Best Convertify Alternatives: Converts videos to UI components and scale them

TL;DR: Replay offers a superior alternative to Convertify by leveraging video analysis and AI to reconstruct fully functional UI components, understanding user behavior rather than just visual elements.

The promise of automatically generating UI components from visual input is incredibly appealing. Convertify, among others, has attempted to bridge this gap. However, many tools fall short, producing code that is either incomplete, visually inaccurate, or lacks the interactive behavior expected by users. This often leads to significant manual rework, negating the initial time-saving promise. The core issue? Most solutions rely on static screenshots, missing the crucial context of how the user interacted with the interface.

Why Screenshot-to-Code Falls Short#

Screenshot-to-code solutions treat the UI as a static image. They can identify elements and attempt to translate them into code, but they lack an understanding of the underlying application logic and user flow. This results in:

• •Lack of Interactivity: Buttons that don't function, forms that don't submit, and animations that are missing.
• •Inaccurate Replicas: Difficulty in accurately rendering complex layouts, especially those with dynamic content or responsive designs.
• •Limited Scalability: Inability to adapt to different screen sizes or data sources without manual adjustments.

Replay: Behavior-Driven Reconstruction#

Replay takes a different approach. Instead of relying on static images, Replay analyzes video recordings of user interactions. This allows it to understand the behavior behind the UI, capturing not just what the user sees, but how they interact with it. This "Behavior-Driven Reconstruction" is a game-changer, resulting in more accurate, functional, and scalable UI components.

Replay uses Gemini to analyze the video, identify UI elements, and reconstruct the underlying code. Crucially, it understands the intent behind user actions, allowing it to generate components that are not only visually similar but also functionally equivalent to the original.

Replay vs. the Alternatives: A Feature Comparison#

As the table illustrates, Replay distinguishes itself by its ability to process video input and analyze user behavior. This unlocks a range of powerful features that are simply not possible with screenshot-based solutions.

Key Features of Replay#

• •Multi-Page Generation: Replay can reconstruct entire user flows spanning multiple pages, maintaining context and consistency.
• •Supabase Integration: Seamlessly integrate with Supabase for data persistence and real-time updates.
• •Style Injection: Apply custom styles to the generated components, ensuring visual consistency with your existing design system.
• •Product Flow Maps: Visualize the user journey through your application, identifying areas for improvement.

Reconstructing a UI with Replay: A Step-by-Step Guide#

Let's walk through how to use Replay to reconstruct a simple e-commerce product listing from a video recording.

Step 1: Upload the Video#

Upload your screen recording of the product listing interaction to the Replay platform. Ensure the video clearly captures all user interactions, including scrolling, hovering, and clicking.

Step 2: Analyze the Video#

Replay's AI engine will analyze the video, identifying UI elements, user actions, and underlying data. This process typically takes a few minutes, depending on the length and complexity of the video.

Step 3: Review and Refine#

Once the analysis is complete, you'll be presented with a reconstructed UI component. Review the component and make any necessary refinements. You can adjust element positions, modify styles, and add custom logic.

Step 4: Integrate with Your Project#

Download the generated code and integrate it into your project. Replay supports a variety of frameworks, including React, Vue, and Angular.

Here's an example of the type of code Replay can generate:

typescript
// Example React component generated by Replay
import React, { useState, useEffect } from 'react';

interface Product {
  id: number;
  name: string;
  price: number;
  imageUrl: string;
}

const ProductList: React.FC = () => {
  const [products, setProducts] = useState<Product[]>([]);

  useEffect(() => {
    const fetchProducts = async () => {
      const response = await fetch('/api/products'); // Replace with your actual API endpoint
      const data: Product[] = await response.json();
      setProducts(data);
    };

    fetchProducts();
  }, []);

  return (
    <div className="product-list">
      {products.map(product => (
        <div key={product.id} className="product-item">
          <img src={product.imageUrl} alt={product.name} />
          <h3>{product.name}</h3>
          <p>${product.price}</p>
          <button>Add to Cart</button>
        </div>
      ))}
    </div>
  );
};

export default ProductList;

💡 Pro Tip: For best results, ensure your video recording is clear and stable. Avoid excessive mouse movements or distractions in the background.

📝 Note: The generated code may require some adjustments to fully integrate with your existing application. Replay provides a solid foundation, but you may need to customize the code to match your specific requirements.

Real-World Use Cases#

Replay is ideal for a variety of use cases, including:

• •Rapid Prototyping: Quickly create interactive prototypes from existing UI designs.
• •Legacy System Modernization: Reconstruct UI components from legacy systems without access to the original source code.
• •Design System Creation: Generate reusable UI components from video recordings of existing applications.
• •Training Material Generation: Automate the creation of interactive training materials by recording user interactions and converting them into working code examples.

Advanced Features: Style Injection and Supabase Integration#

Replay goes beyond basic code generation, offering advanced features to streamline your workflow.

Style Injection#

Replay allows you to inject custom styles into the generated components, ensuring visual consistency with your existing design system. You can define CSS variables, import external stylesheets, or use a CSS-in-JS library like styled-components.

typescript
// Example using styled-components
import styled from 'styled-components';

const StyledButton = styled.button`
  background-color: ${props => props.theme.primaryColor};
  color: white;
  padding: 10px 20px;
  border: none;
  border-radius: 5px;
  cursor: pointer;
`;

// Use the styled button in your component
<StyledButton>Add to Cart</StyledButton>

Supabase Integration#

Replay seamlessly integrates with Supabase, allowing you to connect your UI components to a real-time database. This enables you to build dynamic and interactive applications with ease.

To integrate with Supabase, simply provide your Supabase API URL and API key. Replay will automatically generate the necessary code to fetch and update data from your Supabase database.

⚠️ Warning: Always protect your Supabase API key. Do not expose it in your client-side code. Use environment variables to securely store your API key.

Frequently Asked Questions#

Is Replay free to use?#

Replay offers a free tier with limited usage. Paid plans are available for higher usage and access to advanced features. Check the pricing page for the most up-to-date information.

How is Replay different from v0.dev?#

While both aim to generate code, Replay's video-first, behavior-driven approach provides a critical advantage. v0.dev relies primarily on text prompts and existing code libraries, while Replay understands how a UI is used, resulting in more functional and accurate components. Replay also offers unique features like multi-page generation and Supabase integration.

What frameworks does Replay support?#

Replay currently supports React, Vue, and Angular. Support for additional frameworks is planned for future releases.

What type of videos work best with Replay?#

Clear, stable recordings with minimal distractions work best. Ensure the video captures all relevant user interactions.

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Ready to try behavior-driven code generation? Get started with Replay - transform any video into working code in seconds.