Can't get UIImagePickerController to work? - objective-c

-(void) openPhotoLib:(id)sender {
[self dismissModalViewControllerAnimated:YES];
UIImagePickerController *imagePicker = [[UIImagePickerController alloc] init];
[imagePicker setSourceType:UIImagePickerControllerSourceTypePhotoLibrary];
[imagePicker setDelegate:self];
[self presentModalViewController:imagePicker animated:YES];
NSLog(#"openPhotoLib called");
}
Nothing happens except for the NSLog, even though my view controller is a subclass of UINavigationController and UIImagePickerDelegate. Does anyone have any insight or experience with UIImagePickerController?
I should note that I'm primarily using an iPhone for testing.
SOLUTION: Make a new class that subclasses ONLY UINavigationBarDelegate and UIImagePickerDelegate. In that classes's viewDidAppear, put the code to modally present the imagePicker. Create an instance of this class inside the method (inside another class, import the .h file and all) and the modally present that class.
^ I take it back. The modal animations was the real problem. Trying to use another class instance for this messes up the method implementations of UIImagePicker.

The problem is due to dismissModalViewControllerAnimated and presentModalViewController being called one after the other.
The dismiss action takes some time as it has to animate the view being dismissed. During the animation, it is still the top Modal View. So, you cant present another model view during that time. If you try then the call fails and does nothing.
To fix, use [self dismissModalViewControllerAnimated:NO]; i.e no animation.
If you still want animation then follow one of these solutions:
Problem opening new ViewController after UIImagePickerController
Correct way of showing consecutive modalViews

EDIT:
If using storyboards, you should define prepareFroSegue in your delegate:
- (void)prepareForSegue:(UIStoryboardSegue *)segue sender:(id)sender
{
if ([segue.identifier isEqualToString:#"AddPlayer"])
{
PlayerDetailsViewController
*playerDetailsViewController =
(PlayerDetailsViewController *) segue.destinationViewController;
playerDetailsViewController.delegate = self;
}
}
(source)
Am I not sure, but I think that the call:
[self dismissModalViewControllerAnimated:YES];
might interfere with the following call
[self presentModalViewController:imagePicker animated:YES];
since both are done within the same run loop.
I would suggest doing like this:
define a method to encapsulate the call to presentModal...
- (void)presentPicker:(...)picker {
[self presentModalViewController:imagePicker animated:YES];
}
replace the original call to presentModal... with:
[self performSelector:#selector(presentPicker:) withObject:picker afterDelay:0.0];
Explanation: by using performSelector the way I suggest, we are simply enqueuing the call to presentPicker in the run loop (without any delay actually, since we specify 0.0 as a delay value). In this way, we give UIKit a chance to dismiss the modal view and do all necessary clean up before we try and present the next modal view.
The reason to define presentPicker as a method is that performSelector only allows to specify one single argument (instead of the two that presentModal... requires).
Hope this helps.

Related

Passing data back and forth using AppDelegate

To start I am building an app to learn the basics of Objective-C. If there is anything unclear please let me know and I will edit my question.
The app is supposed to have the next functionality.
Open the camera preview when the app is executed. On the top there is a button to go to a TemplateController where the user can select an array of frames to select from a UICollectionView. User selects the Template and returns to the Camera Preview. User takes a picture and the picture with the frame selected is shown in the PreviewController. If the user doesn't like the frame and wants to switch it for another one. PreviewController has button on top to go to the TemplateController, select the frame and go back again to the PreviewController with the new frame.
I do not want to create an object for the frame everytime. I want the AppDelegate to hold that object. To keep it alive per say?(sorry, English is not my mother tongue).
I was thinking to use NSUserDefaults BUT I really want to do it using the AppDelegate. So at this point NSUserDefaults is not an option.
Now, I am using storyboards with a navigation controller. A screenshot is available here
Right now when I pass from the TemplateController to my PreviewController my code looks like this:
Reaching TemplateController from MainController or PreviewController
- (IBAction)showFrameSelector:(id)sender
{
UIStoryboard *storyboard;
storyboard = [UIStoryboard storyboardWithName:#"MainStoryboard_iPhone" bundle:nil];
TemplateController *templateController = [storyboard instantiateViewControllerWithIdentifier:#"TemplateController"];
templateController.frameDelegate = self;
[self presentViewController:templateController animated:YES completion:nil];
}
Passing the data from TemplateController to its controller's destiny (Either MainController or PreviewController)
- (void)collectionView:(UICollectionView *)collectionView didSelectItemAtIndexPath:(NSIndexPath *)indexPath
{
_selectedLabelStr = [self.frameImages[indexPath.section] objectAtIndex:indexPath.row];
[self.collectionView deselectItemAtIndexPath:indexPath animated:NO];
[self dismissViewControllerAnimated:YES completion:^{
if ([self.frameDelegate respondsToSelector:#selector(templateControllerLoadFrame:)])
{
[self.frameDelegate performSelector:#selector(templateControllerLoadFrame:) withObject:self];
}
}];
}
This loads the selected frame in PreviewController
- (void)templateControllerLoadFrame:(TemplateController *)sender
{
UIImage *tmp = [UIImage imageNamed:sender.selectedLabelStr];
_frameImageView.image = tmp;
}
My problem is, I don't have very clear what changes I have to do on the AppDelegate(it is untouched right now). What would be the best approach to accomplish this?
Main issue is when Tamplate is chosen before taking the still image. If I select the frame after taking the picture then it displays.
I am not certain that I understand your question. Stuffing an object into the app delegate solution may not be the best way forward. In fact I believe you ought to look at the delegation pattern that is used by Apple to communicate between view controllers. Please note that you appear to be doing half of the delegate pattern already. For example you make your PreviewController a frameDelegate of the TemplateController.
So I would think you'd have something like the following to transfer information from TemplateController back to the PreviewController. Note that I've included prepare for segue as that is a common pattern to push a data object forward (it will be called if you connect a segue from the PreviewController to the TemplateController and in your action method call performSegueWithIdentifier:#"SegueTitle"). Use of the "templateControllerDidFinish" delegation method is a common pattern used to push information back from TemplateController when it closes.
TemplateController.h
#class TemplateController;
#protocol TemplateControllerDelegate <NSObject>
-(void) templateControllerDidFinish :(TemplateController*)controller;
#end
#interface TemplateController : UIViewController
#property (nonatomic, weak) id <TemplateControllerDelegate>delegate;
...
#end
TemplateController.m
//! The internals for this method can also be called from wherever in your code you need to dismiss the TemplateController by copying the internal
-(IBAction)doneButtonAction:(id)sender
{
__weak TemplateController*weakSelf = self;
[self dismissViewControllerAnimated:YES completion:^{
[self.delegate templateControllerDidFinish:weakSelf];
}];
}
PreviewController.h
#import "TemplateController.h"
#interface PreviewController<TemplateControllerDelegate>
...
#end
PreviewController.m
#implementation
...
-(void) templateControllerDidFinish :(TemplateController*)controller
{
self.dataProperty = controller.someImportantData;
...
}
...
-(void)prepareForSegue:(UIStoryboardSegue*)segue sender:(id)sender
{
if ( [[segue identifier]isEqualToString:#""] )
{
TemplateController *tc = [segue destinationViewController];
tc.delegate = self;
tc.data = [someDataObjectFromPreviewController];
}
}
To fix this situation a bit more:
Add a segue from the PreviewController to the TemplateController
(Ctrl-drag from Preview view controller to the Template Controller
in the document outline mode)
Name the segue identifier in the identity inspector
Change your code that presents the view controller from:
(IBAction)showFrameSelector:(id)sender
{
UIStoryboard *storyboard;
storyboard = [UIStoryboard storyboardWithName:#"MainStoryboard_iPhone" bundle:nil];
TemplateController *templateController = [storyboard instantiateViewControllerWithIdentifier:#"TemplateController"];
templateController.frameDelegate = self;
[self presentViewController:templateController animated:YES completion:nil];
}
to
- (IBAction)showFrameSelector:(id)sender
{
[self performSegueWithIdentifier:#"SegueTitle"];
}
Add your data object to the target view controller as noted in prepareForSegue and you will be in good shape. Then use the delegate method to catch any data returned from your template (just add the data as properties to the controller and you should be golden)
You can see a better example of this delegation in a utility project template from Xcode (I just keyed this in..) I hope this information helps. You can get more information at these resources and also by searching Google and SO for iOS delegation :
Concepts in Objective C (Delegates and Data Sources)
Cocoa Core Competencies

Attempt to present * on * whose view is not in the window hierarchy

I'm trying to make a modal view controller in my app delegate (I created a function called showLoginView). But whenever I try to call it I get a warning in XCode:
Warning: Attempt to present <PSLoginViewController: 0x1fda2b40> on <PSViewController: 0x1fda0720> whose view is not in the window hierarchy!
Here's the method code:
- (void)showLoginView
{
PSLoginViewController *loginViewController = [[UIStoryboard storyboardWithName:#"MainStoryboard" bundle:NULL] instantiateViewControllerWithIdentifier:#"PSLoginViewController"];
[self.window.rootViewController presentViewController:loginViewController animated:NO completion:nil];
}
How can I add the view to the window hierarchy? Or maybe I'm doing something very wrong?
You can't display a modal view controller from the appDelegate. You need to display a modal ViewController from whichever viewController is currently displaying full-screen. In other words, you need to put that code into your root view controller, or whichever one you want to display the modal vc from...
Also, you'll want to use the method "presentModalViewController" to present the modal. You can set properties on the modal vc such as:
vC.modalPresentationStyle = UIModalPresentationFormSheet;
vC.modalTransitionStyle = UIModalTransitionStyleCoverVertical;
[self presentModalViewController:vC animated:YES];
You can actually present a modal view Controller from the AppDelegate as long as you detect the current visible viewController and take care of the case where you current controller is a navigationController.
Here is what I do:
UIViewController *activeController = [UIApplication sharedApplication].keyWindow.rootViewController;
if ([activeController isKindOfClass:[UINavigationController class]]) {
activeController = [(UINavigationController*) activeController visibleViewController];
}
[activeController presentModalViewController:loginViewController animated:YES];
UIViewController *activeController = [UIApplication sharedApplication].keyWindow.rootViewController;
if ([activeController isKindOfClass:[UINavigationController class]])
{
activeController = [(UINavigationController*) activeController visibleViewController];
}
else if (activeController.modalViewController)
{
activeController = activeController.modalViewController;
}
[activeController presentModalViewController:vc animated:YES];
I ran into this problem on iOS 7 - the key to making any of the proposed solutions work was to call
[self.window makeKeyAndVisible];
in your AppDelegate.
After that call, presenting a modal view from the window's rootViewController worked.
Another reason for that warning can be that you want to present a view controller from an instance which is not the top most view controller.
So first you have to get the topmost UIViewController and using this instance to call presentViewController:
UIViewController *root = [UIApplication sharedApplication].keyWindow.rootViewController;
while (root.presentedViewController) {
root = root.presentedViewController;
}
You can NSLog(#"%#", self.window.rootViewController), and see what the rootViewController really is.
I came into this problem, when the rootViewController is a normal UIViewController.
Replace it with a UINavigationController, wish it will help.
Faced this issue while trying to present controller from the call of delegate of other controller . i.e : show search filter with delegate , once done back to my controller and receive data via the delegate then present controller , all I had to do is to dispatch the present code cause while in a delegate you're in another thread , that's why you're presenting on your view from main thread another controller from that other thread , so have to go back to main thread , just put the presenting code like this :
dispatch_async(dispatch_get_main_queue(), ^{
[self presentViewController:searchVC animated:true completion:nil];
});
Hope this helps !

Going back to first ViewController from second ViewController

I'm building an app that currently has 3 ViewControllers. One of them is used after a successful login so is not relevant in this question.
I'm using a mixture of Storyboards and building things programmatically when I find Storyboards do not give me the fine control that I need.
The first ViewController is built in my 'MainStoryboard'. It has a login form and an info button at the bottom. I link it up the my AppDelegate by doing the following inside didFinishLaunchingWithOptions:
ViewController *viewController = (ViewController *)self.window.rootViewController;
Because I wanted to force rendering of a UIWebView (another story) I create the second view programmatically. I do the following inside didFinishLaunchingWithOptions:
infoViewController = [[InfoViewController alloc] init];
[infoViewController view];
Inside both of my ViewControllers I setup a link to appDelegate as below:
appDelegate = (AppDelegate *)[[UIApplication sharedApplication] delegate];
I have an info button in my first ViewController that takes you to the infoViewController. It calls the following code when tapped:
appDelegate.infoViewController.modalTransitionStyle = UIModalTransitionStyleFlipHorizontal;
[self presentModalViewController:appDelegate.infoViewController animated:YES];
The above works just fine for me, flips over the screen and shows the InfoViewController.
On my InfoViewController I have a button that should take you back to the login page, I have tried all sorts to get this to work but it just crashes my app. Nothing seems to work. I have tried the following:
appDelegate.viewController.modalTransitionStyle = UIModalTransitionStyleFlipHorizontal;
[self presentModalViewController:appDelegate.viewController animated:YES];
and
[self.navigationController popToRootViewControllerAnimated:YES];
and
[self.navigationController popViewControllerAnimated:YES];
and
[self.navigationController popToViewController:appDelegate.viewController animated:YES];
I suspect the last 3 might be more to do with when you have a navigation view controller and you want to go back to the root? I'm not sure, but either way it does not work. I had this working using storyboards previously so I'm sure it ought to be easy! As mentioned I switched to making the infoViewController programmatically so that I could force the UIWebView to render before the view appeared.
Any help much appreciated.
You can do with:
[self dismissModalViewControllerAnimated:YES];
You should use this.
[self dismissModalViewControllerAnimated:YES];
You should use a main controller for switching between your other view controllers. Change the view of your root controller to one of your other view controllers (apply animations as usual if needed). Hold a pointer to your root controller in your other view controllers and call self.rootController.view = <desired_controller_instance>.view
I think the way you're presenting your InfoViewController is wrong. Do it the following way:
In your ViewController, create an action for the info button.:
- (IBAction)infoButtonTapped:(id)sender
{
InfoViewController *infoViewController = [[InfoViewController alloc] init];
infoViewController.modalTransitionStyle = UIModalTransitionStyleFlipHorizontal;
[self presentModalViewController:infoViewController animated:YES];
}
And in your InfoViewController, in the action of your button that should take you back write this:
- (void)takeBackToViewController
{
[self dismissModalViewControllerAnimated:YES];
}
Hope it works.
Also in presented controller you can use this
if(self.parentViewController)
[self.parentViewController dismissModalViewControllerAnimated:YES];
else
[self.presentingViewController dismissModalViewControllerAnimated:YES];
To dissmiss current controller.

UIViewController and UITableViewController, how to change self.view then back again?

I dont want to add a sub view, but instead change the "self.view" to another view eg (A warning view) then after the user suppresses the warning I would like to switch back. When ever i try to switch back to the original view i just get a blank screen for reasons i cant understand.
Here is what i currently have in one of my UITableViewControllers
//Show warning view controller
self.warningViewControler = [[[WarningViewController alloc] init] autorelease];
self.view = self.warningViewController.view;
//Then later
self.view = self.tableView; //<< Dosnt work
If you want to change your view, and if the original view is defined/linked into XCode, you must retain it before changing self.view to another view. If not, the original view is released and using it back can cause bad things to happen.
Warning :
self.warningViewControler = [[[WarningViewController alloc] init] autorelease];
self.view = self.warningViewController.view
is a bad bad call. Because you autorelease the controller but you use its view. So you get a view retained with a released controller after some time. Retain the controller and release it yourself when its view is not needed anymore.
Here's the better way to do what I think you're trying to do:
WarningViewController *warningViewController = [[WarningViewController alloc] initWithNibName:#"theRightNiborNil" bundle:nil];
[self presentModalViewController:warningViewController animated:YES];
// or if you don't need to support iOS4 any more:
[self presentViewController:warningViewController animated:YES completion:nil]
// and if you aren't using ARC yet, then [warningViewController release];
Then in your WarningViewController you want some action that calls:
[self dismissModalViewControllerAnimated:YES];
// or again if this is iOS5..
[self dismissModalViewControllerAnimated:YES completion:nil];
Hope that helps.

How do I use UIImagePickerController just to display the camera and not take a picture?

I'd like to know how to open the camera inside of a pre-defined frame (not the entire screen). When the view loads, I have a box, and inside it, I want to display what the camera sees. I don't want to snap a picture, just basically use the camera as a viewfinder. I have searched this site and have not yet found what I'm looking for. Please help.
Thanks!
Thomas
Update 1:
Here is what I have tried so far.
1.) I added UIImageView to my xib.
2.) Connect the following outlet to the UIImageView in IB
IBOutlet UIImageView *cameraWindow;
3.) I put the following code in viewWillAppear
-(void)viewWillAppear:(BOOL)animated
{
[super viewWillAppear:animated];
UIImagePickerController *picker = [[UIImagePickerController alloc] init];
picker.delegate = self;
picker.sourceType = UIImagePickerControllerSourceTypeCamera;
[self presentModalViewController:picker animated:YES];
NSLog(#"viewWillAppear ran");
}
But this method does not run, as evident by the absence of NSLog statement from my console. Please help!
Thanks,
Thomas
Update 2:
OK I got it to run by putting the code in viewDidLoad but my camera still doesn't show up...any suggestions? Anyone....? I've been reading the UIImagePickerController class reference, but am kinda unsure how to make sense of it. I'm still learning iPhone, so it's a bit of a struggle. Please help!
- (void)viewDidLoad
{
[super viewDidLoad];
// Create a bool variable "camera" and call isSourceTypeAvailable to see if camera exists on device
BOOL camera = [UIImagePickerController isSourceTypeAvailable:UIImagePickerControllerSourceTypeCamera];
// If there is a camera, then display the world throught the viewfinder
if(camera)
{
UIImagePickerController *picker = [[UIImagePickerController alloc] init];
// Since I'm not actually taking a picture, is a delegate function necessary?
picker.delegate = self;
picker.sourceType = UIImagePickerControllerSourceTypeCamera;
[self presentModalViewController:picker animated:YES];
NSLog(#"Camera is available");
}
// Otherwise, do nothing.
else
NSLog(#"No camera available");
}
Thanks!
Thomas
Update 3:
A-HA! Found this on the Apple Class Reference.
Discussion
The delegate receives notifications
when the user picks an image or movie,
or exits the picker interface. The
delegate also decides when to dismiss
the picker interface, so you must
provide a delegate to use a picker. If
this property is nil, the picker is
dismissed immediately if you try to
show it.
Gonna play around with the delegate now. Then I'm going to read on wtf a delegate is. Backwards? Whatever :-p
Update 4:
The two delegate functions for the class are
– imagePickerController:didFinishPickingMediaWithInfo:
– imagePickerControllerDidCancel:
and since I don't actually want to pick an image or give the user the option to cancel, I am just defining the methods. They should never run though....I think.
add
[picker
dismissModelViewControllerAnimated:YES];
to delegate method bodies.
It will dismiss the view.