Generating a DAT file in Unified Flow

In Unified Flow, generate a .dat file for a MaxDiff or Conjoint study by asking the AI Assistant in project chat.

Before you start

Make sure that:

• You are working in a Forsta Decipher project and have permission to edit it.

• The project contains the design workbook. Supported formats are .xlsx, .xls, and .xlsm.

• You know which worksheet contains the design matrix that should be converted.

• You know whether the design is MaxDiff or Conjoint.

If the workbook is not in the project, upload it from the Files panel before starting generation.

Generate through the AI Assistant

Step 1: Open the project, go to the Build page, and open the AI Assistant chat. Ask the assistant to generate the file. For example:

Generate a DAT file from the design workbook in this project.

Step 2: The assistant checks the available Excel workbooks and worksheets. If there is more than one suitable option, select the workbook and worksheet that contain the design matrix. Then:

• Choose MaxDiff for a best-worst scaling design or Conjoint for an attribute trade-off design.

• Enter the output .dat file name using letters, numbers, hyphens, or underscores. The assistant adds the .dat extension if you omit it.

Step 3: Review the confirmation summary. Check the workbook, worksheet, generation type, and output file name, select Yes, and submit the response to start generation.

Step 4: When generation finishes, review the generated rows and columns. Make any necessary edits, then select Save to Project.

Step 5: Open the Files panel and the new .dat file appears under DAT Files.

Troubleshooting

• Open or edit an existing DAT file: Go to the Files panel, select the .dat file, make the required changes, and save it.

• The assistant cannot start generation: Confirm that the project uses Forsta Decipher.

• No workbook is available: Upload an .xlsx, .xls, or .xlsm file from the Files panel, then ask the assistant again.

• The expected worksheet is missing: Open the source workbook and confirm that the design matrix is stored in a named worksheet and that the workbook is not corrupted.