All Tesla FSD Visualizations and What They Mean

By Nuno Cristovao

Updated: September 21st, 2022 as of FSD Beta 10.69.2.2

Tesla has slowly added more visualizations to the car display, showing what the car can detect and respond to in its environment. Tesla initially showed just road markings and some vehicles, but then slowly added more vehicle types, pedestrians and traffic cones.

However, with the release of FSD Beta version 9, Tesla has drastically increased the amount of objects the car can visualize and interact with.

The visualizations in the car aren't tied one-to-one with what the car is capable of detecting and using to make decisions. However, Tesla keeps visualizations and object detection closely coupled so that drivers have a good understanding of what the car can see.

Unidentified Objects

FSD Beta 10.69.2 will now display objects it can not recognize
FSD Beta 10.69.2 will now display objects it can not recognize
Not a Tesla App

As of FSD Beta 10.69.2 the vehicle visualizations will now display unidentified objects or debris. The shape of the visualization will not match the actual object, but it will be displayed as a pile of debris.

This lets the driver know the vehicle is aware of an object in its path or surroundings, but that it can not yet idenfiy what the object is.

Vector-based Lanes

Vector-based lanes
Vector-based lanes
Chazman/Twitter

As of FSD Beta 10.11, your Tesla will now display vector-based lanes. This means that the lanes are not just raster-based lines drawn in a 3D environment, but that Tesla is actually building the lane markings with vector-based graphics.

This gives Tesla additional freedom when choosing how to display the lanes on the car's display.

With this update, Tesla now fills in the lane in blue when your vehicle is changing lanes. This was something Tesla couldn't do before since the lane markings were just drawn lines.

The new vector-based graphics will scale well to any size and reduce blurring and pixelation you normally see on the display with lane markings and road edges.

Since lane markings are now vectors, hopefully, Tesla will soon apply the same process to other markings, such as the road edges.

Scalable Vehicle Models

All vehicles that Tesla displayed were pre-defined static-sized assets. However, in the 10.10.2 FSD update, we are now seeing Tesla scale individual vehicle models so that they represent the calculated size of surrounding vehicles. Contextually this could be helpful in better understanding our car's situation in the world.

Tesla now shrinks or stretches the 3D vehicle models in each dimension so that the 3D model matches the calculated dimensions for each vehicle. This is especially apparent in longer vehicles such as buses, trucks, and tractor-trailers, where the vehicle lengths are more likely to vary, but you can also see it scale other vehicle models such as very small cars.

In this example below, you'll see that Tesla is now able to accurately represent buses of different sizes. Tesla only has a model for a full length bus, but in this case, Tesla detected that the length of one of the buses is considerably shorter than the vehicle model so it chose to reduce the length of the bus to the length Autopilot had calculated. In the image below you can see how the same bus model is shown in two different sizes.

Tesla adds scalable vehicle models to the latest FSD Beta
Tesla adds scalable vehicle models to the latest FSD Beta

You can also read more details or see additional examples of Tesla dynamically scaling vehicle models.

Road Users

Vulnerable road users or VRUs as Tesla calls them are pedestrians and other users of the road that the car must be especially careful with.

Tesla already does a good job displaying some of these, but there is room for improvement here since it’s such a critical area. We hope that Tesla will add additional animals and sidewalk detection in future updates.

Pedestrians

Pedestrians are one of the few objects that feature an animation. If the pedestrian is walking, you'll see them animated on the screen.

Tesla FSD visualizations
FSD Beta visualizations start representing the real world
DirtyTesla/YouTube

Bicycles

Bicycles are visualized separately from motorcycles.

Dogs

Tesla recently added a visualization for a dog which shows up for dogs and other similarly sized animals. It's likely Tesla will add more animals in the future such as squirrels, deer and other common animals seen on roadways.

Tesla FSD visualization of a dog

Objects

Garbage/Recyling Bins

This is an object that's also displayed outside of the FSD Beta.

Traffic Cones

Traffic cones are also displayed outside of the FSD Beta and are displayed in orange. The car will display them for cones, construction barrels or sometimes mailboxes.

Speed Bumps

The car has been reacting to speed bumps for the last few betas, but they're now visualized on the screen with small arrows on them, which is a nice improvement.

Tesla visualization speed bumps
As of beta 10.4, speed bumps now appear in the visualization
Frenchie/YouTube

Poles

These poles can often be seen on the side of some highways and are displayed as short gray sticks at the edge of the road.

Tesla visualization poles
FSD Beta shows a visualization for small poles
Frenchie/YouTube

Vehicles

Tesla displays the most common vehicle types. Obviously, Tesla will need to expand this list once they expand to some other countries where other vehicle types are popular. Elon has said in the past that Tesla will visualize other Teslas specifically in the car. Recent car data shows that Tesla is already identifying whether a car is a Tesla and what model it is. This is a nice addition, but really would likely have little benefit to FSD. Tesla may provide car-to-car communication if it detects there's another Tesla nearby, which could make some situations easier, such as the right way of situations.

Another vehicle type I'd like Tesla to react better to and visualize are trailers. There are many types of trailers and they often have segments you can see through, so this may be a little tougher, but it's an important vehicle type to add.

New Vehicle Models

Vehicle models are now much more detailed
Vehicle models are now much more detailed
Not a Tesla App

FSD Beta 10.12 introduces new vehicle models for almost every vehicle type.

Some of the vehicles have been completely redesigned and are more detailed and realistic looking than the previous models.

For example, a sedan now has wheels, windows and a glass roof, instead of the previous simplistic look that resembled a Model S keyfob.

Vehicle models are now much more detailed
Vehicle models are now much more detailed
Tesla_Raj/Twitter

Tesla currently shows seven different vehicle types, which include:

  • motorcycles
  • sedans
  • minivans/SUVs
  • pickup trucks
  • small trucks
  • tractor trailers
  • buses

Own Vehicle Attributes

When Autopilot is enabled you'll see a single line that determines the path the car is going to take. This is similar to using Navigate on Autopilot on the highway, except in this case the visualization is dotted and changes color.

Creep Visualization

A new visualization was introduced in FSD Beta 10.69 that allows you to visually see how far your vehicle is expected to creep forward. Prior to this visualization it was impossible to determine how far your vehicle was going to creep, which could make the driver feel uncomfortable in busy areas.

You can now visually see until where your vehicle will creep forward
You can now visually see until where your vehicle will creep forward
Chuck Cook/YouTube

Vehicle Path

The vehicle's intended path
The vehicle's intended path
DirtyTesla/YouTube

The line in front of the vehicle denotes the path the car is planning to take. The color of the path will vary, letting you know whether the car will be accelerating or braking at the given location.

As of FSD Beta 10.8, the line is now continous and blue. The darker blue portion of the line denotes that the vehicle will accelerate until it gets to the faded blue portion of the path. The faded blue segment represents when the vehicle will stop.

This is extremely helpful as it lets you know when the vehicle is planning to stop.

Prior to FSD Beta 10.8, the vehicle's path was shown as a dotted gray and teal line. When the dot is teal it shows that the vehicle is planning to continue moving at that location.

Tesla visualization displaying teal dots and what it means
The teal path represents when the car will accelerate
DirtyTesla/YouTube

In contrast to the teal path, the gray line denotes that the vehicle will not be accelerating at that location.

Ultrasonic Sensor Arcs

If the vehicle detects an object through its ultrasonic sensors, it will display an arc on the display in the direction of the object. The arc will change color depending on the distance of the object. The colors range from gray (furthest away), to yellow and red (closer object).

Road markings

There are various markings on the ground that help aid drivers and pedestrians.

Stopping Line

When coming to a red traffic light or a stop sign, you'll see the stopping line displayed. You may see it displayed in the car even if it's not on the road itself.

Crosswalks

Crosswalks have been displayed in FSD Betas for a while, but recently their visualization has been changed to a solid gray area inside of a pair of parallel lines. I'd like to see a texture added on top of these to include the often used crossing stripes on crosswalks.

Tesla displaying crosswalks

Arrows on Road

Arrows on the road which are often used to display which direction you can go in the given lane are displayed in the visualization.

Tesla visualization displaying road arrows

Images on the Road

Tesla FSD railroad crossing
Tesla FSD railroad crossing

Certain roads may contain images directly on the pavement to indicate a special use case. The car can correctly identify bicycle lanes, railroad crossings and handicap parking spots.

Tesla FSD can identify handicap parking spots
Tesla FSD can identify handicap parking spots

Words on the Road

Sometimes words are painted directly on the road. The car will only display a small subset of words that are seen while driving. You may see Stop and some others, but it's important to note that the car is not able to decipher each letter on the road and put together a word. The text shown in visualizations is predetermined.

Road Chevrons

You may occasionally see chevrons displayed in your lane. This visualization is not mimicking a real world object, but is instead used to let you know the car is slowing down because your lane is moving much faster than adjacent lanes.

Object Colors and Attributes

Sometimes you may see an object in the visualization change color. There are various visualization that change color to represent a special meaning.

Red Pedestrian

Similar to when a vehicle turns red, you may see a pedestrian flash red if your car is approaching a pedestrian too quickly.

Tesla warning you about a pedestrian
Tesla warning you about a pedestrian

Red Stopping Line

You'll sometimes see a stopping line turn red if you're approaching a stop sign or red light.

Blue Vehicle

If a vehicle turns blue in the visualization it means that this vehicle is in or will be in the direct path that your vehicle is planning to take. It will return to it's normal shade of gray once it passes.

Tesla visualization displaying blue cars and what it means

Red Vehicle

A vehicle will turn red when immediate action is required, such as in a Forward Collision Warning. The car has deemed that its rate of speed is too high based on the distance and speed of the vehicle in front of you.

Dark Gray Vehicle

A vehicle will turn a darker shade of gray if it's considered a lead vehicle. Your car uses a lead vehicle to help determine what to do. If your car is headed in the same direction as the lead vehicle it will follow it and use the lead vehicle to help determine the path your car should take.

A dark gray vehicle represents a lead vehicle
A dark gray vehicle represents a lead vehicle
DirtyTesla/YouTube

Brake lights

Brake lights are now displayed on other vehicles. This helps give the car another cue of when to slow down instead of basing it on the distance of the vehicle alone.

Elon has already said that Tesla will be expanding this beyond just brake lights and we'll see the car detect and react to turn signals, hazards, hand gestures and more.

The brake lights visualization has been improved
The brake lights visualization has been improved
@FrenchieEAP/Twitter

Traffic control

Traffic Lights

Tesla FSD displays traffic lights with arrows
Tesla FSD displays traffic lights with arrows

Traffic lights are displayed in collections of three and will display solid or flashing colors. The car will also display red, yellow or green arrows. You may see traffic lights displayed in other areas that use flashing lights such as "slow" signs or railroad crossings.

The visualization in the car is currently only capable of displaying the traditional three traffic lights, so regardless of how many lights there are in the object your car is detecting, it'll always display a 3-light traffic light.

Tesla visualization traffic lights

Speed Limit Signs

The car will detect and display various speed limit signs. It's not able to detect arbitrary signs, such as 23 MPH, but it will display predetermined speed limit signs.

Stop Signs

Stop signs are also displayed in red. As Tesla continues to develop FSD, I'd love to see Tesla augment real world data with map data. If the car is at an intersection that it knows there are stop signs in all directions, that's useful data when deciding when to go. It would also be a useful aid when someone is not in Autopilot, warning drivers that the crossing street does not stop.

Lines & Curbs

The car will display major lane markings and display them based on the road width and curvature. The car determines the road edges using only vision and it does not rely on map data to determine where roads are located or configured.

Single/Double Yellow Lines

Tesla visualization red lines showing a curb

The car will display continuous yellow lines and display them in yellow on the display.

Continuous/Dashed White Lines

Continuous white lines are also very accurately displayed

Red Lines

Red lines in the visualization determine the road edge and determine the driveable area for the vehicle. The red line may be at the same location as a yellow or white line if there is no space before the curb. You may also often see a large gap between a white or yellow line and the red line, which can be due to an emergency lane or large space before the curb.

Future Visualizations

Tesla continues to add more objects that the car is able to detect, react to and visualize in every update.

The latest update added speed bumps and improved sidewalks. The car can already detect emergency vehicles, but they're not displayed on the screen yet, but we know they're coming as models have already been found in recent Tesla firmware.

Teslas will soon be able to identify various emergency vehicles, including motocycles. They will also display sirens on the vehicles.

Tesla has come a long way in a short period of time with how many objects they're able to detect, but obviously when you compare the environment the car sees to the real world, there is still a lot missing.

In the short-term we'll likely see a bunch more objects visualized. We'll likely see other common objects added, especially if they appear on the road, such as trailers and gates.

In the future, I think we'll see Tesla display a rich, fuller 3D environment that will display static objects that the car will want to avoid in case of an accident, such as buildings, walls, trees, sidewalks and more.

Have a visualization we missed? Let us know and we'll add it.

How to Set Up Tesla USB Drive for Music; Supports Lossless Audio

By Karan Singh
Not a Tesla App

While Tesla supports a variety of music streaming services, including YouTube Music, Apple Music, and Spotify, there may be times you want to listen to music from a local USB drive.

While Bluetooth is also an option, it’s limited to what’s available on your phone and the lower streaming quality of Bluetooth.

In this guide, we’ll go through the benefits of having music on a USB drive and how to set it all up.

Benefits of Music on a USB Drive

Having music stored locally has several benefits. First is audio quality; since you’re under full control of the bitrate of the content, you can encode or buy music at much higher quality when compared to steaming content from Spotify or another streaming service. Tesla even supports FLAC’s lossless audio, letting you experience the best audio experience in your vehicle.

Local music also doesn’t require an internet connection, so if you frequently traffic through areas with a spotty connection, you may prefer to have music locally on hand.

While streaming content is convenient, you can be limited by the content that’s offered. If you prefer foreign music or other music that’s not available on a music service that Tesla supports, local content could be a great option.

Lastly, having music on a USB drive is a great option if you don’t subscribe to a music streaming service or don’t pay for Premium Connectivity in your Tesla.

Step 1: Use the Right USB Port

Not all USB ports in a Tesla support data transfer. While some models have USB data ports in the rear console or center console, they do not support media playback and can only be used to charge a device.

Instead, your best bet is to use the USB port inside the glovebox, which is designed for both dashcam video storage and music playback. While some vehicles may also support data transfer through the USB ports in the front console, not all of them do. Older vehicles may not have a USB port in the globebox, and you’ll be limited in using the USB ports in the console.

Important: You cannot play music from a phone, tablet, or external music player over USB—only from a properly formatted USB storage device.

Step 2: Format Your USB Drive

Every new Tesla comes with a high-speed USB drive pre-installed in the glovebox, formatted for Sentry Mode and Dashcam storage. If your vehicle didn’t come with one, or you want to use a larger or separate drive for Sentry Mode or music, you’ll need to format it first.

How to Format a USB Drive in Your Tesla

  1. Insert your USB drive into the desired USB port.

  2. Navigate to Controls > Safety > Format USB Drive

  3. Wait a few seconds (it may take longer for large drives), and the system will format the drive and create the necessary folders (e.g., for Sentry Mode and Track Mode).

💡 Tip: Use a high-speed, high-capacity SSD for the best experience. Regular flash drives work, but SSDs provide faster loading times and more capability.

Step 3: Add Your Music

Once your USB drive is formatted, unplug the USB drive from your Tesla and connect it to your computer to add your music files.

Organizing Your Music:

Create a folder called Music at the top level of the USB drive. All music must be added to this folder.

You can organize the music however you prefer, and you’ll be able to view the folders in the vehicle when selecting music. Most users prefer to have folders that include the name of the artist with subfolders for the album name, but how you organize the content is completely up to you.

If your music files content metadata such as song title, artist, album, etc, it will automatically be displayed in Tesla’s media player.

Supported Audio Formats

Tesla’s music player supports a variety of audio formats, including wave, MP3, and FLAC (lossless), but it does not support AAC (Apple's iTunes format). If you have AAC files, you can convert them to MP3 or FLAC before transferring them.

Step 4: Play Your Music

Not a Tesla App

Once you’ve transferred your music, you can bring it back to your Tesla.

  1. Insert the USB drive into the front console or glovebox port.

  2. You’ll now have a new app under the all apps menu called USB.

  3. The USB app will let you view all of your supported audio content on the USB drive. You’ll be able to view the content by song, artist, album, genre, and folder structure.

First-time indexing of audio content may take a few seconds (longer for larger drives). Tesla re-indexes the drive every time the car wakes from sleep, so keeping the total file size under 30GB ensures faster access.

Voice Commands and Search

While music stored on the USB drive will behave much like other content that’s played over streaming services, there are a few limitations.

Voice commands can not be used to play a specific song or artist from your USB drive. If you ask the vehicle to play any content, it’ll default to one of the music services.

Music search is also not supported. While search will show content from all music services that aren’t hidden, it will not include music from your USB drive.

Enjoy the Best Sound Tesla Has to Offer

Tesla’s audio system is meticulously engineered for a premium sound experience, and playing lossless audio over USB takes full advantage of that. If you’re an audiophile, this setup ensures you hear your music in its purest form—no compression, no interference, just crystal-clear sound.

Now, plug in, press play, and enjoy the ride.

Tesla Cybertruck Features Coming: New Suspension Controls, Rockers and Free Cyber Wheel Caps

By Karan Singh
Not a Tesla App

Another month brings another exciting update packed with Cybertruck news. Grab your stainless steel mug and join us as we dive into the latest developments, from new features to upcoming products—all things Cybertruck.

This recap covers news from early January to early February, keeping you updated on the latest updates and what’s coming next for the Cybertruck.

Off Road Armor & Rockers Coming Soon

The prototype Off Road Armor in all its glory.
The prototype Off Road Armor in all its glory.
Not a Tesla App

Back in 2024, Wes Morril (Cybertruck’s Lead Engineer) and Siddhant Awasthi (Cybertruck’s Program Manager) teased the arrival of off-road armor, expected to launch for customer purchase in Winter 2024. Unfortunately, that hasn’t materialized.

But there’s good news. Wes recently showcased the prototype off-road armor and side rockers, confirming they’re on the way. Tesla plans to add them to the store by the end of March. Pricing details are still unknown, but since this armor covers the entire underbody of the Cybertruck, it’s safe to assume it won’t come cheap.

Wheel Cover Supply Confirmed

Tesla has been working hard to get Cybertruck wheel covers to early owners. While new deliveries now come with them pre-installed, some customers— including those who received their Cybertrucks as far back as March 2024—are still waiting.

According to Siddhant Awasthi, Tesla has secured a supply of the covers, but distribution remains a challenge. So far, about 32% of eligible owners have received theirs, with more shipments on the way.

In the meantime, Tesla is offering complimentary Cyber Wheel Caps to owners still waiting for their covers. These will be sent out for free, with email notifications already rolling out.

Air Suspension Controls and Improvements

Strangely, the Cybertruck still lacks the ability to control vehicle height from the app—a feature that would be incredibly useful for off-roading and just cool to have in general.

The good news is that Siddhant Awasthi recently hinted that improvements to the air suspension controls are on the way, along with other unannounced feature upgrades.

Could this mean more advanced vehicle leveling, finer height adjustments, or even the ability to drive in High mode at faster speeds? We’ll have to wait and see, but we’re definitely excited to find out.

Cold Weather Update Delayed

The Cybertruck continues to face regen and charging issues, and although a fix may arrive in update 2025.2, that update has yet to hit the Cybertruck.

We reached out to Tesla Service for an update. While they previously stated the fix would land in 2025.2, they now say it’s “coming soon,” so it’s unclear whether we’ll even get those fixes this winter.

RWD Cybertruck Coming Soon, EV Rebate Available Now

In case you missed it, the RWD Cybertruck is expected to arrive soon, and the Dual Motor variant now qualifies for the Federal EV Rebate in the U.S.

The RWD model will likely launch with a few feature omissions, including:

• A manual tonneau cover instead of an automatic one

• Potentially optional PowerShare functionality

• Internal and rear AC outlets may also be missing

You can dive into all the things that may be different with the RWD Cybertruck.

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