The Dusty iPad app (the "Dusty App") is the field controller for the FieldPrinter 2. Operators use it to connect to the robot, station against control points, choose what to print, and run tools like obstacles, offsets, and Floor Elevation. This page is a map of what the app does and links to the step-by-step article for each tool.
New to Dusty? Start with Getting Started with Dusty: An End-to-End Workflow.
The Main Screens
The Operator experience is organized into a few areas. As of the May 2026 release, the app was refreshed across Setup, Settings, Job Report, and Navigation.
| Screen | What it's for |
|---|---|
| Setup | Starts a session with a "What would you like to do today?" entry screen, then walks through connecting the robot and stationing. |
| Settings | App, robot, and radio software versions; Floor Elevation heatmap bin sizes; and other session options. |
| Job Report | Shows the current print task and progress while the robot works. |
| Navigation bar | Persistent status, including robot battery and LTE. |
To send shapes to the print queue, select them and tap Add to Task Queue (also available from the long-press menu on the canvas).
Connecting and Getting Set Up
The FieldPrinter broadcasts its own Wi-Fi network that the iPad joins — there's no site network required for the iPad-to-robot link.
- Can't see or hold the connection? See iPad Unable to Connect to FieldPrinter and Robot Disconnects from iPad During Operation.
- On a locked-down site network? See Connecting the FieldPrinter Using a Phone Hotspot in Restricted Wi-Fi Environments.
- Keeping software current: How to Update to the Latest iPad and Robot Software Version. Update from Self Service on the iPad; the iPad and robot versions must match.
- App crashing or won't launch? How to Reinstall the Dusty App Using Self Service.
Stationing and Control
Stationing ties the layout file to the real building using control points, so every line prints in the right place and at true scale.
- Reading the numbers: Understanding Station Information: Reading Distance Errors and Station Errors to Remove Bad Control Points
- High errors during stationing: Troubleshooting High Error Values During Stationing and Why You Shouldn't Move the Reflector to Lower Distance or Station Errors.
- No perfect survey control? Flexible Control is a set of stationing tools for imperfect jobsites: What Is Flexible Control? Stationing Tools for Imperfect Jobsites.
- Building a control point in the field: from a printed trade point or from printed intersecting lines.
Choosing What to Print
- Box Select — draw a box to select many shapes at once instead of tapping each line. Press Select and drag: a left-to-right box selects objects fully inside it; a right-to-left box selects anything it touches. See How to Select Shapes to Print with Box Select on the iPad.
- Line thickness — Dusty prints lines at a range of thicknesses for different trades and readability. See Understanding Line Thickness Options for Dusty Layout Printing.
Editing the Layout on Site
These tools change how or where the robot prints without touching the source file.
- Line styles per layer — change weight, pattern, and arrows for a whole layer for clarity or trade coordination: Changing Line Styles for a Specific Layer on the Tablet.
- Reference visibility — show a layer on screen for alignment without printing it: Setting a Layer to Reference Visibility on the Tablet.
- Offsets — create a parallel copy of a layout line at a set distance, useful where the robot can't drive: How to Create an Offset From a Layout Line on the Tablet.
- Cut Line — a temporary digital boundary the robot won't print past, for areas that aren't ready: Quick Guide: Using the Cut Line Feature on the Tablet.
Obstacles
Obstacle tools mark areas the robot should avoid while it navigates and prints. They control robot movement only — they don't change the layout.
- Standard shapes: Creating Line, Square, & Circle Obstacles on the Tablet.
- Odd shapes: use Scan Shape — How to Capture Irregular or Non-Standard Obstacles Onsite.
Image Printing
Print a monochrome SVG image — logos, wayfinding marks, or ad-hoc graphics — directly from the iPad at a chosen location. See SVG Image Printing (Beta) Guidelines and Best Practices.
Floor Elevation
Floor Elevation turns the FieldPrinter 2 into a slab-measurement tool. It collects elevation data across the floor, and the results sync to the Dusty Portal.
- What it is: Floor Elevation (Beta).
- Running it on a job: How to Use Floor Elevation (Beta) and Best Practices for Collecting Floor Elevation (Beta) Data.
- Measuring named points instead of an area: What Is Point Elevation? (Floor Elevation Beta).
Beta: Floor Elevation and Image Printing are in beta. Workflows, availability, and outputs may change between releases.
Related Articles
- Getting Started with Dusty: An End-to-End Workflow
- What Is the Dusty Portal? — the office-side companion to the field app
- Product Specs