The user can access the response surface analysis by clicking the response surface button, the trapping web on the tool bar. The simulation button, a beetle, will return the user to the simulation window. Once in the response surface window, the user is asked to input values for certain parameters. Analyses may be done for either the distance sampling estimator or the Link and Barker geometric estimator. The response surface equations are different depending on which estimator is selected. When all values are entered, the calculate relative mean squared error button becomes active. Clicking the button will calculate the expected RMSE and bias/standard error and they will appear in a frame below the input values along with standard errors and 95% prediction intervals for both values.

The response surface analysis function attempts to protect against extrapolation beyond the range of the simulated conditions. A full factorial design was used to estimate the response surface, therefore hidden extrapolation is guarded against. The range of acceptable values is summarized in the table below.