How to save screenshot of a view with its subviews in Swift?

Question

I want to capture a view with its subviews. I'm using this code to capture the screen:

let view = self.faceTrackerContainerView

UIGraphicsBeginImageContext(CGSizeMake(view.bounds.size.width, view.bounds.size.height))
UIGraphicsGetCurrentContext()!
self.view?.drawViewHierarchyInRect(view.frame, afterScreenUpdates: true)
let screenshot = UIGraphicsGetImageFromCurrentImageContext()
UIGraphicsEndImageContext()

UIImageWriteToSavedPhotosAlbum(screenshot, nil, nil, nil)

These codes capture the whole screen including a button that's in front of the view. I tried these codes but it only captures the main view excluding its subviews:

let view = self.faceTrackerContainerView
let scale = UIScreen.mainScreen().scale
UIGraphicsBeginImageContextWithOptions(view.bounds.size, false, scale);

view.layer.renderInContext(UIGraphicsGetCurrentContext()!)
let screenshot = UIGraphicsGetImageFromCurrentImageContext()
UIGraphicsEndImageContext()

UIImageWriteToSavedPhotosAlbum(screenshot, nil, nil, nil)

I also tried the snapshotViewAfterScreenUpdates(true) from here but I don't know how to implement it. I have a collectionView below the view and a button on top of the view (both are not in the view). The first codes capture everything with the button, collectionView, and subviews. The second codes capture the view without the subviews. What am I missing?

Solution 1

This is working for me,

func screenShotMethod() {
    //Create the UIImage
    UIGraphicsBeginImageContext(faceTrackerContainerView.frame.size)
    faceTrackerContainerView.layer.renderInContext(UIGraphicsGetCurrentContext()!)
    let image = UIGraphicsGetImageFromCurrentImageContext()
    UIGraphicsEndImageContext()

    //Save it to the camera roll
    UIImageWriteToSavedPhotosAlbum(image, nil, nil, nil)
}

Ref

Solution 2

extension UIView {
    func asImage() -> UIImage {
        let renderer = UIGraphicsImageRenderer(bounds: bounds)
        return renderer.image { rendererContext in
            layer.render(in: rendererContext.cgContext)
        }
    }
}

It makes an UIImage from a UIView. Then you can use that image with UIImageView(image:) method

Solution 3

Why not just call snapshotView(afterScreenUpdates:)?

Solution 4

It isn't very elegant, but hiding views before the screenshot is taken works. You can then make them visible afterwards.

view.isHidden = true

//screenshot

view.isHidden = false

View more solutions

Comments

[Vinz]

Thanks for the codes. I'm pretty new at this. Would you mind telling me which parts I need to change/correct?

[BaSha]

@Vinz: I guess mentioned method will return UIView with rendering captured view, not direct UIImage - you want to store in PhotosAlbum

[Vinz]

Hi. Thanks for this. This is also where I got the codes and it's capturing everything in my screen. I just want to capture a view with its subview though.

[Mohammad Zaid Pathan]

Try changing view with self.faceTrackerContainerView from above code.

[Vinz]

I've tried that but views down't have the renderInContext method though.

[Vinz]

I tried using it but can't get it to work. Gave me a blank in one of my tries.

[Bruno Sosa Fast Tag]

nice, work 0 problems