Meet CapDrive

CapDrive continuously obtains available speed, position and motion data during driving and displays it as numbers, pointers, curves or maps. When the vehicle turns, the transverse G value reflects the lateral movement; when accelerating and braking normally, the longitudinal G value helps observe the changes in movement in the front and rear directions.

These data are also used for trip recording. Once you arrive, you can open the day's trip, select a moment on the map and timeline, and view speed, motion readings, and driving events at that time.

All you need for first time use is your iPhone and a sturdy stand. Basic instruments and automatic recording do not need to be connected to OBD; when vehicle readings such as engine speed (RPM) and coolant temperature are required, the adapter can be connected. When you want to change the appearance or composition of a meter, you can import or create a custom meter.

Mobile phone data and vehicle data are two types of sources. Without connecting to any vehicle device, CapDrive relies on the iPhone's positioning and motion sensors to provide basic functionality.

Why is the speed already available but the G value is still waiting?

Speed ​​can be displayed when positioning is valid; but to distinguish the motion measured by the mobile phone into "vehicle acceleration forward" and "vehicle turning sideways", the App also needs to determine the relative direction of the mobile phone and the vehicle. Therefore, different readings may become available at different times.

"Waiting to drive, please stabilize the device" when parking means that the movement information required for direction recognition is still missing. Acceleration, deceleration, and cornering during normal driving can provide this information without the need for drastic actions. After moving the phone midway, some motion readings may re-enter the waiting state.

Zero and missing readings

A speed of 0 is a valid reading; displaying — or a wait status indicates that no data is currently available or the meter is waiting for a required condition. For example, when positioning is lost, the lack of speed data cannot be interpreted as the vehicle has stopped. Changing the instrument style will not compensate for the missing data.

Why mobile phones need to be fixed

CapDrive measures the movement of the mobile phone and then determines the movement of the vehicle. If the phone shakes in the holder or is rotated in the hand, the sensor records also include these movements, and the app cannot treat them as vehicle movements.

The mobile phone can be placed horizontally or vertically. The key is to maintain a stable relative position to the vehicle. After changing the installation angle, the vehicle direction needs to be re-identified. This is the premise for the measurement to be established, not the appearance setting of the instrument. Please expand the instructions below to view the location permissions and exception handling required for first use.

Permissions

If something is missing, the dashboard shows Live readings are limited and lists what's wrong. Where the setting can fix it, tap Open Settings to go to CapDrive's page in the Settings app (or open Settings › Apps › CapDrive):

• Location is off: under Location, choose While Using the App. If Location Services are off for the whole iPhone, turn them on in Settings › Privacy & Security › Location Services.
• Precise Location is off: under Location, turn on Precise Location.
• Location is restricted on this device: location is limited by Screen Time or by a profile that manages the device. Check Settings › Screen Time, or ask whoever manages the device.
• Motion data is unavailable: restart CapDrive. If the problem persists, restart the iPhone and contact support. This version uses device motion directly and does not request a separate Motion & Fitness permission; there may be no CapDrive switch in that settings page.

Real-time meters plot current readings into a screen suitable for quick viewing. The digital instrument displays accurate values, the pointer and arc represent the current range position, the curve displays changes in the recent period, and the map displays the location and route.

The built-in instruments cover speed, G value, vehicle head direction, positioning, timeline, current trip, vehicle attitude and altitude, etc. Each reading is displayed after meeting its own measurement conditions: the speed can be obtained when positioning is valid; the corresponding vehicle movement data can be provided after direction recognition is completed.

Custom instruments allow you to combine the desired readings into your own display, such as RPM, coolant temperature and a curve all at once. Code can control font size, color, layout, graphics, and animation. When a reading is unavailable, the meter displays a wait state, a horizontal line, or a work-defined empty state.

A dashboard arranges live instruments into pages, with up to three instruments on each page. Choose the readings you want to see, then adjust the cards’ sizes and order. The dashboard reference below explains how to edit a page.

The instrument library holds installed and custom instruments. After importing or saving a custom instrument, add it to a page through Edit dashboard. Removing a card from a page leaves its instrument in the library, ready to add again.

HUD provides a display for reflection in the windshield; its visibility depends on the glass and lighting.Instruments need to adapt to these different display sizes and modes, while their vehicle readings continue to depend on the connected and configured data sources.

Trip Log saves usable data from a drive. After first-time setup, CapDrive automatically records and recognizes driving, eliminating the need to press a start button each time. Recording is in progress, and it does not mean that every reading has met the usable conditions.

A trip consists of driving and stopping during this recording period. Waiting at a red light or making a temporary stop does not automatically end it. A brief loss of positioning or unavailability of partial readings should not simply be interpreted as the beginning of another journey. Actual missing data were retained during review.

Record status and control:

History helps you review your drive with route, timeline and readings at selected moments. The effective zero speed is still different from the missing measurement interval. The trip needs to contain valid saved measurement data to be retained; simply opening the app and waiting for a while will not necessarily produce a record that can be reviewed.

Real-time display, saving of raw data, and processing in retrospect are not exactly the same process. The review may filter out motion readings that have sufficient evidence to be judged as abnormal, so individual display results may not necessarily be consistent with the instrument at the time. Please see the description below for the specific playback methods and statistical caliber.

For completed trips, More options → Export trip produces a KML, GeoJSON or GPX route; Share trip creates images. These exports do not contain all the data needed to restore a complete trip.

OBD reads parameters supplied by vehicle controllers through a compatible adapter, such as engine speed, coolant temperature, oil temperature and fuel information. Each parameter stores its request, decoding formula and unit. You can import matching presets or edit individual configurations.

Once the device is connected and parameters return valid readings, you can select them in custom instruments. Suitable numeric parameters can also replace basic trip data, such as speed, G-force or attitude, for built-in instruments and trip recording.

Vehicle OBD connectivity requires Plus and a BLE adapter that supports ELM327 commands. Available parameters depend on the vehicle model, year, powertrain and operating state. The OBD reference explains connections, parameter fields, validation and data access.

Custom instruments use JavaScript and JSX to describe screens. CapDrive calls main() of the script to read this input and obtain text, graphics, curves, etc. View, and then completes layout and drawing. When the data or display environment changes, the screen can be updated accordingly.

Import a .instrument file through the custom-instrument menu, or open it with CapDrive. Importing installs a local copy; add it to the dashboard separately. Works that use vehicle parameters also need to access their own OBD data. Select the appropriate parameters in the instrument settings and update the script references by the data used by the work. See "Instrument Data" for specific reading methods.

The custom instrument document provides complete speed examples, data interfaces, layout animations, resources and sharing instructions. The API reference lists drawing components by purpose and describes properties, types, default rules, and composable examples.