Camera feed

_{Last updated: March 31, 2026 | 3 minutes read}

The SDK DataSourceContext provides access to camera frames for both live camera feeds and recorded logs.

Learn how to render those frames using CameraRenderViewController.

Tip

Recorded logs that include camera data are stored as .mp4 files and can be played with standard iOS media players (for example AVPlayer). For simple log playback scenarios, a system player is often the best option.

Create a camera render view

CameraRenderViewController is the UI component that renders camera frames on screen.

Initialize it with a data source context:

let source = DataSourceContext()
let cameraViewController = CameraRenderViewController(context: source)

You can also use init(context:ppi:scale:) when you need explicit control over rendering parameters tied to the device display.

danger

The DataSourceContext used by CameraRenderViewController must provide camera data. If camera data is missing, rendering cannot start.

danger

For live camera feed, ensure a video recording session is active for the same data source context.

Add it like a standard child view controller:

addChild(cameraViewController)
view.addSubview(cameraViewController.view)
cameraViewController.didMove(toParent: self)

Start and stop camera feed

Use startCamera() and startRender() to begin camera acquisition and frame rendering. Stop both when the feed is no longer needed.

_ = cameraViewController.startCamera()
cameraViewController.startRender()

// ...

cameraViewController.stopRender()
_ = cameraViewController.stopCamera()

Properties

Use these values and methods as the runtime state surface for CameraRenderViewController:

• DataSourceContext (constructor input) - Source of live or recorded camera frames used by the renderer
• view - The UIView surface where frames are displayed
• getFrameFit() - Current FrameFit used to scale camera frames in the view
• isRenderActive() - Indicates whether rendering is currently active
• startCamera() / stopCamera() return value - Boolean result showing whether camera start/stop succeeded

Control frame fitting

setFrameFit(_:) controls how camera frames are scaled in the view. Read the current value with getFrameFit().

cameraViewController.setFrameFit(.inside)
let fit = cameraViewController.getFrameFit()
print("frame fit = \(fit)")

Observe playback progress for logs

When rendering camera frames from recorded logs, use the progress callback to receive playback time updates in milliseconds.

cameraViewController.setOnLogProgressCallback { timeMs in
    print("camera log progress: \(timeMs) ms")
}

Lifecycle management

Manage CameraRenderViewController explicitly to avoid camera/render resource leaks.

Recommended flow:

1. Create and attach the controller as a child view controller.
2. Start camera and render when the feed is needed.
3. Stop render and camera when the feed is no longer visible.
4. Call destroy() before disposal.

Cleanup

Destroy the camera render controller when it is no longer needed to release rendering and camera resources.

cameraViewController.destroy()