Xamarin.Forms - Camera App

Logesh Palani
Nov 22, 2017

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Introduction

This article demonstrates how to create your own camera application to capture pictures and videos.It's showing imageview or videoview in the last capture.

Browse code

Step 1

You can get started with a new Xamarin.Forms app by going to File ->New -> Visual C# -> Cross Platform -> select Crossplatform app(Xamarin.Forms or Native) and give the application suitable name, such as Camera App and solution name. Choose your project location,then click ok.

Step 2

After the project creation, add the following Nuget Packages for your projects

Xam.Plugin.Media

For that, open Solution Explorer ->right click to solution explorer and select "Manage NugetPacages for the solution".

Now,select the following nuget packages and followedby select your project then click to Install it.
Xam.Plugin.Media

Step 3

Now, we need to add camera controls to your projects.For that go to Solution Explorer -> Camera App(PCL) >> click open MainPage.xaml and you can add XAML code to your project.here the code is given.

Toolbar Items

Button - Take a photo with clicked event
Button - Pick a photo already taken with clicked event
Button - Take a video with clicked event
Button - Pick a video already taken with clicked event
Image - To display a image last taken

<ContentPage xmlns="http://xamarin.com/schemas/2014/forms"
xmlns:x="http://schemas.microsoft.com/winfx/2009/xaml"
xmlns:local="clr-namespace:SEC"
x:Class="SEC.MainPage"
Title="Camera Access"
BackgroundColor="Gray">
<ScrollView>
<StackLayout>
<Label Text="Welcome to Camera Access In Xamarin forms"/>
<Button Text="Take a Photo"
x:Name="takePhoto"
BackgroundColor="Fuchsia"
Clicked="TakeAPhotoButton_OnClicked"/>
<Button Text="Pick a Photo"
x:Name="pickPhoto"
BackgroundColor="Blue"
Clicked="PickAPhotoButton_OnClicked"/>
<Button Text="Take A Video"
x:Name="takeVideo"
BackgroundColor="Gray"
Clicked="TakeAVideoButton_OnClicked"/>
<Button Text="Pick A Video"
x:Name="pickVideo"
BackgroundColor="Green"
Clicked="PickAVideoButton_OnClicked"/>
<Image x:Name="image"/>
</StackLayout>
</ScrollView>
</ContentPage>

Step 4

In this step, open Solution Explorer >> CameraApp(PCL)>> double click to open Mainpage.xaml.cs.Here the code for this page

using System;
using System.Collections.Generic;
using System.Linq;
using System.Text;
using System.Threading.Tasks;
using Plugin.Media;
using Xamarin.Forms;
namespace SEC
{
public partial class MainPage : ContentPage
{
public MainPage()
{
InitializeComponent();
takePhoto.Clicked += async (sender, args) =>
{
if (!CrossMedia.Current.IsCameraAvailable || !CrossMedia.Current.IsTakePhotoSupported)
{
await DisplayAlert("No Camera", ":( No camera avaialble.", "OK");
return;
}
var file = await CrossMedia.Current.TakePhotoAsync(new Plugin.Media.Abstractions.StoreCameraMediaOptions
{
PhotoSize = Plugin.Media.Abstractions.PhotoSize.Medium,
Directory = "Sample",
Name = "test.jpg"
});
if (file == null)
return;
await DisplayAlert("File Location", file.Path, "OK");
image.Source = ImageSource.FromStream(() =>
{
var stream = file.GetStream();
file.Dispose();
return stream;
});
};
pickPhoto.Clicked += async (sender, args) =>
{
if (!CrossMedia.Current.IsPickPhotoSupported)
{
await DisplayAlert("Photos Not Supported", ":( Permission not granted to photos.", "OK");
return;
}
var file = await Plugin.Media.CrossMedia.Current.PickPhotoAsync(new Plugin.Media.Abstractions.PickMediaOptions
{
PhotoSize = Plugin.Media.Abstractions.PhotoSize.Medium
});
if (file == null)
return;
image.Source = ImageSource.FromStream(() =>
{
var stream = file.GetStream();
file.Dispose();
return stream;
});
};
takeVideo.Clicked += async (sender, args) =>
{
if (!CrossMedia.Current.IsCameraAvailable || !CrossMedia.Current.IsTakeVideoSupported)
{
await DisplayAlert("No Camera", ":( No camera avaialble.", "OK");
return;
}
var file = await CrossMedia.Current.TakeVideoAsync(new Plugin.Media.Abstractions.StoreVideoOptions
{
Name = "video.mp4",
Directory = "DefaultVideos",
});
if (file == null)
return;
await DisplayAlert("Video Recorded", "Location: " + file.Path, "OK");
file.Dispose();
};
pickVideo.Clicked += async (sender, args) =>
{
if (!CrossMedia.Current.IsPickVideoSupported)
{
await DisplayAlert("Videos Not Supported", ":( Permission not granted to videos.", "OK");
return;
}
var file = await CrossMedia.Current.PickVideoAsync();
if (file == null)
return;
await DisplayAlert("Video Selected", "Location: " + file.Path, "OK");
file.Dispose();
};
}

Step 5

Now, we need to add namespaces.For that,go to Solution Explorer>>Camera App(PCL)>>click open Mainpage.xaml.cs page design view and add the following namespaces.

using System;
using System.Threading.Tasks;
using Android.App;
using Android.Content.PM;
using Android.Runtime;
using Android.Views;
using Android.Widget;
using Android.OS;
using Plugin.Media;

Step 6

Next, Add await oncreate override method to your Android projects to initialize the camera and add namespaces. For that go to Solution Explorer >> open CameraApp.Droid project >> select MainActivity.cs and click open MainActivity.cs.Insert the given below code.

MainActivity.cs

Using Plugin.Media;

using System;
using System.Threading.Tasks;
using Android.App;
using Android.Content.PM;
using Android.Runtime;
using Android.Views;
using Android.Widget;
using Android.OS;
using Plugin.Media;
namespace SEC.Droid
{
[Activity(Label = "SEC", Icon = "@drawable/icon", Theme = "@style/MainTheme", MainLauncher = true, ConfigurationChanges = ConfigChanges.ScreenSize | ConfigChanges.Orientation)]
public class MainActivity : global::Xamarin.Forms.Platform.Android.FormsAppCompatActivity
{
protected override async void OnCreate(Bundle bundle)
{
TabLayoutResource = Resource.Layout.Tabbar;
ToolbarResource = Resource.Layout.Toolbar;
base.OnCreate(bundle);
await CrossMedia.Current.Initialize();
global::Xamarin.Forms.Forms.Init(this, bundle);
LoadApplication(new App());
}
}
}