# Surface offset shenanigans **URL:** \ **Category:** Pro tools\ **Created:** [December 9, 2025, 8:27am UTC](https://community.emlid.com/t/surface-offset-shenanigans/43929 "2025-12-09T08:27:18Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 10\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![stefan1](https://community.emlid.com/letter_avatar_proxy/v4/letter/s/51bf81/32.png) [@stefan1](https://community.emlid.com/u/stefan1)\ **Post date:** [December 9, 2025, 8:27am UTC](https://community.emlid.com/t/surface-offset-shenanigans/43929/1 "2025-12-09T08:27:18Z")
Hello all, I have just noticed that surface offset is wreaking havoc with my setting out of points, especially where I’m looking for points which may be buried (PLS in South Africa looking for buried corner beacons) It seems that the horizontal distance is being confounded by the vertical distance (I’m working on plane coordinates in a projected system, where all reductions are essentially taken care off). This is the first time that I’m noticing this business with the surface offset really throwing a spanner in the works, and no matter what settings I have for surface offset I get no joy with this. The horizontal distance can be 0,025m but the vertical cut/fill will be at least an order of magnitude higher. I can then move the receiver horizontally and the horizontal distance stays the same (!) while the vertical hardly improves. This is the first time I’m observing this. Please explain what is going on. I feel like I’m going crazy! Please help! ---
**Author:** ![rarthursurveys](https://community.emlid.com/letter_avatar_proxy/v4/letter/r/8baadc/32.png) [@rarthursurveys](https://community.emlid.com/u/rarthursurveys)\ **Post date:** [December 9, 2025, 9:29am UTC](https://community.emlid.com/t/surface-offset-shenanigans/43929/3 "2025-12-09T09:29:56Z")
Good Day, I am a Surveyor in Durban South Africa and I am experiencing the exact same problem. It started when I last updated Emlid Flow, last week Thursday (04/12/2025) and since then staking out has literally taken a different direction. The problem comes about when I stake by direction, it appears that the software is using the 3D distance when staking out, rather than the 2D distance. I also noticed that, when I swop between staking by direction and staking by distance, the cut/fill measurement is the same as the left/right distance. Staking out by distance still works well, however the software compass is not calibrated to our true north and this poses a challenge and is very time consuming. This might be a problem specific to our location, Emlid please assist! ---
**Author:** ![stefan1](https://community.emlid.com/letter_avatar_proxy/v4/letter/s/51bf81/32.png) [@stefan1](https://community.emlid.com/u/stefan1)\ **Post date:** [December 9, 2025, 9:54am UTC](https://community.emlid.com/t/surface-offset-shenanigans/43929/4 "2025-12-09T09:54:14Z")
I’ve found the same thing! By vector is completely useless, but setting out by delta easting and nothing is working just fine. ---
**Author:** ![merryna.anggriani](https://community.emlid.com/user_avatar/community.emlid.com/merryna.anggriani/32/32891_2.png) [@merryna.anggriani](https://community.emlid.com/u/merryna.anggriani)\ **Post date:** [December 9, 2025, 9:58am UTC](https://community.emlid.com/t/surface-offset-shenanigans/43929/5 "2025-12-09T09:58:08Z")
Hi guys, thank you for the report! We are currently checking this. ---
**Author:** ![stefan1](https://community.emlid.com/letter_avatar_proxy/v4/letter/s/51bf81/32.png) [@stefan1](https://community.emlid.com/u/stefan1)\ **Post date:** [December 9, 2025, 10:10am UTC](https://community.emlid.com/t/surface-offset-shenanigans/43929/6 "2025-12-09T10:10:24Z")
Hi Merryna, just checked it and it seems like a bug. When you change from Distance to Direction the direction vectors (distance and cut/fill) show exactly the same as the easting / nothing values from Distance stake out. Seems like it’s a bona fide bug! ---
**Author:** ![davehofer1993](https://community.emlid.com/user_avatar/community.emlid.com/davehofer1993/32/18645_2.png) [@davehofer1993](https://community.emlid.com/u/davehofer1993)\ **Post date:** [December 9, 2025, 3:34pm UTC](https://community.emlid.com/t/surface-offset-shenanigans/43929/7 "2025-12-09T15:34:39Z")
Maybe same as this ? > [@Displayed distance in stakeout is about 15% less than actual](https://community.emlid.com/t/displayed-distance-in-stakeout-is-about-15-less-than-actual/43920/16): > > Hi Tony, Thanks a lot for all the details and files! I checked out your screencast and saw you were staking out by Direction. We’ve just found a bug with this stakeout mode. On Android, Emlid Flow currently mirrors the Easting and Northing values that are shown in Distance mode. Our team is already working on a fix to make sure the stakeout display is accurate, and I’ll let you know as soon as it’s rolled out. ---
**Author:** ![merryna.anggriani](https://community.emlid.com/user_avatar/community.emlid.com/merryna.anggriani/32/32891_2.png) [@merryna.anggriani](https://community.emlid.com/u/merryna.anggriani)\ **Post date:** [December 9, 2025, 3:40pm UTC](https://community.emlid.com/t/surface-offset-shenanigans/43929/8 "2025-12-09T15:40:28Z")
Hi everyone, I can confirm that it’s a bug in Emlid Flow Android version. We are working to fix this, and once the fix is released, I will definitely let you know! ---
**Author:** ![merryna.anggriani](https://community.emlid.com/user_avatar/community.emlid.com/merryna.anggriani/32/32891_2.png) [@merryna.anggriani](https://community.emlid.com/u/merryna.anggriani)\ **Post date:** [December 10, 2025, 5:16pm UTC](https://community.emlid.com/t/surface-offset-shenanigans/43929/9 "2025-12-10T17:16:06Z")
Hi everyone, I’d like to update that we just released the Fix for this. Thanks for reporting this, and let me know if it’s working as expected. ---
**Author:** ![rarthursurveys](https://community.emlid.com/letter_avatar_proxy/v4/letter/r/8baadc/32.png) [@rarthursurveys](https://community.emlid.com/u/rarthursurveys)\ **Post date:** [December 11, 2025, 12:43pm UTC](https://community.emlid.com/t/surface-offset-shenanigans/43929/10 "2025-12-11T12:43:39Z")
Perfect, back to normal, business as usual! Thank you Merryna. ---
**Author:** ![system](https://community.emlid.com/uploads/default/original/3X/2/5/25f564df001cb95eb37427c1122602ea2170ba5c.png) [@system](https://community.emlid.com/u/system)\ **Post date:** [March 21, 2026, 12:44pm UTC](https://community.emlid.com/t/surface-offset-shenanigans/43929/12 "2026-03-21T12:44:08Z")
Closed on March 21, 2026, 12:44pm UTC This topic was automatically closed 100 days after the last reply. New replies are no longer allowed.