Fieldwalker's mobile interface is built for field work — observation, data collection, and walking contour lines on the land. It's a different tool from the desktop editor, designed for what you need when you're standing on the property with your phone.
Design work (placing swales, zones, garden beds, fences) stays on desktop or tablet, where you have the screen space and precision to do it well. The phone is for observation, recording, and navigation.
Mobile and field work
On a phone, Fieldwalker switches to a mobile interface built for field data collection.
The design toolbar is hidden — design work stays on desktop/tablet — but you can view your map, toggle layers, and generate contours.
Most importantly, use the field tools:
- Field Walker (live GPS navigation),
- Contour Walker (walk contour lines),
- Observations (notes and photos on pins),
- and Offline mode (download your map for field use with no signal).
The mobile interface
On a phone, the editor uses a bottom dock and slide-up panels instead of the desktop's side panel and toolbar. The dock gives you quick access to:
- Menu (Field Walker, Contour Walker, Offline download),
- Tool (canvas interaction),
- and Add (drop a pin).
Panels slide up from the bottom as sheets:
- Pins,
- Layers,
- Contours,
- Export,
- and observations for individual pins. Everything is designed for thumb-on-screen use.
Observation pins
Pins are location markers you place on the map to record observations. Each pin has a reference number and can hold multiple observations over time.
Dropping a pin: Tap the Add button in the dock, then tap the map where you want the pin.
Or use Field Walker to drop a pin at your exact GPS position. The observation panel slides up immediately so you can record what you're seeing.
Writing observations: Each observation has a text note and optional photos.
Snap from your camera or choose from your library. Observations are timestamped, so you can build a seasonal record of a location.
Desktop continuity: The same pin and observation system is available on desktop via the Pins tab. Notes and photos sync between devices.
Field Walker
Field Walker is a live GPS navigation mode that shows your real-time position on your property map.
From the mobile editor, tap Menu → Field Walker.
The map requires georeferencing to work. You see a full-screen aerial view with your GPS position as a dot with an accuracy circle, all existing project pins as labelled chevron markers, and a heading-up / north-up toggle.
Tap Drop pin here to create a pin at your current GPS location.
The accuracy is shown so you know how precise the placement is. If the map's georeferencing seems off, Field Walker refuses the pin rather than saving a wrong location.
Offline pin queue: When you're offline, pins are saved locally.
A dashed outline and amber colour distinguish queued pins. An "N pins waiting to sync" banner shows how many are queued. When you reconnect, the queue flushes automatically.
Contour Walker
Contour Walker guides you along a contour line on the ground — useful for marking out swales, dam walls, or any earthwork that needs to follow a constant elevation.
Prerequisites: Requires the map to be downloaded for offline use first (via Menu → Offline).
Setting a target: Either lock your current elevation or tap the map to choose a different target elevation.
Guidance display: A compass-style arrow shows which direction to walk.
Straight ahead means you're on the line. Leaning left/right means you've drifted uphill/downhill. Colour-coded status: green ("On the line"), amber ("Drifting off"), red ("Off the line"). Audio cues play on status change.
Recording your walk: Tap "Start walk" to record a breadcrumb trail.
Tap "End & save" and the walked line is saved onto your map as a real, editable line visible in the desktop editor. Works offline.
DEM resolution warning: If the elevation data is low resolution, a warning explains that guidance may not be accurate enough for precise earthworks marking.
Also make note of the GPS resolution when walking - depending on your location and device, this can vary in resolution, so you could be a few metres off track at times when GPS has low fidelity.
Offline mode
From the mobile editor, tap Menu → Offline. Download to cache the map's aerial image, elevation data, contour lines, and existing pins.
Everything in the field toolkit works offline: Field Walker, Contour Walker, map viewing, pin observations. When you reconnect, offline pins upload automatically, walked contour lines sync, and observation notes and photos upload.
Some caveats you need to know about offline mode
Fieldwalker is a mobile web app running in your browser. We save your data in the browser’s memory and sync it to the server when the web app returns to a coverage area.
If you switch from the browser while walking and start using other apps, there is a chance the browser will be cleared from your mobile device’s active memory, and the yet to be saved changes might be lost.
So use the offline mode carefully, and look for our fully native app version coming later in the year.
Tips for field work
Before you head out: Download your map for offline use while you're still on wifi. Check that your phone's GPS is enabled.
GPS accuracy: In open paddock with clear sky, phone GPS is typically within 2–5 metres. In heavy tree cover or near buildings, accuracy drops. Field Walker shows your accuracy circle.
Battery: GPS tracking and screen-on use drain battery faster than normal. Bring a portable charger for extended field sessions.
Combine the tools: Use Contour Walker to walk and record a swale line, then switch to Field Walker to drop pins at key points along it.