How to create UI with videos: A step-by-step AI guide

TL;DR: Learn how to use Replay's AI-powered video-to-code engine to automatically generate working UI components and applications from screen recordings, saving you countless hours of manual coding.

From Video to Code: The Future of UI Development is Here#

Building user interfaces is often a time-consuming and repetitive process. Manually coding components, styling them, and integrating them into a cohesive application can take days, even weeks. What if you could simply record a video of the desired UI and have it automatically transformed into working code? That's the promise of Replay, a revolutionary video-to-code engine powered by AI.

Replay uses "Behavior-Driven Reconstruction" – meaning it analyzes the video to understand what the user is trying to achieve, not just what they see on the screen. This allows for a much more intelligent and accurate code generation process compared to traditional screenshot-to-code tools. Forget pixel-perfect, static recreations; Replay delivers functional, interactive UI.

Why Video-to-Code? The Problem with Traditional Methods#

Traditional UI development often involves:

• •Manual Coding: Writing HTML, CSS, and JavaScript from scratch.
• •Design Handoffs: Translating designs from tools like Figma or Sketch into code.
• •Prototyping Limitations: Static prototypes that don't accurately reflect user behavior.

These methods are slow, prone to errors, and require significant effort. Screenshot-to-code tools offer a slight improvement, but they fall short in understanding user intent and creating dynamic, interactive UIs. They treat the image as a static snapshot, lacking the context of user actions and flow.

Replay addresses these limitations by leveraging video as the source of truth. By analyzing user behavior within the video, Replay can generate code that accurately reflects the intended functionality and user experience.

Understanding Replay's Behavior-Driven Reconstruction#

Replay's core innovation lies in its ability to analyze video and understand user behavior. It doesn't just see pixels; it interprets actions. This "Behavior-Driven Reconstruction" allows Replay to:

• •Identify UI Elements: Automatically detect buttons, forms, text fields, and other UI components.
• •Analyze User Interactions: Understand how users interact with these elements (e.g., clicks, typing, scrolling).
• •Infer Intent: Determine the purpose of each interaction and the overall user flow.
• •Generate Functional Code: Produce clean, well-structured code that accurately reflects the intended functionality.

This approach leads to more accurate and usable code generation compared to methods that rely solely on static images.

Step-by-Step Guide: Creating UI with Replay#

Let's walk through the process of using Replay to generate UI from a video recording.

Step 1: Recording Your UI Interaction#

The first step is to record a video of the UI interaction you want to recreate. This could be a demonstration of a specific feature, a user flow through your application, or even a recording of an existing website.

💡 Pro Tip: Ensure the video is clear and stable, with good lighting and minimal background noise. A smooth, deliberate recording will yield the best results.

Step 2: Uploading the Video to Replay#

Once you have your video, upload it to the Replay platform. Replay supports various video formats (MP4, MOV, etc.) and resolutions.

Step 3: Replay Analyzes the Video#

This is where the magic happens. Replay's AI engine analyzes the video, identifying UI elements, user interactions, and overall intent. This process typically takes a few minutes, depending on the length and complexity of the video.

Step 4: Reviewing and Customizing the Generated Code#

After the analysis is complete, Replay presents you with the generated code. You can review the code, make any necessary adjustments, and customize the styling to match your specific design requirements.

📝 Note: Replay generates code in various frameworks (React, Vue, HTML/CSS), allowing you to choose the best option for your project.

Step 5: Integrating the Code into Your Application#

Finally, integrate the generated code into your application. You can copy and paste the code directly, or use Replay's integration tools to seamlessly import the components into your project.

Replay's Key Features: Powering Your UI Development#

Replay offers a range of features designed to streamline the UI development process:

• •Multi-Page Generation: Generate code for entire multi-page applications from a single video.
• •Supabase Integration: Seamlessly integrate with Supabase for backend functionality.
• •Style Injection: Customize the styling of the generated UI components.
• •Product Flow Maps: Visualize the user flow captured in the video.

These features empower developers to create complex UIs quickly and efficiently.

Code Example: Generated React Component#

Here's an example of a React component generated by Replay from a video recording of a simple login form:

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

const LoginForm = () => {
  const [email, setEmail] = useState('');
  const [password, setPassword] = useState('');

  const handleSubmit = async (e) => {
    e.preventDefault();
    // Simulate API call
    console.log('Submitting form with:', { email, password });
    // Replace with actual API call
    try {
      const response = await fetch('/api/login', {
        method: 'POST',
        headers: {
          'Content-Type': 'application/json',
        },
        body: JSON.stringify({ email, password }),
      });

      if (response.ok) {
        console.log('Login successful!');
      } else {
        console.error('Login failed:', response.status);
      }
    } catch (error) {
      console.error('Error during login:', error);
    }
  };

  return (
    <form onSubmit={handleSubmit}>
      <div>
        <label htmlFor="email">Email:</label>
        <input
          type="email"
          id="email"
          value={email}
          onChange={(e) => setEmail(e.target.value)}
        />
      </div>
      <div>
        <label htmlFor="password">Password:</label>
        <input
          type="password"
          id="password"
          value={password}
          onChange={(e) => setPassword(e.target.value)}
        />
      </div>
      <button type="submit">Login</button>
    </form>
  );
};

export default LoginForm;

This code is functional and ready to be integrated into your application. You can further customize the styling and functionality as needed.

Supabase Integration: Building Full-Stack Applications#

Replay's Supabase integration allows you to quickly build full-stack applications. By connecting Replay to your Supabase project, you can automatically generate code that interacts with your database. This includes:

• •Data Fetching: Generate code to fetch data from your Supabase tables.
• •Data Mutations: Generate code to create, update, and delete data.
• •Authentication: Implement user authentication using Supabase's built-in auth system.

This integration significantly accelerates the development process, allowing you to focus on building the core features of your application.

Style Injection: Customizing the Look and Feel#

Replay's style injection feature allows you to customize the styling of the generated UI components. You can inject custom CSS or use a styling library like Tailwind CSS to quickly style your components.

⚠️ Warning: While Replay attempts to infer styling from the video, manual adjustments may be necessary to achieve the desired look and feel.

Here's an example of injecting Tailwind CSS classes into a generated button component:

typescript
// React component with Tailwind CSS styling
const Button = () => {
  return (
    <button className="bg-blue-500 hover:bg-blue-700 text-white font-bold py-2 px-4 rounded">
      Click Me
    </button>
  );
};

export default Button;

This allows you to quickly apply consistent styling across your application.

Product Flow Maps: Visualizing User Journeys#

Replay automatically generates product flow maps from the video recording. These maps visualize the user journey through your application, highlighting key interactions and decision points. This can be invaluable for understanding user behavior and identifying areas for improvement.

Benefits of Using Replay#

• •Faster Development: Significantly reduce the time required to build UIs.
• •Improved Accuracy: Generate code that accurately reflects user intent.
• •Increased Efficiency: Automate repetitive tasks and focus on core functionality.
• •Enhanced Collaboration: Easily share UI prototypes and gather feedback.
• •Reduced Errors: Minimize manual coding errors and improve code quality.

Frequently Asked Questions#

Is Replay free to use?#

Replay offers a free tier with limited features. Paid plans are available for access to advanced features and higher usage limits. Check the Replay pricing page for the latest details.

How is Replay different from v0.dev?#

While both aim to accelerate UI development, Replay analyzes video to understand user behavior and generate code accordingly. v0.dev primarily relies on text prompts. Replay's behavior-driven approach allows for a more accurate and functional code generation process, especially for complex interactions and user flows. Replay understands what the user is trying to do, not just what they see.

What frameworks does Replay support?#

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

Can I use Replay to generate code for existing websites?#

Yes, you can record a video of an existing website and use Replay to generate code for specific components or sections. This can be useful for modernizing legacy codebases or creating new features based on existing designs.

How accurate is the generated code?#

Replay's accuracy depends on the quality of the video recording and the complexity of the UI. While Replay strives for high accuracy, manual adjustments may be necessary in some cases.

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