Bad Elf Flex: Laser Offset Workflow Checklist

Bad Elf Flex: Laser Offset Workflow Checklist

The process depicted below guides you through our checklist workflow to assist you through each step of a successful Laser Offset data collection process.



  1. Once your rangefinder is calibrated and connected (see Bad Elf Flex Configuration) and your Bad Elf Flex is connected to your mobile device, select “Laser Rangefinder” from the left side menu.
  2. Tap “Settings” under “Laser Rangefinder”.



Required

  • Set the height by measuring the distance from the bottom of your laser to the ground directly below.

Optional

  • Measurement mode
    • The distance that appears on your Rangefinder HUD when firing
  • Target Mode
  • Most recently acquired target
    • Closest target acquired while “Fire” button was held down
    • Farthest target acquired while “Fire” button was held down
    • Filter (Requires Foliage Filter Accessory) that only detects pulses returned from Reflector
  • Custom magnetic declination
  • Include rangefinder errors in metadata, or exclusively use GNSS accuracy



Test fire your laser using the “Fire Laser” blue button at the bottom of your screen to ensure the “Last reading” directly above the button displays a valid value.


Setup

  1. Check if your hardware is connected.
  2. Check your pole and laser heights (meters) by tapping the heights.
  3. Tap the blue arrows on the right if you need to change the height values.
  4. Verify the orthometric height model for elevation values.
  5. Set the Laser Offset Collection Method. If the laser has an internal compass, choose Range-Azimuth, otherwise, select Range-Range.  Note: Range-Azimuth calculates the position of an offset feature using the azimuth reading from the compass, the inclination of the tilt sensor, and the recorded distance from the laser sensor.  The Range-Range method does not require a compass reading, it instead requires two control points and two laser shots to triangulate the offset location.  
  6. Select “Auto-Capture Target Height” if you need to capture the height of every target.


Capture Control Point

Capturing a control point provides accurate location information so the app can calculate the position of the offset target using the measurements recorded by the rangefinder.
  1. Ensure the Bad Elf Flex is oriented as vertically as possible and has obtained a GNSS fix.
  2. Tap the “Capture” blue button and wait five seconds to record the control point.
  3. Your Bad Elf Flex will beep twice at both the beginning and end of point collection.



Capture Targets

  1. Aim and fire the laser using the button on the rangefinder or the blue button in the app.

  2. Note: If you turned on “Auto-Capture Target Height” under the laser offset collection method settings, capture the height immediately after shooting the base and skip step 3.

  3. Tap the arrows next to “ht:” if capturing a height for that target.

  4. Fire the laser at the top of the target.

  5. Continue for all targets, then tap “No more targets” at the bottom right.



If Using Range-Range

  1. Proceed to “Capture Control Point #2”. 
  2. Make sure all targets lie on the same side of the path you take from the first control point to the second control point.
  3. Control Point #2 must be at least 20-30 feet away from the first point for improved triangulation. 
  4. Tap once you’ve moved, then specify if the targets were on your left or right as you moved to the second control point.
  5. Repeat shooting the targets in the same order for control point #2 as performed for control point #1.


Finalize

  1. Tap “Log x Points”.
  2. Choose “Collect more” or “done collecting”.
Or for any further assistance, please contact our support team via support@bad-elf.com.


    • Related Articles

    • Bad Elf Flex: Configuring ArcGIS Field Maps for Laser Offsets

      Overview ArcGIS Field Maps added new metadata fields for laser offset workflows in the June 2025 update. Documentation on the Field Maps implementation of field names, data types, and domains can be found here→. To add the laser offset fields to a ...

    • Bad Elf Flex: Configuring LTI TruPulse Rangefinders

      The process outlined below demonstrates how to initially configure your laser rangefinder for connection to your Bad Elf Flex. Be sure to perform all steps in italics both on the initial setup and prior to each use. Ensure that the tilt sensor and ...

    • Connecting the Bad Elf Flex to the LTI TruPulse Rangefinders

      The process outlined below demonstrates how to initially pair your laser rangefinder and connect wirelessly to your Bad Elf Flex. Please ensure that the tilt sensor and magnetic compass (if included) is calibrated correctly using the process detailed ...

    • Bad Elf Flex: Updating Firmware

      Ready to upgrade your Flex to the latest firmware? Just follow these steps: On your phone or tablet, install or upgrade to the latest public Bad Elf Flex utility app available on the App Store (iOS) or Google Play Store (Android). Connect your Flex ...

    • Bad Elf Flex Bluetooth Best Practices and Troubleshooting

      Bad Elf Flex Bluetooth Best Practices and Troubleshooting For articles on the initial Bluetooth pair process please click the link the corresponding to your phone/table model Bad Elf Flex: Bluetooth Pairing with iOS Bad Elf Flex: Bluetooth Pairing ...