FloatHUD Support

Welcome to FloatHUD support! We’re here to help you create amazing telemetry overlays for your rides.

About FloatHUD

FloatHUD is an iOS app that transforms Floaty ride telemetry into transparent video overlays perfect for compositing over your action camera footage. Import your ride data, preview the HUD in real-time, and export professional-quality transparent overlays.

Getting Started

Importing Telemetry Data

1. Open FloatHUD on your iOS device
2. Tap “Import Floaty JSON” or use “Load Sample” to try the bundled demo
3. Your telemetry file will be parsed and ready for preview

Supported Format: FloatHUD currently supports Floaty JSON format exclusively. Make sure your telemetry files are exported from Floaty in JSON format.

Previewing Your HUD

• Use the scrubber to move through your ride timeline
• The HUD updates in real-time showing:
  • Speed (top-right) in km/h or mph
  • Battery level (top-left ring)
  • Duty cycle (bottom bar)
• Tap the settings icon to customize your HUD appearance and toggle metric/imperial units

Exporting Overlay Videos

1. Configure your settings in the Preview screen
2. Tap “Export” to begin rendering
3. Choose between:
   • Core Graphics renderer - maximum compatibility
   • Metal renderer - 3-5× faster GPU-accelerated export
4. Monitor progress with time estimates
5. Share or save your transparent overlay when complete

The exported .mov file uses HEVC with alpha channel, making it perfect for layering over your action camera footage in any video editor (Final Cut Pro, DaVinci Resolve, Premiere Pro, etc.).

Viewing Export History

• Tap the history icon in the Import screen
• View all your past exports with metadata
• Reshare or save to Photos
• Swipe to delete exports you no longer need
• Monitor total storage usage

Frequently Asked Questions

What telemetry data does FloatHUD support?

Currently, FloatHUD supports Floaty JSON files only. Floaty is a popular telemetry logging app for electric skateboards and other personal electric vehicles (PEVs). Support for additional formats like GPX is planned for future releases.

What devices are supported?

FloatHUD requires iOS 17 or later. It works on iPhone and iPad running iOS 17+.

Why is my export file so large?

HEVC with alpha produces high-quality transparent video, which can result in larger file sizes. The file size depends on:

• Video duration
• Resolution (1080p standard)
• Frame rate (30 fps standard)
• Complexity of motion in the HUD

Longer rides will naturally produce larger files. You can monitor storage usage in the History view.

Can I export at different resolutions or frame rates?

The current version exports at 1080p @ 30fps for optimal compatibility with most video editing workflows. Additional export options may be added in future updates.

How do I use the exported overlay in my video editor?

1. Import both your action camera footage and the FloatHUD overlay into your editor
2. Place the FloatHUD overlay on a track above your main footage
3. The transparent areas will automatically composite correctly
4. Adjust timing/sync as needed
5. Export your final video

Most modern video editors (Final Cut Pro X, DaVinci Resolve, Adobe Premiere Pro, etc.) support HEVC with alpha natively.

Does FloatHUD require internet access?

No. FloatHUD works completely offline. All telemetry processing and video rendering happens locally on your device. Your ride data never leaves your phone.

Does FloatHUD access my photos or location?

No. FloatHUD does not request Photos library or Location permissions. You manually import telemetry files that already contain location data from your Floaty logs. When you choose to “Save to Photos” from the History view, iOS handles that permission separately.

What’s the difference between Core Graphics and Metal rendering?

• Core Graphics (CPU): Maximum compatibility, works on all devices, slower export times
• Metal (GPU): 3-5× faster export using GPU acceleration, requires Metal-compatible device

Both produce identical output quality. Metal is recommended for faster exports on supported devices.

Can I cancel an export in progress?

Yes! During export, you can tap the Cancel button to stop rendering. Any partial progress will be discarded.

Troubleshooting

Import fails with “Invalid JSON”

Solution: Ensure your file is a valid Floaty JSON export. Check that:

• The file extension is .json
• The file isn’t corrupted
• It was exported from Floaty (not manually edited)

Export fails or crashes

Potential causes:

• Low storage space: Check your device storage and free up space
• Insufficient memory: Close other apps and try again
• Very long rides: Extremely long telemetry files may strain device resources

Try:

• Restart FloatHUD
• Restart your device
• Try Core Graphics renderer instead of Metal
• Ensure you have enough free storage (at least 1GB recommended)

HUD preview shows missing data

Cause: Some telemetry fields may be missing from your Floaty log.

Behavior:

• Missing speed data: Speed widget shows “0”
• Missing battery data: Battery ring shows empty
• Missing duty data: Duty bar shows empty

This is normal if your Floaty configuration doesn’t log all telemetry types.

Colors or layout look wrong

Solution: FloatHUD uses a fixed layout optimized for 1080p. Try:

• Checking HUD settings for visibility toggles
• Ensuring you’re using a recent Floaty JSON export format
• Reloading your telemetry file

Contact & Support

Feedback and Bug Reports

We’d love to hear from you! If you encounter issues or have suggestions:

GitHub Issues: Report an issue

When reporting issues, please include:

• iOS version
• Device model
• Steps to reproduce the problem
• Screenshots (if applicable)

Feature Requests

Have an idea for FloatHUD? We’re actively developing and welcome your input! Submit feature requests via GitHub Issues with the “enhancement” label.

Privacy

FloatHUD is designed with privacy in mind:

• No data collection
• No analytics or tracking
• No cloud uploads
• All processing happens on-device
• No account required

For full details, see our Privacy Policy.

Version History

Check the App Store listing for current version information and release notes.

---

Need more help? Check our Privacy Policy or visit the FloatHUD repository for technical documentation.

Last updated: November 2025