Point Elevation vs. Area Elevation

The two modes answer different questions, and you can use both on the same layout.

Point Elevation measures specific locations. You give Dusty a list of points as a CSV; the FieldPrinter drives to each one and records a single elevation value there. Use it when you need precise, named readings — equipment baseplates, panel or prefab corners, column lines, or compliance checks against surveyed points.

Area Elevation measures across a region and fills in a grid of readings that the Portal renders as a heatmap. No file preparation is required for this feature. There are two ways to run it:

• Have the robot continuously measure the whole area wherever it drives (background measurement).
• Measure a specific area you draw in the app using the Measure Area tool.

Use Area Elevation when you want a general picture of the highs and lows across a region rather than named point values.

Prepare your Point Elevation CSV

Prepare the file the same way you would a control-point CSV (see Image 1). The format is:

• At least four columns: a point-name column plus X, Y, and Z coordinate columns. A description column is optional.
• Flexible headers (matched case-insensitively; spaces and a "(ft)" suffix are ignored): the point-name header contains point or name; the X header contains x or east, or is exactly e; the Y header contains y or north, or is exactly n; the Z header contains z; the optional description header contains desc.
• Column order can be X, Y, Z or Y, X, Z.
• Coordinates must be plain numbers — no comma thousands separators and no text like "N/A."
• Give every point a unique name so each measured elevation maps back to the right point.
• Units default to feet on upload and can be changed to inches or meters in the import dialog.
• The coordinate system must match the layout file you publish to the Portal.
• The Z column can hold any values — it isn't used for point elevation, since the robot measures the actual elevation in the field. The only requirement is that the Z column is present and not empty.

If the upload fails, the most common cause is extra or missing columns. Keep the file clean and remove any extra fields.

Upload the CSV and set it to a Measure layer

Point files upload as printable Trade points by default. Switch the file's Function to Measure so the FieldPrinter measures elevation at those points instead of printing them.

1. Open your project and layout. On the Prepare Layout tab, click Edit on the layout. If the CSV isn't uploaded yet, click Upload Files and add it first.

   

2. In the Files panel, find your point CSV and click the + to expand it.

   

3. Click the › arrow on the layer to open its settings.

   

4. In the Function row at the top of the layer settings, switch from Print to Measure. The measurement points will appear as purple circles on the layout.

   

   

5. Click Publish. Publishing is required for the points to push to the Dusty App.

Related articles

• Floor Elevation: Point Elevation and Area Elevation
• Floor Elevation: Quick Overview
• Floor Elevation: Dusty App
• Floor Elevation: Dusty Portal Reports
• Floor Elevation: What Is an Outlier in the Elevation Tab?
• Floor Elevation: Best Practices