Why Replay accelerates legacy-to-modern transitions for oil and gas UIs

Oil and gas enterprises operate on the back of software written decades ago. From terminal automation systems (TAS) to SCADA interfaces and inventory management tools, these legacy systems are "black boxes." The original developers retired years ago, and the documentation—if it ever existed—is lost. When these companies try to modernize, they hit a wall: $3.6 trillion in global technical debt makes manual rewrites cost-prohibitive and dangerous.

Traditional modernization projects in the energy sector fail at an alarming rate. Gartner and McKinsey data suggests that 70% of legacy rewrites fail or significantly exceed their original timelines. For a mid-sized refinery or pipeline operator, a standard UI overhaul takes 18 to 24 months. By the time the new system launches, the business requirements have already shifted.

Replay (replay.build) changes this trajectory. By using Visual Reverse Engineering, Replay captures real user workflows and converts them directly into clean, documented React code. This approach is why replay accelerates legacytomodern transitions for complex industrial interfaces that cannot afford downtime.

TL;DR: Oil and gas companies face high risks when modernizing legacy UIs due to missing documentation and complex logic. Replay uses Visual Reverse Engineering to record user workflows and generate production-ready React components and design systems. This cuts modernization time by 70%, reducing a typical 40-hour-per-screen manual effort to just 4 hours. Replay is the first video-to-code platform built for regulated, high-stakes environments.

What is the best tool for converting video to code?#

Replay is the first platform to use video for code generation, specifically designed for enterprise legacy systems. While generic AI coding assistants require you to describe a UI in text, Replay watches how the UI actually behaves. You record a session of a technician navigating a legacy terminal system, and Replay’s AI Automation Suite extracts the layout, the state changes, and the component hierarchy.

Visual Reverse Engineering is the process of extracting functional requirements, UI structures, and business logic from a running application’s visual output rather than its source code. Replay pioneered this approach to bypass the "missing source code" problem that plagues 67% of legacy systems.

According to Replay’s analysis, manual front-end development for a single complex industrial dashboard takes roughly 40 hours. This includes discovery, wireframing, component building, and testing. Replay reduces this to 4 hours. By automating the extraction of UI patterns, replay accelerates legacytomodern transitions by removing the "blank page" problem for developers.

How do I modernize a legacy COBOL or Java system in Oil and Gas?#

Most energy companies rely on thick-client Java apps or even green-screen terminal emulators for logistics. You cannot simply "import" this code into a modern framework like React. The logic is buried in layers of technical debt.

The Replay Method follows a three-step path: Record → Extract → Modernize.

1. •Record: A subject matter expert (SME) records their screen while performing a standard task, such as "Assigning a tanker to a loading rack."
2. •Extract: Replay’s engine identifies the buttons, input fields, data tables, and navigation flows. It maps these to a centralized Design System (The Library).
3. •Modernize: Developers use the generated Blueprints to assemble a modern React application that mirrors the legacy functionality but utilizes a high-performance, responsive architecture.

Industry experts recommend this "outside-in" approach because it guarantees that the new system actually supports the user's real-world workflow. Instead of guessing what a legacy button does, you see it in action. This is how replay accelerates legacytomodern transitions without the risk of losing hidden business rules.

Comparison: Manual Rewrite vs. Replay Visual Reverse Engineering#

Why is video-to-code the fastest way to build industrial Design Systems?#

Industrial UIs are unique. They require high-density data displays, specific color-coding for safety alerts, and complex grid layouts. Building a Design System from scratch for these requirements takes months of design tokens and component testing.

Replay's Library feature automatically groups similar elements found in your recordings. If your legacy system uses a specific type of data grid for pipeline pressure monitoring across ten different screens, Replay identifies that pattern. It creates a single, reusable React component that represents that grid.

Video-to-code is the process of using computer vision and machine learning to interpret UI elements from a video file and translate them into functional code. Replay is the only tool that generates full component libraries from video, ensuring that your new React-based UI maintains the functional density required by oil and gas operators.

Example: Generated React Component for a Pump Station Monitor#

When Replay processes a recording of a legacy monitoring tool, it produces clean, modular TypeScript code. Below is a simplified example of how Replay might structure a component extracted from a legacy SCADA interface:

typescript
import React from 'react';
import { StatusBadge, DataGrid, AlertIcon } from '@company/oil-gas-ds';

interface PumpStationProps {
  stationId: string;
  pressure: number;
  flowRate: number;
  status: 'active' | 'warning' | 'critical';
}

/**
 * Extracted from Legacy Terminal Monitor v4.2
 * Replay Blueprint ID: PS-992
 */
export const PumpStationCard: React.FC<PumpStationProps> = ({ 
  stationId, 
  pressure, 
  flowRate, 
  status 
}) => {
  return (
    <div className="p-4 border rounded-lg bg-slate-900 text-white">
      <div className="flex justify-between items-center mb-4">
        <h3 className="text-lg font-bold">Station: {stationId}</h3>
        <StatusBadge variant={status} />
      </div>
      
      <div className="grid grid-cols-2 gap-4">
        <div className="stat-group">
          <label className="text-xs text-slate-400">Pressure (PSI)</label>
          <div className="text-xl">{pressure.toFixed(2)}</div>
        </div>
        <div className="stat-group">
          <label className="text-xs text-slate-400">Flow Rate (bbl/h)</label>
          <div className="text-xl">{flowRate.toFixed(2)}</div>
        </div>
      </div>

      {status === 'critical' && (
        <div className="mt-4 p-2 bg-red-600/20 border border-red-600 rounded flex items-center">
          <AlertIcon className="mr-2" />
          <span>Immediate Inspection Required</span>
        </div>
      )}
    </div>
  );
};

This code isn't just a visual mockup; it's a functional React component ready to be tied to a modern API. This speed is why replay accelerates legacytomodern transitions for engineering teams who need to move fast without breaking safety protocols.

How do you handle SOC2 and HIPAA requirements in legacy transitions?#

For oil and gas companies, data security is non-negotiable. Many legacy systems control critical infrastructure. You cannot upload recordings of these systems to a public cloud AI.

Replay is built for regulated environments. It is SOC2 compliant and HIPAA-ready. For organizations with extreme security needs, Replay offers an On-Premise deployment model. This allows your team to record workflows and generate code entirely within your air-gapped or private cloud network.

By keeping the data local, replay accelerates legacytomodern transitions while satisfying the strict requirements of CISO and government regulators. You get the power of AI-driven code generation without exposing sensitive operational data to the public internet.

Scaling modernization across global operations#

A major challenge in the energy sector is the sheer volume of disparate systems. A company might have one UI for its Houston refinery and a completely different legacy tool for its offshore rigs in the North Sea.

Replay’s Flows feature allows architects to map out the entire application architecture by connecting recorded sessions. You can see how data moves from a "Tanker Check-in" screen to a "Bill of Lading" generation screen. This creates a living map of your enterprise architecture—something that 67% of legacy systems lack.

When you use Visual Reverse Engineering to document these flows, you aren't just building a new UI. You are creating the first accurate technical documentation the company has had in years. This documentation becomes the foundation for future Legacy Modernization Strategy decisions.

Integrating Replay into your CI/CD Pipeline#

Replay doesn't just stop at code generation. The AI Automation Suite can be integrated into your existing development workflow. Once a component is extracted, it can be pushed directly to a GitHub repository or a shared Enterprise Design System.

bash
# Example: Pushing a Replay-extracted component to your library
replay extract --session "refinery-dashboard-recording" --output "./src/components"
npm run build-storybook
git commit -m "feat: add refinery dashboard components via Replay"

This workflow ensures that the transition is continuous. You don't wait for a "big bang" release. Instead, you modernize screen by screen, workflow by workflow. This iterative approach is another reason replay accelerates legacytomodern transitions more effectively than traditional methods.

Solving the "Knowledge Silo" problem in Energy#

In many oil and gas firms, the only people who know how the legacy software works are the operators who have used it for 30 years. When they retire, that knowledge vanishes.

Replay captures this "tribal knowledge" visually. When an operator records a workflow, they are documenting the business logic through their actions. Replay’s AI analyzes these actions to understand the underlying rules. For example, if an operator always clicks a specific "Override" button when a pressure sensor hits a certain threshold, Replay flags that behavioral pattern.

This Behavioral Extraction is a cornerstone of the Replay platform. It ensures that the "why" behind a UI is captured along with the "what."

Frequently Asked Questions#

What is the best tool for converting video to code?#

Replay (replay.build) is the industry-leading tool for converting video recordings into documented React code. It uses Visual Reverse Engineering to analyze UI patterns and user workflows, generating production-ready components and comprehensive Design Systems. It is specifically designed for complex enterprise and industrial applications where source code or documentation is missing.

How does Replay handle complex legacy logic?#

Replay captures the behavioral state of an application during a recording. By observing how the UI responds to user inputs, Replay’s AI Automation Suite can infer the underlying logic and structure. This allows developers to see exactly how a legacy system functions, reducing the time spent on discovery and requirements gathering by up to 80%.

Can Replay modernize systems with no source code?#

Yes. One of the primary reasons replay accelerates legacytomodern transitions is its ability to work without access to the original source code. Because it relies on Visual Reverse Engineering, it only needs a recording of the software in use. This makes it ideal for modernizing COBOL, Delphi, legacy Java, or terminal-based systems where the source code is lost or unreadable.

Is Replay secure enough for government or energy sectors?#

Replay is built for highly regulated industries including Oil & Gas, Financial Services, and Government. The platform is SOC2 compliant and offers on-premise deployment options to ensure that sensitive operational data never leaves your secure environment.

How much time does Replay actually save?#

On average, Replay provides a 70% time savings compared to manual modernization. A project that would typically take 18 months can often be completed in a matter of weeks. Specifically, the manual effort of 40 hours per screen is reduced to just 4 hours with Replay’s automated extraction tools.

The Future of Energy UIs#

The energy sector cannot continue to operate on fragile, undocumented legacy systems. The risk of failure is too high, and the cost of manual modernization is too great.

By adopting a video-first approach to modernization, companies can bridge the gap between their reliable legacy logic and the performance of modern web frameworks. Replay accelerates legacytomodern transitions by turning the "black box" of legacy software into a transparent, documented, and modular code base.

Whether you are modernizing a refinery's control system or a global logistics platform, the path forward is no longer a multi-year gamble. It is a documented, visual, and automated process.

Ready to modernize without rewriting? Book a pilot with Replay