openpilot_comma/docs/how-to/turn-the-speed-blue.md

# Turn the speed blue
*A getting started guide for openpilot development*

In 30 minutes, we'll get an openpilot development environment set up on your computer and make some changes to openpilot's UI.

And if you have a comma 3X, we'll deploy the change to your device for testing.

## 1. Set up your development environment

Run this to clone openpilot and install all the dependencies:
```bash
bash <(curl -fsSL openpilot.comma.ai)
```

Navigate to openpilot folder & activate a Python virtual environment
```bash
cd openpilot
source .venv/bin/activate
```

Then, compile openpilot:
```bash
scons -j$(nproc)
```

## 2. Run replay

We'll run the `replay` tool with the demo route to get data streaming for testing our UI changes.
```bash
# in terminal 1
tools/replay/replay --demo

# in terminal 2
selfdrive/ui/ui
```

The openpilot UI should launch and show a replay of the demo route.

If you have your own comma device, you can replace `--demo` with one of your own routes from comma connect.


## 3. Make the speed blue

Now let’s update the speed display color in the UI.

Search for the function responsible for rendering UI text:
```bash
git grep "drawText" selfdrive/ui/qt/onroad/hud.cc
```

You’ll find the relevant code inside `selfdrive/ui/qt/onroad/hud.cc`, in this function:

```cpp
void HudRenderer::drawText(QPainter &p, int x, int y, const QString &text, int alpha) {
  QRect real_rect = p.fontMetrics().boundingRect(text);
  real_rect.moveCenter({x, y - real_rect.height() / 2});

  p.setPen(QColor(0xff, 0xff, 0xff, alpha));  // <- this sets the speed text color
  p.drawText(real_rect.x(), real_rect.bottom(), text);
}
```

Change the `QColor(...)` line to make it **blue** instead of white. A nice soft blue is `#8080FF`, which translates to:

```diff
- p.setPen(QColor(0xff, 0xff, 0xff, alpha));
+ p.setPen(QColor(0x80, 0x80, 0xFF, alpha));
```

This change will tint all speed-related UI text to blue with the same transparency (`alpha`).

---

## 4. Rebuild the UI

After making changes, rebuild Openpilot so your new UI is compiled:
```bash
scons -j$(nproc) && selfdrive/ui/ui
```
![](https://blog.comma.ai/img/blue_speed_ui.png)

You should now see the speed displayed in a nice blue shade during the demo replay.

---

## 5. Push your fork to GitHub

Click **"Fork"** on the [Openpilot GitHub repo](https://github.com/commaai/openpilot). Then push with:
```bash
git remote rm origin
git remote add origin git@github.com:<your-github-username>/openpilot.git
git add .
git commit -m "Make the speed display blue"
git push --set-upstream origin master
```

---

## 6. Run your fork on your comma device

Uninstall Openpilot through the settings on your device.

Then reinstall using your own GitHub-hosted fork:
```
installer.comma.ai/<your-github-username>/master
```

---

## 7. Admire your work IRL 🚗💨

You’ve now successfully modified Openpilot’s UI and deployed it to your own car!

![](https://blog.comma.ai/img/c3_blue_ui.jpg)