Gyroflow for track-day video: GoPro and DJI settings that keep your gyro data
Gyroflow is a free, open-source stabilizer that uses the motion data your camera records while filming, rather than guessing from the picture.
It only works if the camera wrote that motion data in the first place, and whether it did depends on the camera model and a couple of settings you choose before the session. Those same settings decide how much motion data LapLift has to match your video against your logger.
GoPro: which cameras work
GoPro has embedded gyro data in its files since the HERO5 Black. Gyroflow's documentation splits the range three ways:
| Camera | Gyro data | In-camera stabilization |
|---|---|---|
| HERO5 Black and Session, HERO6 Black, HERO7 Black | Yes | Must be off while recording |
| HERO8 Black to HERO13 Black, HERO11 Mini | Yes | HyperSmooth can stay on; Gyroflow supports it |
| HERO7 White and Silver, HERO4 and older | No | Not applicable |
Gyroflow recommends the Wide field of view and recording with as little motion blur as possible, since a stabilizer can steady the frame but cannot remove blur that is baked into it.
DJI: which cameras work
DJI is stricter. According to Gyroflow, these cameras record usable gyro data: the Action 2 (firmware v01.04.0510 or later), Action 4, Action 5 and Action 6, the Osmo Nano, the Avata and Avata 2, the Neo and Neo 2, and the O3 and O4 Air Units. The Action 3 and the original DJI FPV will not be supported, and 360 cameras such as the Osmo 360 are not supported either.
Even on a supported camera, DJI only records gyro data with two settings: in-camera stabilization (RockSteady or any other EIS) turned off, and the field of view set to Wide. Ultra Wide, Normal and Natural Wide modes don't record it. Our DJI guide covers how to check a clip you have already shot.
Recording for both Gyroflow and LapLift
The motion data does two jobs. Gyroflow uses it to stabilize the picture, and LapLift's auto-sync matches the camera's motion against your logger's motion to line the video up with your data. Settings that give Gyroflow a gyro track also give LapLift more to match.
- On a GoPro HERO5 to HERO7 Black, turn stabilization off. On a HERO8 or newer you can leave HyperSmooth on.
- On a supported DJI camera, turn stabilization off and set the field of view to Wide.
- Copy the original files straight off the SD card. Editing apps and phone transfers that re-encode the video strip the motion track.
- Keep those originals. Do your syncing and analysis from them, and stabilize a copy for anything you want to share.
What Gyroflow's export keeps
A Gyroflow export is a new render of the video. By default Gyroflow writes one video track and one audio track and drops everything else in the file, including timecode and motion data. It has an option called Preserve other tracks that copies those extra tracks into the stabilized file, but it requires the .mov extension and a render of the whole clip, without a trim range.
If you bring a stabilized export into LapLift and its motion track is missing, auto-sync can still work from the engine sound when your session has an RPM channel, and you can always set the offset by hand. Syncing from the original clip is the most reliable route.
Sources
Camera support is from Gyroflow's GoPro and DJI camera pages, and the export behaviour from Gyroflow's exporting documentation. Gyroflow updates its camera lists as firmware changes, so check them for your exact model.
Questions
Does Gyroflow work with HyperSmooth on?
On a GoPro HERO8 Black or newer, yes; Gyroflow supports footage recorded with HyperSmooth on. On a HERO5, HERO6 or HERO7 Black, stabilization must be off while recording.
Does the DJI Osmo Action 3 work with Gyroflow?
No. Gyroflow lists the Action 3 as a camera that won't be supported. The Action 2 (with recent firmware), Action 4, Action 5 and Action 6 do work, with stabilization off and the field of view set to Wide.
Does a Gyroflow export keep the GoPro telemetry?
Not by default. Gyroflow drops extra tracks such as motion data unless you enable Preserve other tracks, which needs the .mov extension and a full-length render with no trim.
Can I sync a stabilized clip in LapLift?
If the clip has lost its motion track, LapLift can still sync it from the engine sound when your session has an RPM channel, or you can set the offset by hand. Syncing from the original clip off the SD card is the most reliable option.
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