Manual Advances
If you tap Advance while loading ingredients or during pen drops, the system records a manual advance and records the scale weight at that moment.
- The Recorded Value: The app records only the amount of an ingredient (in the mixer) or feed (that has left the mixer) up to the second you tapped Advance.
- The Result: If you tap Advance while an ingredient is loading, that ingredient is skipped. If you tap Advance while feed is still physically falling from the mixer, any feed dropped after the tap is not applied to that pen. This creates a mismatch between what you intended to add or drop versus what the system officially records.
⚠️ IMPORTANT: Do not tap Advance while an ingredient is loading or feed is still dropping.
If you need to skip an ingredient due to lack of supply, tap Ignore instead. Using Advance incorrectly is a common cause of "Incomplete Load" flags and "Drop Errors" in your reports.
When you tap Advance, the system takes an immediate "snapshot" of the scale weight. The app records only the amount of feed that has left the mixer up to that exact second. If you tap the button while feed is still falling, any remaining feed is not credited to that pen. This creates a mismatch between your actual drop and what the system officially records.
Best Advance Practices to Avoid Errors
To keep your feeding history and inventory accurate, follow these guidelines:
- Wait for the scale to stabilize: Only tap Advance after you have completely finished dropping feed and the scale weight has stopped moving.
- Prioritize Auto-Advance: Whenever possible, let the system move to the next ingredient or pen on its own. It automatically advances once you reach the target weight and the scale remains stable within your set tolerance.
- Use Manual Advance sparingly: Only use the manual button if the scale fails to trigger an auto-advance—for example, if the scale "bounces" or if you intentionally decide to short-feed a pen. For step-by-step instructions on using the app during a drop, see Feed Using the App.
- Use Ignore to skip an ingredient: If you need to skip an ingredient in a recipe due to lack of inventory, use Ignore instead of manually advancing.
System Outcomes and Common Scenarios
Using the manual advance can cause issues in your reports:
Scenario | System Outcome | Why it happens |
|---|---|---|
Early Advance | Incomplete Load | The manual advance occurs prior to starting the load or drop, so the system records the ingredient or feed weight as 0. |
Mid-Drop Advance | Drop Error | The recorded weight is significantly different from the target weight, triggering a variance error. |
Double Tap | Zero-Weight Drop, Incomplete Load | If you tap Advance twice quickly, the ingredient or next pen may be recorded with a loaded/fed weight of 0. |
It is also helpful to distinguish between expected system behavior and actual defects:
- Continuing to drop after advancing: If you tap Advance early but keep dropping feed, the system has already moved its focus to the next pen. Any additional feed will be incorrectly credited to that pen.
- Negative Drop values: This usually happens if the scale weight increases during a drop—for instance, if the loader shifts or weight is added—when the system expects the weight to only decrease.
- Auto-advance not triggering: If the scale weight bounces outside your allowed Drop Tolerance, the system waits for a stable reading before it moves forward.