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January 5, 20268 min readReplay AI for

Replay AI for IoT Dashboards From UI Videos: A Step-by-Step for scalable UI Guide 2026

R
Replay Team
Developer Advocates

TL;DR: Build scalable IoT dashboards from video recordings using Replay AI, generating working code and UI components directly from observed user behavior.

The dream of instantly converting ideas into functional UI is now a reality. Forget static mockups and tedious manual coding. With Replay AI, you can transform video recordings of desired IoT dashboard interactions into working code, ready to deploy. This guide outlines a step-by-step process for leveraging Replay's behavior-driven reconstruction to rapidly prototype and scale your IoT dashboard development.

The Problem: IoT Dashboard Development Bottlenecks#

Developing intuitive and scalable IoT dashboards is notoriously challenging. Traditional methods involve:

  • Extensive planning and design: Creating detailed wireframes and mockups.
  • Manual coding: Translating designs into functional UI components.
  • Iterative testing and refinement: Identifying and fixing usability issues.

These steps are time-consuming, resource-intensive, and prone to errors. What if you could bypass the manual coding and design iterations, directly capturing the essence of desired user interactions and translating them into working code? That's where Replay comes in.

Replay AI: Revolutionizing IoT Dashboard Development#

Replay AI leverages the power of Gemini to analyze video recordings of user interactions with existing dashboards or mockups. It understands the behavior demonstrated in the video, not just the visual elements. This "Behavior-Driven Reconstruction" allows Replay to generate clean, functional code that accurately reflects the intended user experience.

Here's how Replay differs from other UI generation tools:

FeatureScreenshot-to-CodeTraditional CodingReplay
InputStatic ImagesManual CodeVideo
Behavior AnalysisManual Specification
Multi-Page SupportLimitedManual Implementation
Supabase IntegrationOften Requires Custom CodeManual Integration
Style InjectionBasic CSS ExtractionManual Styling
Understanding User IntentRelies on Developer Interpretation
FocusVisual AppearanceFunctional ImplementationBehavior & Functionality

Step-by-Step Guide: Building IoT Dashboards with Replay AI#

This guide walks you through the process of using Replay to generate code for an IoT dashboard from a video recording. We'll assume you have a video showcasing the desired functionality and user flow.

Step 1: Preparing Your Video#

The quality of your video significantly impacts the accuracy of the generated code. Follow these guidelines:

  • Clear and focused recording: Ensure the video is well-lit and the dashboard elements are clearly visible.
  • Show complete user flows: Capture entire interactions, from initial navigation to final action.
  • Avoid distractions: Minimize background noise and irrelevant movements.
  • Consistent UI: If you're using a mockup, ensure it's consistent throughout the video.

💡 Pro Tip: Use a screen recording tool with built-in annotation features to highlight specific elements or interactions in the video. This can further improve Replay's understanding of your intent.

Step 2: Uploading and Analyzing Your Video in Replay#

  1. Access Replay: Navigate to the Replay platform (https://replay.build).
  2. Upload your video: Click the "Upload Video" button and select your prepared video file.
  3. Initiate analysis: Replay will automatically begin analyzing the video, identifying UI elements, user interactions, and overall application flow. This process leverages Gemini's advanced video understanding capabilities.

Step 3: Reviewing and Refining the Generated Code#

Once the analysis is complete, Replay presents you with a generated codebase. This typically includes:

  • React components: Functional components representing individual dashboard elements.
  • CSS styles: Stylesheets defining the appearance of the UI.
  • Data fetching logic: Code for retrieving data from your IoT devices or backend.
  • Navigation logic: Code for handling page transitions and user interactions.

Review the generated code carefully. While Replay strives for accuracy, manual refinement may be necessary.

typescript
// Example React component generated by Replay const TemperatureGauge = ({ temperature }) => { return ( <div className="temperature-gauge"> <h3>Temperature</h3> <div className="gauge"> <div className="needle" style={{ transform: `rotate(${temperature * 1.8}deg)` }}></div> <div className="value">{temperature}°C</div> </div> </div> ); }; export default TemperatureGauge;

📝 Note: The generated code is highly customizable. You can modify the components, styles, and data fetching logic to match your specific requirements.

Step 4: Integrating with Supabase (Optional)#

Replay offers seamless integration with Supabase, a popular open-source Firebase alternative. This simplifies the process of connecting your dashboard to a backend database for storing and retrieving IoT data.

  1. Configure Supabase: Set up a Supabase project and define your database schema.
  2. Connect Replay to Supabase: Provide your Supabase API key and URL in the Replay settings.
  3. Map data fields: Configure Replay to map the data fields identified in your video to the corresponding columns in your Supabase database.

Replay will then automatically generate the necessary code to fetch and display data from Supabase in your dashboard.

typescript
// Example data fetching logic generated by Replay for Supabase import { createClient } from '@supabase/supabase-js'; const supabaseUrl = 'YOUR_SUPABASE_URL'; const supabaseKey = 'YOUR_SUPABASE_ANON_KEY'; const supabase = createClient(supabaseUrl, supabaseKey); const fetchTemperatureData = async () => { const { data, error } = await supabase .from('temperature_readings') .select('*') .order('timestamp', { ascending: false }) .limit(1); if (error) { console.error('Error fetching temperature data:', error); return null; } return data[0]; };

Step 5: Styling and Customization#

Replay attempts to extract and apply styles from the video, but you may need to further customize the appearance of your dashboard.

  1. Leverage Style Injection: Replay allows you to inject custom CSS or Tailwind CSS classes to fine-tune the look and feel of your components.
  2. Modify CSS files: Directly edit the generated CSS files to adjust colors, fonts, and layout.
  3. Use a UI library: Integrate a UI library like Material UI or Ant Design for pre-built components and styling options.

⚠️ Warning: While Replay attempts to generate consistent styles, inconsistencies in the video can lead to styling issues. Ensure your video uses a consistent design language for optimal results.

Step 6: Product Flow Maps for Complex Dashboards#

For multi-page dashboards with complex navigation, Replay generates "Product Flow Maps." These maps visually represent the user flows captured in the video, making it easier to understand and modify the application's navigation structure.

You can use the Product Flow Map to:

  • Visualize user journeys: Understand how users navigate through your dashboard.
  • Identify potential bottlenecks: Spot areas where users may experience friction.
  • Modify navigation logic: Add, remove, or rearrange pages and interactions.

Step 7: Testing and Deployment#

Once you're satisfied with the generated code and styling, thoroughly test your dashboard to ensure it functions as expected.

  1. Run unit tests: Write unit tests to verify the functionality of individual components.
  2. Perform integration tests: Test the interaction between different components and the backend.
  3. Deploy to a hosting platform: Deploy your dashboard to a hosting platform like Netlify, Vercel, or AWS Amplify.

Benefits of Using Replay AI for IoT Dashboards#

  • Rapid Prototyping: Generate working code from videos in minutes, significantly reducing development time.
  • Improved Usability: Capture and replicate desired user interactions, leading to more intuitive dashboards.
  • Scalable Development: Easily create and maintain complex dashboards with Replay's modular code generation.
  • Reduced Costs: Automate manual coding tasks, freeing up developers to focus on higher-level challenges.
  • Enhanced Collaboration: Use videos as a common language for communicating design ideas and requirements.

Frequently Asked Questions#

Is Replay free to use?#

Replay offers a free tier with limited features and usage. Paid plans are available for more advanced features and higher usage limits. Check the Replay website for current pricing.

How is Replay different from v0.dev?#

While both aim to generate code, Replay focuses on behavior-driven reconstruction from video, capturing user intent and application flow. v0.dev primarily uses text prompts and generates code based on specified requirements. Replay is ideal for replicating existing UIs or prototyping from video recordings of desired interactions, while v0.dev is better suited for generating code from scratch based on textual descriptions.

What types of IoT dashboards can I build with Replay?#

You can build a wide range of IoT dashboards, including:

  • Sensor data dashboards: Visualizing real-time data from sensors.
  • Device management dashboards: Controlling and monitoring connected devices.
  • Energy monitoring dashboards: Tracking energy consumption and efficiency.
  • Industrial automation dashboards: Monitoring and controlling industrial processes.

What if the generated code isn't perfect?#

Replay's generated code provides a solid foundation, but manual refinement may be necessary. The goal is to significantly reduce the amount of manual coding required, not eliminate it entirely. The quality of the input video also greatly impacts the output.


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