Config File Diff Viewer

UAV Desk offers two ways to diff configurations. You can compare two saved files side-by-side to see exactly what settings changed between versions, or do a quick compareof a single saved config against a fresh Betaflight CLI dump that you paste in — without saving it first. Both are especially useful for tracking PID adjustments, filter tuning, or other parameter changes.

Comparing two saved files

How to open the diff viewer

Step 1: Check the prerequisite

The diff viewer is only available if your UAV has at least 2 config files. If you have fewer than 2, upload another config first (see Configuration Files).

Step 2: Select two files

A blue info bar appears at the top of the Configuration Files section showing "Select 2 files to compare (0/2)". Each config file in the list below now has a checkbox to its left. Check the boxes next to the two files you want to compare. Once you've selected 2 files:

• The counter updates: "Select 2 files to compare (2/2)"
• All other checkboxes become disabled (grayed out) to prevent further selections
• A blue Compare button appears on the right side of the info bar

Step 3: Open the modal

Click the Compare button. A full-screen modal opens with the diff viewer displaying both files side-by-side.

Understanding the diff viewer

Layout

• Left pane — First selected file (header shows filename)
• Right pane — Second selected file (header shows filename)
• Both panes are scrollable independently; scroll to compare different sections

Swapping sides

A Swap button (with a left/right arrows icon) sits in the top-right header next to the close button. Click it to flip the two files: the left and right panes switch places and the added/removed coloring reverses accordingly. This lets you read the change in either direction without re-selecting your files.

Color coding

• Red background — Line removed (present in left file only). Marked with a − in the gutter.
• Green background — Line added (present in right file only). Marked with a + in the gutter.
• Gray/neutral background — Unchanged line. Shows the line number in the gutter.

Special cases

• Files are identical: If the two files have no differences, a centered message displays: "Files are identical". You may have selected the same file twice or files with matching content.
• Error loading: If there's an error retrieving the files (e.g., network issue), an error message appears. Check your connection and try again.
• Loading state: A spinner appears while the diff is being computed.

Navigation and closing

• Click the × button (top-right) to close the viewer.
• Closing the viewer automatically clears your file selection (the checkboxes return to unchecked, and the counter resets to "0/2").

Quick compare: paste an external config

Sometimes you don't want to save a file just to see what changed — for example, you've made some live tweaks in Betaflight Configurator and want to check them against the snapshot you have on record. The quick compare lets you diff a single saved config against text you paste directly.

Step 1: Open the compare modal

In the Configuration Files list, each text-based config has a Compare button (a compare/branch icon) directly to the right of the pencil (Edit) button. Click it to open the quick-compare modal. Unlike the two-file diff, this works even if the aircraft has only one config file.

Step 2: Paste your CLI dump

• The left pane shows the saved config's current content (read-only).
• The right pane is an editable text area. Paste your Betaflight diff all or dump output here.
• The diff updates live as you type or paste — added and removed lines are highlighted using the same red/green color coding described above.

Step 3: Inspect the differences

• Edit / Preview toggle — The pasted side starts in Edit mode (a plain text area). Switch to Preview to see the pasted side rendered with the same colored, line-numbered diff highlighting as the saved side.
• Swap — Just like the two-file viewer, the Swap button flips which side is the baseline, reversing the panes and the added/removed coloring.
• If the pasted text matches the saved config exactly, a "Files are identical" note appears at the bottom.

Step 4 (optional): Save the pasted text as a new config

Once you've pasted content, a blue Save as new button becomes available in the header. Click it to reveal a name field (pre-filled with the next version name, e.g. My Tune v2), then click Save. The pasted text is stored as a brand-new config file for the aircraft — the original config you were comparing against is left untouched — and the modal closes. This is the fastest way to capture a fresh CLI dump as a versioned snapshot right after reviewing the diff.

Examples and use cases

Scenario 1: PID tuning

You have "PID_conservative" and "PID_race" configs. Upload both, then compare them to see which parameters differ between the conservative and aggressive tunes. This helps you understand the effects of each change.

Scenario 2: Before/after filter adjustment

Before adjusting gyro or D-term filters, save your current config as "baseline". After tuning, upload the new config and compare it to the baseline. The diff shows exactly which filter values you modified.

Scenario 3: Tracking firmware updates

If your flight controller firmware was updated and you re-exported your config, compare the old and new versions to see if any parameters were reset or changed by the firmware upgrade.