Develop Reference

Android camera won't save video

The code is from google guide for camera usage, but it won't save the recorded video. I compared this code with another recorders I find here, but nothing works.
Here is the code.
CameraActivity:
package test.com;
import android.app.Activity;
import android.content.Context;
import android.content.pm.PackageManager;
import android.hardware.Camera;
import android.media.CamcorderProfile;
import android.media.MediaRecorder;
import android.net.Uri;
import android.os.Bundle;
import android.os.Environment;
import android.util.Log;
import android.view.View;
import android.widget.Button;
import android.widget.FrameLayout;
import android.widget.Toast;
import java.io.File;
import java.io.IOException;
import java.text.SimpleDateFormat;
import java.util.Date;
import test.com.CameraPreview;
public class CameraActivity extends Activity implements View.OnClickListener{
private Camera mCamera;
private CameraPreview mPreview;
private Button recordButton;
private Button stopButton;
private MediaRecorder mMediaRecorder;
public static final int MEDIA_TYPE_IMAGE = 1;
public static final int MEDIA_TYPE_VIDEO = 2;
#Override
public void onCreate(Bundle savedInstanceState) {
super.onCreate(savedInstanceState);
setContentView(R.layout.activity_video_capture);
// Create an instance of Camera
mCamera = this.getCameraInstance();
// Create our Preview view and set it as the content of our activity.
mPreview = new CameraPreview(this, mCamera);
FrameLayout preview = (FrameLayout) findViewById(R.id.camera_preview);
preview.addView(mPreview);
this.stopButton = (Button)findViewById(R.id.button_stop);
this.recordButton = (Button)findViewById(R.id.button_capture);
this.recordButton.setOnClickListener(this);
this.stopButton.setOnClickListener(this);
}
private boolean checkCameraHardware(Context context) {
return context.getPackageManager().hasSystemFeature(PackageManager.FEATURE_CAMERA_FRONT);
}
#Override
public void onClick(View v) {
if(v.getId() == this.recordButton.getId()){
if(prepareVideoRecorder()){
if(checkCameraHardware(this)) {
Log.d("r1", "Started");
Toast.makeText(this, "Started", Toast.LENGTH_LONG).show();
this.mMediaRecorder.start();
} else {
Toast.makeText(this, "Error", Toast.LENGTH_LONG).show();
}
}
} else if(v.getId() == this.stopButton.getId()){
Log.d("r1", "Stopped");
Toast.makeText(this, "Stopped", Toast.LENGTH_LONG).show();
this.mMediaRecorder.stop();
this.mMediaRecorder.release();
this.mCamera.lock();
this.mCamera.stopPreview();
this.mCamera.release();
}
}
private boolean prepareVideoRecorder(){
mMediaRecorder = new MediaRecorder();
try {
// Step 1: Unlock and set camera to MediaRecorder
mCamera.unlock();
mMediaRecorder.setCamera(mCamera);
// Step 2: Set sources
mMediaRecorder.setAudioSource(MediaRecorder.AudioSource.MIC);
mMediaRecorder.setVideoSource(MediaRecorder.VideoSource.CAMERA);
// Step 3: Set a CamcorderProfile (requires API Level 8 or higher)
mMediaRecorder.setProfile(CamcorderProfile.get(CamcorderProfile.QUALITY_HIGH));
// Step 4: Set output file
mMediaRecorder.setOutputFile(getOutputMediaFile(MEDIA_TYPE_VIDEO).toString());
// Step 5: Set the preview output
mMediaRecorder.setPreviewDisplay(mPreview.getHolder().getSurface());
}
catch (Exception e) {
String message = e.getMessage();
Log.d("tag", e.toString());
}
// Step 6: Prepare configured MediaRecorder
try {
mMediaRecorder.prepare();
} catch (IllegalStateException e) {
Log.d("tag", "IllegalStateException preparing MediaRecorder: " + e.getMessage());
releaseMediaRecorder();
return false;
} catch (IOException e) {
Log.d("tag", "IOException preparing MediaRecorder: " + e.getMessage());
releaseMediaRecorder();
return false;
}
return true;
}
private static File getOutputMediaFile(int type){
// To be safe, you should check that the SDCard is mounted
// using Environment.getExternalStorageState() before doing this.
File mediaStorageDir = new File(Environment.getExternalStoragePublicDirectory(
Environment.DIRECTORY_PICTURES), "MyCameraApp");
// This location works best if you want the created images to be shared
// between applications and persist after your app has been uninstalled.
// Create the storage directory if it does not exist
if (! mediaStorageDir.exists()){
if (! mediaStorageDir.mkdirs()){
Log.d("MyCameraApp", "failed to create directory");
return null;
}
}
// Create a media file name
String timeStamp = new SimpleDateFormat("yyyyMMdd_HHmmss").format(new Date());
File mediaFile;
if (type == MEDIA_TYPE_IMAGE){
mediaFile = new File(mediaStorageDir.getPath() + File.separator +
"IMG_"+ timeStamp + ".jpg");
} else if(type == MEDIA_TYPE_VIDEO) {
mediaFile = new File(mediaStorageDir.getPath() + File.separator +
"VID_"+ timeStamp + ".mp4");
} else {
return null;
}
return mediaFile;
}
private void releaseMediaRecorder(){
if (mMediaRecorder != null) {
mMediaRecorder.reset();
mMediaRecorder.release();
mMediaRecorder = null;
}
}
public static Camera getCameraInstance(){
Camera c = null;
try {
int cameraType = 1; // front camera
c = Camera.open(cameraType); // attempt to get a Camera instance
}
catch (Exception e){
// Camera is not available (in use or does not exist)
}
return c; // returns null if camera is unavailable
}
}
CameraPreview:
package test.com;
import android.content.Context;
import android.hardware.Camera;
import android.util.Log;
import android.view.SurfaceHolder;
import android.view.SurfaceView;
import java.io.IOException;
public class CameraPreview extends SurfaceView implements SurfaceHolder.Callback {
private SurfaceHolder mHolder;
private Camera mCamera;
public CameraPreview(Context context, Camera camera) {
super(context);
mCamera = camera;
// Install a SurfaceHolder.Callback so we get notified when the
// underlying surface is created and destroyed.
mHolder = getHolder();
mHolder.addCallback(this);
// deprecated setting, but required on Android versions prior to 3.0
mHolder.setType(SurfaceHolder.SURFACE_TYPE_PUSH_BUFFERS);
}
public void surfaceCreated(SurfaceHolder holder) {
// The Surface has been created, now tell the camera where to draw the preview.
try {
mCamera.setPreviewDisplay(holder);
mCamera.startPreview();
} catch (IOException e) {
Log.d("tag", "Error setting camera preview: " + e.getMessage());
}
}
public void surfaceDestroyed(SurfaceHolder holder) {
// empty. Take care of releasing the Camera preview in your activity.
}
public void surfaceChanged(SurfaceHolder holder, int format, int w, int h) {
// If your preview can change or rotate, take care of those events here.
// Make sure to stop the preview before resizing or reformatting it.
if (mHolder.getSurface() == null){
// preview surface does not exist
return;
}
// stop preview before making changes
try {
mCamera.stopPreview();
} catch (Exception e){
// ignore: tried to stop a non-existent preview
}
// set preview size and make any resize, rotate or
// reformatting changes here
// start preview with new settings
try {
mCamera.setPreviewDisplay(mHolder);
mCamera.startPreview();
} catch (Exception e){
Log.d("tag", "Error starting camera preview: " + e.getMessage());
}
}
}
Manifest:
<?xml version="1.0" encoding="utf-8"?>
<manifest xmlns:android="http://schemas.android.com/apk/res/android"
package="test.com"
android:versionCode="1"
android:versionName="1.0" >
<uses-sdk
android:minSdkVersion="9"
android:targetSdkVersion="18" />
<uses-permission android:name="android.permission.CAMERA" />
<uses-feature android:name="android.hardware.camera" />
<uses-feature android:name="android.hardware.camera.autofocus" />
<uses-permission android:name="android.permission.WRITE_EXTERNAL_STORAGE" />
<uses-permission android:name="android.permission.RECORD_AUDIO" />
<application
android:allowBackup="true"
android:label="#string/app_name"
android:theme="#style/AppTheme" >
<activity android:name=".CameraActivity"
android:label="#string/app_name"
android:screenOrientation="landscape">
<!-- configure this activity to use landscape orientation -->
<intent-filter>
<action android:name="android.intent.action.MAIN" />
<category android:name="android.intent.category.LAUNCHER" />
</intent-filter>
</activity>
</application>
</manifest>
And the layout:
<?xml version="1.0" encoding="utf-8"?>
<LinearLayout xmlns:android="http://schemas.android.com/apk/res/android"
android:orientation="horizontal"
android:layout_width="fill_parent"
android:layout_height="fill_parent"
>
<FrameLayout
android:id="#+id/camera_preview"
android:layout_width="fill_parent"
android:layout_height="fill_parent"
android:layout_weight="1"
/>
<Button
android:id="#+id/button_capture"
android:text="Capture"
android:layout_width="wrap_content"
android:layout_height="wrap_content"
android:layout_gravity="center"
/>
<Button
android:id="#+id/button_stop"
android:text="Stop"
android:layout_width="wrap_content"
android:layout_height="wrap_content"
android:layout_gravity="center"
/>
</LinearLayout>

Message "Camera has stopped" when using Glass GDK and Android Camera API

I wondered if anyone has tried using the standard Android Camera API (http://developer.android.com/guide/topics/media/camera.html) to control the camera in an app.
I was able to get my app to work using the startActivityForResult() method, but was a bit disappointed in how long it took to get an image back from the file system, so I wanted to try the other route, using the CameraPreview.
I set up some code based on the Android Camera API example, and it builds and runs fine, but after surfaceChanged executes I get a message in the screen "The Camera has stopped."
Later Edit - I moved the camera activity into its own project and now it works but it gets the preview scrambled. But after the pic is taken it shows fine. Here is the layout code:
<?xml version="1.0" encoding="utf-8"?>
<LinearLayout xmlns:android="http://schemas.android.com/apk/res/android"
android:orientation="horizontal"
android:layout_width="fill_parent"
android:layout_height="fill_parent"
>
<FrameLayout
android:id="#+id/camera_preview"
android:layout_width="fill_parent"
android:layout_height="fill_parent"
android:layout_weight="1"
/>
</LinearLayout>
And here is the Activity source:
package com.example.cameratest;
import java.io.File;
import java.io.FileNotFoundException;
import java.io.FileOutputStream;
import java.io.IOException;
import java.text.SimpleDateFormat;
import java.util.Date;
import com.google.android.glass.touchpad.Gesture;
import com.google.android.glass.touchpad.GestureDetector;
import android.net.Uri;
import android.os.Bundle;
import android.os.Environment;
import android.provider.MediaStore.Files.FileColumns;
import android.app.Activity;
import android.content.Context;
import android.hardware.Camera;
import android.hardware.Camera.PictureCallback;
import android.util.Log;
import android.view.Menu;
import android.view.MotionEvent;
import android.view.SurfaceHolder;
import android.view.SurfaceView;
import android.view.WindowManager;
import android.widget.FrameLayout;
public class MainActivity extends Activity {
private static final String TAG = MainActivity.class.getSimpleName();
private GestureDetector mGestureDetector;
private Camera mCamera;
private CameraPreview mPreview;
private static boolean gotCamera = false;
private PictureCallback mPicture = new PictureCallback() {
#Override
public void onPictureTaken(byte[] data, Camera camera) {
File pictureFile = getOutputMediaFile(FileColumns.MEDIA_TYPE_IMAGE);
if (pictureFile == null){
Log.d(TAG, "Error creating media file, check storage permissions");
return;
}
try {
FileOutputStream fos = new FileOutputStream(pictureFile);
fos.write(data);
fos.close();
} catch (FileNotFoundException e) {
Log.d(TAG, "File not found: " + e.getMessage());
} catch (IOException e) {
Log.d(TAG, "Error accessing file: " + e.getMessage());
}
}
};
/** Create a file Uri for saving an image or video */
private static Uri getOutputMediaFileUri(int type){
return Uri.fromFile(getOutputMediaFile(type));
}
/** Create a File for saving an image or video */
private static File getOutputMediaFile(int type){
// To be safe, you should check that the SDCard is mounted
// using Environment.getExternalStorageState() before doing this.
File mediaStorageDir = new File(Environment.getExternalStoragePublicDirectory(
Environment.DIRECTORY_PICTURES), "MyCameraApp");
// This location works best if you want the created images to be shared
// between applications and persist after your app has been uninstalled.
// Create the storage directory if it does not exist
if (! mediaStorageDir.exists()){
if (! mediaStorageDir.mkdirs()){
Log.d("MyCameraApp", "failed to create directory");
return null;
}
}
// Create a media file name
String timeStamp = new SimpleDateFormat("yyyyMMdd_HHmmss").format(new Date());
File mediaFile;
if (type == FileColumns.MEDIA_TYPE_IMAGE){
mediaFile = new File(mediaStorageDir.getPath() + File.separator +
"IMG_"+ timeStamp + ".jpg");
} else if(type == FileColumns.MEDIA_TYPE_VIDEO) {
mediaFile = new File(mediaStorageDir.getPath() + File.separator +
"VID_"+ timeStamp + ".mp4");
} else {
return null;
}
return mediaFile;
}
#Override
protected void onCreate(Bundle savedInstanceState) {
super.onCreate(savedInstanceState);
getWindow().addFlags(WindowManager.LayoutParams.FLAG_KEEP_SCREEN_ON);
mGestureDetector = createGestureDetector(this);
setContentView(R.layout.activity_main);
// Create an instance of Camera
mCamera = getCameraInstance();
if (gotCamera) {
// Create our Preview view and set it as the content of our activity.
Log.v(TAG,"We got the camera");
mPreview = new CameraPreview(this, mCamera);
FrameLayout preview = (FrameLayout) findViewById(R.id.camera_preview);
preview.addView(mPreview);
}
else {
finish();
}
}
private static Camera getCameraInstance(){
gotCamera = false;
Camera c = null;
try {
c = Camera.open(); // attempt to get a Camera instance
gotCamera = true;
}
catch (Exception e){
// Camera is not available (in use or does not exist)
Log.v(TAG,"Camera is not available!");
}
return c; // returns null if camera is unavailable
}
#Override
public boolean onCreateOptionsMenu(Menu menu) {
// Inflate the menu; this adds items to the action bar if it is present.
getMenuInflater().inflate(R.menu.main, menu);
return true;
}
/*
* Send generic motion events to the gesture detector
*/
#Override
public boolean onGenericMotionEvent(MotionEvent event) {
if (mGestureDetector != null) {
return mGestureDetector.onMotionEvent(event);
}
return false;
}
private GestureDetector createGestureDetector(Context context) {
GestureDetector gestureDetector = new GestureDetector(context);
//Create a base listener for generic gestures
gestureDetector.setBaseListener( new GestureDetector.BaseListener() {
#Override
public boolean onGesture(Gesture gesture) {
if (gesture == Gesture.TAP) {
// do something on tap
Log.v(TAG,"tap");
// take a picture
takePic();
return true;
} else if (gesture == Gesture.TWO_TAP) {
// do something on two finger tap
return true;
} else if (gesture == Gesture.SWIPE_RIGHT) {
// do something on right (forward) swipe
return true;
} else if (gesture == Gesture.SWIPE_LEFT) {
// do something on left (backwards) swipe
return true;
}
return false;
}
});
gestureDetector.setFingerListener(new GestureDetector.FingerListener() {
#Override
public void onFingerCountChanged(int previousCount, int currentCount) {
// do something on finger count changes
}
});
gestureDetector.setScrollListener(new GestureDetector.ScrollListener() {
#Override
public boolean onScroll(float displacement, float delta, float velocity) {
// do something on scrolling
return false;
}
});
return gestureDetector;
}
private class CameraPreview extends SurfaceView implements SurfaceHolder.Callback {
private SurfaceHolder mHolder;
private Camera mCamera;
public CameraPreview(Context context, Camera camera) {
super(context);
mCamera = camera;
Log.v(TAG,"In CameraPreview");
// Install a SurfaceHolder.Callback so we get notified when the
// underlying surface is created and destroyed.
mHolder = getHolder();
Log.v(TAG,"Got holder");
mHolder.addCallback(this);
Log.v(TAG,"Added callback");
// deprecated setting, but required on Android versions prior to 3.0
//mHolder.setType(SurfaceHolder.SURFACE_TYPE_PUSH_BUFFERS);
}
public void surfaceCreated(SurfaceHolder holder) {
// The Surface has been created, now tell the camera where to draw the preview.
try {
Log.v(TAG,"in surface created");
mCamera.setPreviewDisplay(holder);
Log.v(TAG,"set preview display");
mCamera.startPreview();
Log.v(TAG,"preview started");
} catch (IOException e) {
Log.d(TAG, "Error setting camera preview: " + e.getMessage());
}
}
public void surfaceDestroyed(SurfaceHolder holder) {
// empty. Take care of releasing the Camera preview in your activity.
mCamera.stopPreview();
mCamera.release();
mCamera = null;
}
public void surfaceChanged(SurfaceHolder holder, int format, int w, int h) {
// If your preview can change or rotate, take care of those events here.
// Make sure to stop the preview before resizing or reformatting it.
Log.v(TAG,"in surface changted");
if (mHolder.getSurface() == null){
// preview surface does not exist
Log.v(TAG,"surface don't exist");
return;
}
// stop preview before making changes
try {
mCamera.stopPreview();
Log.v(TAG,"stopped preview");
} catch (Exception e){
// ignore: tried to stop a non-existent preview
Log.v(TAG,"preview e");
}
// start preview with new settings
try {
Log.v(TAG,"startpreview");
mCamera.setPreviewDisplay(mHolder);
mCamera.startPreview();
} catch (Exception e){
Log.d(TAG, "Error starting camera preview: " + e.getMessage());
}
}
}
public void takePic() {
// get an image from the camera
mCamera.takePicture(null, null, mPicture);
}
}

The code you have for surfaceChanged looks fine, similar to what I have in my working Glass app. Have you checked the camera parameters passed to Camera.setParameters, such as preview size and focus mode? If you can post the full activity source in the question that would help finding the issue.

building camera app on android

hey there I'm new to app developing and I'm trying to build an app which includes the camera.
I followed the android developers guide and yet the app won't run, after trying to look for old answers in this site and not finding any that helped me, I'm asking for your help.
here's my code:
package com.example.camera;
import java.io.File;
import java.io.FileNotFoundException;
import java.io.FileOutputStream;
import java.io.IOException;
import java.text.SimpleDateFormat;
import java.util.Date;
import android.app.Activity;
import android.content.Context;
import android.content.pm.PackageManager;
import android.hardware.Camera;
import android.hardware.Camera.PictureCallback;
import android.net.Uri;
import android.os.Bundle;
import android.os.Environment;
import android.util.Log;
import android.view.View;
import android.widget.Button;
import android.widget.FrameLayout;
public class MainActivity extends Activity {
public static final int MEDIA_TYPE_IMAGE = 1;
public static String TAG="MainActivity";
private Camera camera;
private CameraPreview preview;
private PictureCallback picture;
private FileNotFoundException err;
public static Camera getCameraInstance(){
Camera c = null;
try {
c = Camera.open(); // attempt to get a Camera insta
}
catch (Exception e){
// Camera is not available (in use or does not exist)
}
return c; // returns null if camera is unavailable
}
private boolean checkCameraHardware(Context context) {
if (context.getPackageManager().hasSystemFeature(PackageManager.FEATURE_CAMERA)){
// this device has a camera
return true;
} else {
// no camera on this device
return false;
}
}
#Override
protected void onCreate(Bundle savedInstanceState) {
super.onCreate(savedInstanceState);
setContentView(R.layout.activity_main);
camera = getCameraInstance();
preview = new CameraPreview(this, camera);
FrameLayout FLpreview = (FrameLayout) findViewById(R.id.camera_preview);
FLpreview.addView(preview);
picture = new PictureCallback() {
#Override
public void onPictureTaken(byte[] data, Camera camera) {
File pictureFile = getOutputMediaFile(MEDIA_TYPE_IMAGE);
if (pictureFile == null){
Log.d(TAG, "Error creating media file, check storage permissions: "+ err.getMessage());
return;
}
try {
FileOutputStream fos = new FileOutputStream(pictureFile);
fos.write(data);
fos.close();
} catch (FileNotFoundException e) {
Log.d(TAG, "File not found: " + e.getMessage());
} catch (IOException e) {
Log.d(TAG, "Error accessing file: " + e.getMessage());
}
}
};
Button captureButton = (Button) findViewById(R.id.button_capture);
captureButton.setOnClickListener(
new View.OnClickListener() {
#Override
public void onClick(View v) {
// get an image from the camera
camera.takePicture(null, null, picture);
}
}
);
}
/** A safe way to get an instance of the Camera object. */
private void releaseCamera(){
if (camera != null){
camera.release(); // release the camera for other applications
camera = null;
}
}
private static Uri getOutputMediaFileUri(int type){
return Uri.fromFile(getOutputMediaFile(type));
}
/** Create a File for saving an image or video */
private static File getOutputMediaFile(int type){
// To be safe, you should check that the SDCard is mounted
// using Environment.getExternalStorageState() before doing this.
File mediaStorageDir = new File(Environment.getExternalStoragePublicDirectory(
Environment.DIRECTORY_PICTURES), "MyCameraApp");
// This location works best if you want the created images to be shared
// between applications and persist after your app has been uninstalled.
// Create the storage directory if it does not exist
if (! mediaStorageDir.exists()){
if (! mediaStorageDir.mkdirs()){
Log.d("MyCameraApp", "failed to create directory");
return null;
}
}
// Create a media file name
String timeStamp = new SimpleDateFormat("yyyyMMdd_HHmmss").format(new Date());
File mediaFile;
if (type == MEDIA_TYPE_IMAGE){
mediaFile = new File(mediaStorageDir.getPath() + File.separator +
"IMG_"+ timeStamp + ".jpg");
} else {
return null;
}
return mediaFile;
}
}
and here's the code for the surfaceholder:
package com.example.camera;
import java.io.IOException;
import android.content.Context;
import android.hardware.Camera;
import android.util.Log;
import android.view.SurfaceHolder;
import android.view.SurfaceView;
public class CameraPreview extends SurfaceView implements SurfaceHolder.Callback {
private SurfaceHolder holder;
private Camera camera;
public static String TAG="MainActivity";
public CameraPreview(Context context, Camera cam) {
super(context);
camera=cam;
holder=getHolder();
holder.addCallback(this);
holder.setType(SurfaceHolder.SURFACE_TYPE_PUSH_BUFFERS);
}
public void surfaceCreated(SurfaceHolder holder) {
// The Surface has been created, now tell the camera where to draw the preview.
try {
camera.setPreviewDisplay(holder);
camera.startPreview();
} catch (IOException e) {
Log.d(TAG, "Error setting camera preview: " + e.getMessage());
}
}
public void surfaceChanged(SurfaceHolder holder, int format, int w, int h) {
// If your preview can change or rotate, take care of those events here.
// Make sure to stop the preview before resizing or reformatting it.
if (holder.getSurface() == null){
// preview surface does not exist
return;
}
// stop preview before making changes
try {
camera.stopPreview();
} catch (Exception e){
// ignore: tried to stop a non-existent preview
}
// set preview size and make any resize, rotate or
// reformatting changes here
// start preview with new settings
try {
camera.setPreviewDisplay(holder);
camera.setDisplayOrientation(0);
camera.startPreview();
} catch (Exception e){
Log.d(TAG, "Error starting camera preview: " + e.getMessage());
}
}
public void surfaceDestroyed(SurfaceHolder holder) {
// empty. Take care of releasing the Camera preview in your activity.
}
}
and lastly, Logcat:
07-31 12:06:06.361: W/Camera(998): ICamera died
07-31 12:06:06.361: W/Camera(998): Camera server died!
07-31 12:06:06.381: E/Camera(998): Error 100
Thanks a bunch!

Try to getCameraInstance() a bit later, e.g. onStart()

Error starting camera preview: startPreview failed

I am new to Java and android development. I am trying to open a camera in a app as shown in the android development sites.
I have a CameraActivity which calls the CameraPreview. As stated in the title, I get the error "startPreview failed". That is followed by "Camera server died!", "Icamera died", "Error 100".
This is my first time posting here, so I appologize if my format is the standard practice. Thank you for any help you can offer.
The code is as follows:
CameraPreview class:
package com.example.myfirstapp;
import java.io.IOException;
import android.content.Context;
import android.hardware.Camera;
import android.util.Log;
import android.view.SurfaceHolder;
import android.view.SurfaceView;
public class CameraPreview extends SurfaceView implements SurfaceHolder.Callback {
private SurfaceHolder mHolder;
private Camera mCamera;
public static String TAG="CameraPreview";
public CameraPreview(Context context, Camera camera) {
super(context);
mCamera = camera;
// Install a SurfaceHolder.Callback so we get notified when the
// underlying surface is created and destroyed.
mHolder = getHolder();
mHolder.addCallback(this);
// deprecated setting, but required on Android versions prior to 3.0
mHolder.setType(SurfaceHolder.SURFACE_TYPE_PUSH_BUFFERS);
}
public void surfaceCreated(SurfaceHolder holder) {
// The Surface has been created, now tell the camera where to draw the preview.
try {
mCamera.setPreviewDisplay(holder);
mCamera.startPreview();
} catch (IOException e) {
Log.d(TAG, "Error setting camera preview: " + e.getMessage());
}
}
public void surfaceDestroyed(SurfaceHolder holder) {
// empty. Take care of releasing the Camera preview in your activity.
}
public void surfaceChanged(SurfaceHolder holder, int format, int w, int h) {
// If your preview can change or rotate, take care of those events here.
// Make sure to stop the preview before resizing or reformatting it.
if (mHolder.getSurface() == null){
return;
}
// stop preview before making changes
try {
mCamera.stopPreview();
} catch (Exception e){
// ignore: tried to stop a non-existent preview
}
// set preview size and make any resize, rotate or
// reformatting changes here
// start preview with new settings
try {
mCamera.setPreviewDisplay(mHolder);
mCamera.startPreview();
} catch (Exception e){
Log.d(TAG, "Error starting camera preview: " + e.getMessage());
}
}
}
CameraActivity:
package com.example.myfirstapp;
import java.io.File;
import java.io.FileNotFoundException;
import java.io.FileOutputStream;
import java.io.IOException;
import java.text.SimpleDateFormat;
import java.util.Date;
import android.app.Activity;
import android.hardware.Camera;
import android.hardware.Camera.PictureCallback;
import android.net.Uri;
import android.os.Bundle;
import android.os.Environment;
import android.util.Log;
import android.view.View;
import android.view.View.OnClickListener;
import android.widget.Button;
import android.widget.FrameLayout;
public class CameraActivity extends Activity {
private Camera mCamera;
private CameraPreview mPreview;
private PictureCallback mPicture;
#Override
public void onCreate(Bundle savedInstanceState) {
super.onCreate(savedInstanceState);
setContentView(R.layout.activity_take_picture);
// Create an instance of Camera
mCamera = getCameraInstance();
// Create our Preview view and set it as the content of our activity.
mPreview = new CameraPreview(this, mCamera);
FrameLayout preview = (FrameLayout) findViewById(R.id.camera_preview);
preview.addView(mPreview);
Button clickButton = (Button) findViewById(R.id.button_capture);
clickButton.setOnClickListener(new OnClickListener() {
#Override
public void onClick(View v) {
// TODO Auto-generated method stub
mCamera.takePicture(null, null, mPicture);
}
});
mPicture = new PictureCallback() {
#Override
public void onPictureTaken(byte[] data, Camera camera) {
File pictureFile = getOutputMediaFile(MEDIA_TYPE_IMAGE);
if (pictureFile == null) {
Log.d("********","Error creating media file, check storage permissions: ");
return;
}
try {
FileOutputStream fos = new FileOutputStream(pictureFile);
fos.write(data);
fos.close();
Log.i("$$$$$$$$$", "file saved successfully....");
} catch (FileNotFoundException e) {
Log.e("********", "File not found: " + e.getMessage());
} catch (IOException e) {
Log.e("********", "Error accessing file: " + e.getMessage());
}
}
};
}
protected void onPause() {
super.onPause();
releaseCamera(); // release the camera immediately on pause event
}
private void releaseCamera() {
if (mCamera != null) {
mCamera.release(); // release the camera for other applications
mCamera = null;
}
}
public static Camera getCameraInstance() {
Camera c = null;
try {
c = Camera.open(); // attempt to get a Camera instance
} catch (Exception e) {
// Camera is not available (in use or does not exist)
}
return c; // returns null if camera is unavailable
}
public static final int MEDIA_TYPE_IMAGE = 1;
public static final int MEDIA_TYPE_VIDEO = 2;
/** Create a file Uri for saving an image or video */
private static Uri getOutputMediaFileUri(int type) {
return Uri.fromFile(getOutputMediaFile(type));
}
/** Create a File for saving an image or video */
private static File getOutputMediaFile(int type) {
// To be safe, you should check that the SDCard is mounted
// using Environment.getExternalStorageState() before doing this.
File mediaStorageDir = new File(Environment.getExternalStoragePublicDirectory(Environment.DIRECTORY_PICTURES),
"MyCameraApp");
// This location works best if you want the created images to be shared
// between applications and persist after your app has been uninstalled.
// Create the storage directory if it does not exist
if (!mediaStorageDir.exists()) {
if (!mediaStorageDir.mkdirs()) {
Log.d("MyCameraApp", "failed to create directory");
return null;
}
}
// Create a media file name
String timeStamp = new SimpleDateFormat("yyyyMMdd_HHmmss")
.format(new Date());
File mediaFile;
if (type == MEDIA_TYPE_IMAGE) {
mediaFile = new File(mediaStorageDir.getPath() + File.separator
+ "IMG_" + timeStamp + ".jpg");
} else if (type == MEDIA_TYPE_VIDEO) {
mediaFile = new File(mediaStorageDir.getPath() + File.separator
+ "VID_" + timeStamp + ".mp4");
} else {
return null;
}
return mediaFile;
}
}
activity_take_picture (the xml layout)
<?xml version="1.0" encoding="utf-8"?>
<LinearLayout xmlns:android="http://schemas.android.com/apk/res/android"
android:orientation="vertical"
android:layout_width="fill_parent"
android:layout_height="fill_parent"
>
<FrameLayout
android:id="#+id/camera_preview"
android:layout_width="fill_parent"
android:layout_height="fill_parent"
android:layout_weight="1"
/>
<Button
android:id="#+id/button_capture"
android:text="Capture"
android:layout_width="fill_parent"
android:layout_height="wrap_content"
android:layout_gravity="center"
/>
</LinearLayout>

Can error in opening a camera be fixed in android?

Hello I wrote an application and while deploying shows error in line mCamera=Camera.open();
Where mCamera is the reference of Camera.
How can it be solved any help please?
Thanks

You need to first check and call release function if some other application is using the Camera.
I've used the following code which works fine. It captures the image and saves it to the media card. Don't forget to put the permissions in manifest file.
<uses-permission android:name="android.permission.CAMERA" />
<uses-permission android:name="android.permission.READ_EXTERNAL_STORAGE" />
<uses-permission android:name="android.permission.WRITE_EXTERNAL_STORAGE" />
<uses-feature android:name="android.hardware.camera" />
Code:
//Surface View for displaying the content
package my.custom.cam;
import java.io.IOException;
import android.content.Context;
import android.hardware.Camera;
import android.util.Log;
import android.view.SurfaceHolder;
import android.view.SurfaceView;
public class CameraPreview1 extends SurfaceView implements SurfaceHolder.Callback {
private SurfaceHolder mHolder;
private Camera mCamera;
public CameraPreview1(Context context, Camera camera) {
super(context);
Log.i("#####","constructor is getting called");
mCamera = camera;
// mCamera = CustomCameraActivity.getCameraInstance();
// Install a SurfaceHolder.Callback so we get notified when the
// underlying surface is created and destroyed.
mHolder = getHolder();
mHolder.addCallback(this);
// deprecated setting, but required on Android versions prior to 3.0
mHolder.setType(SurfaceHolder.SURFACE_TYPE_PUSH_BUFFERS);
}
public void surfaceCreated(SurfaceHolder holder) {
// The Surface has been created, now tell the camera where to draw the preview.
Log.i("*****", "Surface created.....");
try {
if(holder == null) { Log.i("%%%%%%%%%","Holder is null"); return; }
mCamera.setPreviewDisplay(holder);
mCamera.startPreview();
} catch (IOException e) {
Log.d("********", "Error setting camera preview: " + e.getMessage());
}
}
public void surfaceDestroyed(SurfaceHolder holder) {
Log.i("*****", "Surface destroyed.....");
mCamera.release();
// empty. Take care of releasing the Camera preview in your activity.
}
public void surfaceChanged(SurfaceHolder holder, int format, int w, int h) {
// If your preview can change or rotate, take care of those events here.
// Make sure to stop the preview before resizing or reformatting it.
Log.i("*****", "Surface changed.....");
if (mHolder.getSurface() == null){
// preview surface does not exist
return;
}
// stop preview before making changes
try {
mCamera.stopPreview();
} catch (Exception e){
// ignore: tried to stop a non-existent preview
}
// set preview size and make any resize, rotate or
// reformatting changes here
// start preview with new settings
try {
mCamera.setPreviewDisplay(mHolder);
mCamera.startPreview();
} catch (Exception e){
Log.d("*******", "Error starting camera preview: " + e.getMessage());
}
}
}
// Activity to use
package my.custom.cam;
import java.io.File;
import java.io.FileNotFoundException;
import java.io.FileOutputStream;
import java.io.IOException;
import java.text.SimpleDateFormat;
import java.util.Date;
import android.app.Activity;
import android.hardware.Camera;
import android.hardware.Camera.PictureCallback;
import android.net.Uri;
import android.os.Bundle;
import android.os.Environment;
import android.util.Log;
import android.view.View;
import android.view.View.OnClickListener;
import android.widget.Button;
import android.widget.FrameLayout;
public class CustomCameraActivity extends Activity {
/** Called when the activity is first created. */
private Camera mCamera;
private CameraPreview1 mPreview;
private PictureCallback mPicture ;
#Override
public void onCreate(Bundle savedInstanceState)
{
super.onCreate(savedInstanceState);
setContentView(R.layout.main);
// Create an instance of Camera
mCamera = getCameraInstance();
// Create our Preview view and set it as the content of our activity.
mPreview = new CameraPreview1(this, mCamera);
FrameLayout preview = (FrameLayout) findViewById(R.id.camera_preview);
preview.addView(mPreview);
Button clickButton = (Button) findViewById(R.id.button_capture);
clickButton.setOnClickListener(new OnClickListener() {
#Override
public void onClick(View v) {
// TODO Auto-generated method stub
mCamera.takePicture(null, null, mPicture);
}
});
mPicture = new PictureCallback() {
#Override
public void onPictureTaken(byte[] data, Camera camera) {
File pictureFile = getOutputMediaFile(MEDIA_TYPE_IMAGE);
if (pictureFile == null){
Log.d("********", "Error creating media file, check storage permissions: ");
return;
}
try {
FileOutputStream fos = new FileOutputStream(pictureFile);
fos.write(data);
fos.close();
Log.i("$$$$$$$$$", "file saved successfully....");
} catch (FileNotFoundException e) {
Log.e("********", "File not found: " + e.getMessage());
} catch (IOException e) {
Log.e("********", "Error accessing file: " + e.getMessage());
}
}
};
}
public static Camera getCameraInstance(){
Camera c = null;
try {
c = Camera.open(); // attempt to get a Camera instance
}
catch (Exception e){
// Camera is not available (in use or does not exist)
}
return c; // returns null if camera is unavailable
}
public static final int MEDIA_TYPE_IMAGE = 1;
public static final int MEDIA_TYPE_VIDEO = 2;
/** Create a file Uri for saving an image or video */
private static Uri getOutputMediaFileUri(int type){
return Uri.fromFile(getOutputMediaFile(type));
}
/** Create a File for saving an image or video */
private static File getOutputMediaFile(int type){
// To be safe, you should check that the SDCard is mounted
// using Environment.getExternalStorageState() before doing this.
File mediaStorageDir = new File(Environment.getExternalStoragePublicDirectory(
Environment.DIRECTORY_PICTURES), "MyCameraApp");
// This location works best if you want the created images to be shared
// between applications and persist after your app has been uninstalled.
// Create the storage directory if it does not exist
if (! mediaStorageDir.exists()){
if (! mediaStorageDir.mkdirs()){
Log.d("MyCameraApp", "failed to create directory");
return null;
}
}
// Create a media file name
String timeStamp = new SimpleDateFormat("yyyyMMdd_HHmmss").format(new Date());
File mediaFile;
if (type == MEDIA_TYPE_IMAGE){
mediaFile = new File(mediaStorageDir.getPath() + File.separator +
"IMG_"+ timeStamp + ".jpg");
} else if(type == MEDIA_TYPE_VIDEO) {
mediaFile = new File(mediaStorageDir.getPath() + File.separator +
"VID_"+ timeStamp + ".mp4");
} else {
return null;
}
return mediaFile;
}
}