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Walking Patterns

When you start an observation in Iristick.Collector, you choose how the app advances through your asset list. Collector now supports two flow modes:

  • Top to Bottom (A to Z): The default. Collector advances through assets in the order they appear in your asset list, top to bottom. This is how Collector has always worked.
  • Serpentine: A new flow mode for grid surveys. Collector advances assets in the order you'll physically reach them while walking a snaking path through a rectangular field, so the plot in front of you is always the next one in the app.

This page covers when to use each mode, what you need to set up in the portal for the Serpentine mode, and how to configure it when starting an observation on the phone.

When to Use Each Mode

Use Top to Bottom (A to Z) when your assets are not laid out in a regular grid, or when your walking route doesn't matter (for example, when you're scoring assets one at a time at a workstation or in any order).

Use Serpentine when:

  • Your assets form a regular rectangular grid (rows and columns of plots, trees, or samples)
  • You walk a snaking path through the grid to score each one
  • You want the app to follow your physical route instead of the list order

How the Serpentine Walking Pattern Works

The serpentine pattern advances assets in a snaking path through a rectangular grid:

  1. You start at one corner of the field (for example, top-left)
  2. You walk down (or up) the first row, scoring each plot
  3. At the end of the row, you move one row over
  4. You walk back in the opposite direction along the next row
  5. You continue until every plot in the grid has been scored

Collector advances your asset list in the same order, so the plot in front of you is always the next one in the app. No more searching the list at every step.

Prerequisites for the Serpentine Mode

To use the Serpentine walking pattern, your asset list needs two extra columns alongside the ID:

Column What it stores Example
ID Unique asset identifier Plot 001
X coordinate Position along one axis of the grid 1, 2, 3, …
Y coordinate Position along the other axis 1, 2, 3, …

You can name the coordinate columns however you like. Row, Column, X, Y, Plot row, Plot column all work. You pick which column is the X axis and which is the Y axis when you start an observation on the phone.

The field must be rectangular

The Serpentine walking pattern only works with a fully rectangular grid. If your field has missing plots, fill the gaps with blank assets so every (X, Y) coordinate in the rectangle is represented. Without this, Collector cannot determine the next plot in the snaking path.

Set Up the Asset List

  1. Open the Iristick.Collector Portal
  2. Go to Asset Lists and either create a new list or edit an existing one
  3. Add the X and Y coordinate columns (any names)
  4. Fill in coordinates for every asset
  5. Add blank assets to complete the rectangle if your field has gaps

See Asset Lists for the general asset list workflow.

Start an Observation with the Serpentine Mode

  1. Open the Collector app on your phone
  2. Pick your template and asset list
  3. Select Serpentine as the flow mode
  4. Choose which column is your X axis and which is your Y axis
  5. Pick your starting corner and walking direction from the Serpentine Flow picker (see below)
  6. Start the observation

Serpentine Flow Picker

The Serpentine Flow picker offers eight directional variants. Each variant is shown as an icon that illustrates where the snaking path starts, which direction it goes first, and how it turns at the end of each row.

How to Read the Variant Codes

Each variant has a three-letter code. The letters describe where you start, where you're heading, and which way you walk first.

The four field corners are labeled:

  • A: top-left
  • B: top-right
  • C: bottom-left
  • D: bottom-right

The three letters in each code mean:

  1. First letter (start corner): the corner you're physically standing at when you begin
  2. Second letter (aimed direction): the diagonal corner you'll end up at when the path is complete
  3. Third letter (first movement): V for vertical (walk along a column first) or H for horizontal (walk along a row first)

For example, ADV means: start at A (top-left), head toward D (bottom-right), walk vertically along the leftmost column first. ADH means the same start and end corners, but you walk horizontally along the top row first.

Variant Reference

Code Start corner Aimed direction First movement
ADV A (top-left) D (bottom-right) Down the leftmost column
ADH A (top-left) D (bottom-right) Right along the top row
BCV B (top-right) C (bottom-left) Down the rightmost column
BCH B (top-right) C (bottom-left) Left along the top row
CBV C (bottom-left) B (top-right) Up the leftmost column
CBH C (bottom-left) B (top-right) Right along the bottom row
DAV D (bottom-right) A (top-left) Up the rightmost column
DAH D (bottom-right) A (top-left) Left along the bottom row

Pick the variant that matches the corner you're physically standing at and the direction you'll walk first. Once selected, Collector advances assets in the order you'll physically reach them, and the app stays in sync as you walk the snaking path.

Limitations

  • Rectangular grids only. Fill gaps with blank assets to complete the rectangle.
  • Both X and Y columns are mandatory in the asset list for the Serpentine mode.
  • The walking pattern is configured per observation, not stored in the template. You choose the start corner and direction each time you start.