in the Session Browser with Connection Manager... | Database Connection Manager |
In .ssn2 or legacy .ssn files |
Add the folder as a source with Folder Manager... | Session Browser |
| In CSV or TXT files | Import as delimited text (needs the CSV/ASCII Import licence option) | Delimited text below |
| Arriving live from hardware or a server | Add a recorder | Live data below |
| In an existing database that you want to keep | RTA service connection (needs an RTA licence) | Integrate |
| In another format | Read it with the SQL Race API and write it into a session | Automating it |
Delimited text (CSV and TXT)#
Text files need a format definition that tells Viewer where the headers, parameter names, units and time column are. Set one up in Tools > Options > General > Text Session Format.
For each file extension you define:
- how many header lines the file has, and which line holds parameter names, group names and units,
- the time format (
DateTime,Milliseconds,SecondsorTime), and - the delimiter (tab, space, comma or semicolon).
There is one definition per extension, so a csv definition covers all your .csv files. See Importing CSV and TXT files for every field.
Live data with recorders#
A recorder captures live data and writes it into a session. You add one from the Session Recorders panel of the Session Browser. The types match the route the data takes:
| Recorder | Use it for |
|---|---|
| Data Server Telemetry | A live stream from an ATLAS Data Server on your network |
| Stream Recorder | Live telemetry from a Kafka broker (Open Streaming) |
| Ethernet Telemetry | Recording telemetry directly from a car's units over Ethernet |
| File Telemetry | Replaying a previously recorded raw telemetry file (.raw_tm) |
| Ethernet Offload | Offloading the most recent session from an Ethernet-connected ECU |
| Ethernet Multi Session Offload | Offloading several stored sessions from ECUs that support multi-session memory |
| USB Recorder | Data collected by a Motion Applied USB Logger |
Some recorder types appear only if your licence includes them.
When you add a recorder to a set, you choose a mode:
| Mode | Each new recording… | Good for |
|---|---|---|
| Create | creates a new, separate session | Independent runs |
| Replace | replaces the previous session in the set | Iterative work where only the latest matters |
| Append | is appended to the existing sessions, forming a composite session | Continuous collection across phases |
Starting a recorder does not load the session
Add the new session to a set yourself, or you will not see it.
If you want to record without keeping Viewer open, the Standalone Stream Recorder records Stream API telemetry to SSN2 files or a SQL Race database.
Choosing a storage format#
Files and databases are not exclusive. Many teams use both, at different stages.
| Files | SQL Race database | |
|---|---|---|
| Good when | You need to move data without shared infrastructure, work offline, or archive cheaply | Several people need the same sessions, and you want to browse and filter by metadata |
| Formats | SSN2 (ATLAS-native, full fidelity), CSV (universal, large), MATLAB (for model work), Parquet (for analytics pipelines) | SQL Server or SQLite behind SQL Race |
The details and the "pick this when" lists are in Choosing components.
Getting data out#
To write a complete session to SSN2 from a database, right-click a historical SQL Race session in the Session Browser and choose Export Session. The session must not be loaded in a set. This option is not available for live sessions, .ssn or .ssn2 files, or RTA sessions, so use the Export Manager below for those.
For more control, use the Export Manager (Tools > Export Data or Ctrl+E, needs the CSV/ASCII Export licence option). You can choose which parameters and laps to export, and the format: Text, MATLAB 1D or 2D, SSN2 or SQL Race Database. Save configurations and re-run them. See Export Manager.
To share your set-up (functions, constants, alarms, settings) rather than data, use a configuration bundle (.acgx) from Tools > Import/Export Configuration.
Next#
Beyond Viewer lifts the lid on the rest of the ecosystem, so you know what the people around you are running.