Other loggers
Besides the Betaflight blackbox, FPVFlow reads motion data from a range of other devices. It reads them through telemetry-parser, the same library Gyroflow uses, at a newer revision. Whatever the source, the workflow is the same: mount the logger rigidly on the camera, load its file with Open file in Motion data, check the IMU orientation and synchronize.
- A second camera with a gyro
- Flight controller firmware
- Flowshutter
- DIY and dedicated loggers
- Phone apps
- Cameras that write a separate gyro file
- Gyroflow protobuf and JSONL
- Not on this page?
A second camera with a gyro
Any camera FPVFlow supports can act as the logger for one that is not supported: mount a small GoPro, a DJI Action or an Insta360 rigidly on the main camera, record with both, and load the action camera’s clip as the motion data of the main video.
- Leave Load all metadata unchecked. With it checked, FPVFlow also takes the lens profile, frame rate and other clip settings from that file, which belong to the action camera, not to your main camera.
- Frame offset shifts the video by whole frames against the motion data, if you need it.
Flight controller firmware
| Source | Files | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Betaflight and compatible blackbox | .bbl, .bfl, .csv | See Betaflight blackbox. |
| ArduPilot | .bin, .log | Binary DataFlash logs, or text logs that contain VSTB messages. In .bin logs FPVFlow uses the VSTB (video stabilization) messages when present, then IMU, then GYR/ACC. |
Flowshutter
Flowshutter is an open-source camera remote from the Gyroflow community. It starts and stops the camera and a Betaflight-based logger together, so the motion log and the video begin at almost the same time. The motion data it produces is a regular Betaflight blackbox log: load and set it up as described on the Betaflight blackbox page. Hardware, wiring and supported cameras are documented in the Flowshutter repository.
DIY and dedicated loggers
| Logger | Files | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| esp-gyrologger | .bin | Small ESP32-based logger. FPVFlow recognises its log by the file header. |
| WitMotion IMU modules (such as the WT901SDCL) | .bin, .txt | The binary log and several of the text export layouts. |
| SenseFlow | .bin | Binary logs. |
| Your own logger | .gcsv | Write the documented .gcsv format: you declare the scales, the time unit and the orientation in the header. |
Phone apps
A phone strapped to the camera works as a logger for slow, smooth shots. FPVFlow recognises the logs of these apps by their content:
- Sensor Logger (iOS and Android)
- G-Field Recorder (iOS)
- Gyro (iOS)
- Sensor Record (Android)
- OpenCamera Sensors (Android)
- Film it (motion track stored inside the MP4)
Phone sensors are less precise and often sample slower than a flight controller or an action camera, and a phone is heavy to mount rigidly. For flying footage, prefer the blackbox or an action camera.
Cameras that write a separate gyro file
Some FPV and action cameras record their gyro in a CSV file next to the video instead of inside it. Keep the original file names and both files in the same folder: for the cameras below that have a naming pattern, FPVFlow finds the CSV by itself when you open the MP4.
| Camera | Video | Gyro file FPVFlow looks for |
|---|---|---|
| RunCam 5 Orange | RC_<number>_<...>.MP4 (original name) | RC_GyroData<number>.csv |
| iFlight GOCam GR | IF-RC<...>_<number>.MP4 | gyroData<number>.csv or gyroDate<number>.csv |
| RunCam Thumb | Thumb<...>.mp4 | same name with .csv |
| Mobius Maxi 4K | any | no naming pattern: give the .csv the same name as the video, or load it with Open file; it is recognised by its column header |
Each model gets its own preset for scale and orientation.
A generic CSV whose header starts with time,x,y,z is read with the same layout: time in milliseconds and raw 16-bit gyro values with a fixed range. That is rarely what a custom logger writes. For your own data, use the .gcsv format instead, where you set the scales yourself.
Gyroflow protobuf and JSONL
Newer devices and tools can write motion data in the Gyroflow protobuf telemetry format, either embedded in an MP4 or MOV file or as a .jsonl file next to the video. FPVFlow reads both. When a video has several possible log files next to it, the .jsonl file is tried first, because it can also carry the lens and timing information of the clip.
Not on this page?
The full list of cameras and devices, including the ones that record their own gyro, is in the Supported gyro sources section of the README. If your logger is not there, converting its output to .gcsv is usually the quickest way to use it.