How to show the camera preview on a SurfaceView?

Question

I am trying to open the camera hardware on a SurfaceView. In the layout, I created a SurfaceView and I open the camera as shown in the code below. When I run the code, the toast in the CameraAvailableCB shows up and says "onCameraAvailable" but nothing appears on the SurfaceView.

How do I show the camera display on the SurfaceView?

Code

@Override
protected void onCreate(Bundle savedInstanceState) {
    super.onCreate(savedInstanceState);
    setContentView(R.layout.activity_main);

    this.mBtnCapture = (Button) findViewById(R.id.actMain_btn_capture);
    this.mSurfaceView = (SurfaceView) findViewById(R.id.actMain_surfaceView);
    this.mSurfaceHolder = this.mSurfaceView.getHolder();
    this.mSurfaceHolder.addCallback(this);
    this.mCameraManager = (CameraManager) this.getSystemService(Context.CAMERA_SERVICE);

    try {
        cameraIDsList = this.mCameraManager.getCameraIdList();

        for (String id : cameraIDsList) {
            Log.v(TAG, "CameraID: " + id);
        }

    } catch (CameraAccessException e) {
        e.printStackTrace();
    }

    cameraStateCB = new CameraDevice.StateCallback() {
        @Override
        public void onOpened(CameraDevice camera) {
            Toast.makeText(getApplicationContext(), "onOpened", Toast.LENGTH_SHORT).show();

            //requesting permission
            int permissionCheck = ContextCompat.checkSelfPermission(activity, Manifest.permission.CAMERA);
            if (permissionCheck != PackageManager.PERMISSION_GRANTED) {

                if (ActivityCompat.shouldShowRequestPermissionRationale(activity, Manifest.permission.CAMERA)) {

                } else {
                    ActivityCompat.requestPermissions(activity, new String[]{Manifest.permission.CAMERA}, MY_PERMISSIONS_REQUEST_CAMERA);
                    Toast.makeText(getApplicationContext(), "request permission", Toast.LENGTH_SHORT).show();
                }

            } else {
                Toast.makeText(getApplicationContext(), "PERMISSION_ALREADY_GRANTED", Toast.LENGTH_SHORT).show();
            }

            //opening the camera
            try {
                mCameraManager.openCamera(cameraIDsList[1], cameraStateCB, new Handler());

            } catch (CameraAccessException e) {
                e.printStackTrace();
            }
        }

        @Override
        public void onDisconnected(CameraDevice camera) {
            Toast.makeText(getApplicationContext(), "onDisconnected", Toast.LENGTH_SHORT).show();
        }

        @Override
        public void onError(CameraDevice camera, int error) {
            Toast.makeText(getApplicationContext(), "onError", Toast.LENGTH_SHORT).show();
        }
    };

    CameraManager.AvailabilityCallback cameraAvailableCB = new CameraManager.AvailabilityCallback() {
        @Override
        public void onCameraAvailable(String cameraId) {
            super.onCameraAvailable(cameraId);

            Toast.makeText(getApplicationContext(), "onCameraAvailable", Toast.LENGTH_SHORT).show();
        }

        @Override
        public void onCameraUnavailable(String cameraId) {
            super.onCameraUnavailable(cameraId);

            Toast.makeText(getApplicationContext(), "onCameraUnavailable", Toast.LENGTH_SHORT).show();
        }
    };
    this.mCameraManager.registerAvailabilityCallback(cameraAvailableCB, new Handler());
}



@Override
public void onRequestPermissionsResult(int requestCode, @NonNull String[] permissions, @NonNull int[] grantResults) {
    super.onRequestPermissionsResult(requestCode, permissions, grantResults);

    switch (requestCode) {
        case MY_PERMISSIONS_REQUEST_CAMERA:
            if (grantResults.length > 0 && grantResults[0] == PackageManager.PERMISSION_GRANTED)
                // Open Camera
                break;
    }
}

@Override
public void surfaceCreated(SurfaceHolder holder) {
    Log.w(TAG, "surfaceCreated");
}

@Override
public void surfaceChanged(SurfaceHolder holder, int format, int width, int height) {
    Log.w(TAG, "surfaceChanged");
}

@Override
public void surfaceDestroyed(SurfaceHolder holder) {
    Log.w(TAG, "surfaceDestroyed");
}

Solution 1

To show preview from camera using Camera2 API you should do the following steps:

1. Get permission to use camera device
2. Using CameraManager open connection to a camera
3. Have prepared Surface for preview
4. Using opened camera device and desired surfaces (it can include not only preview surface) create CaptureSession
5. After CaptureSession created you need to create and configure CaptureRequest and submit it to CaptureSession

Need to notice that preparing surfaces and openning connection to camera are independent processes, so you need to be sure, that they are both completed before creating CaptureSession.

Here is the example of activity to display camera preview on the screen:

public class MainActivity extends AppCompatActivity implements SurfaceHolder.Callback, Handler.Callback {
    static final String TAG = "CamTest";
    static final int MY_PERMISSIONS_REQUEST_CAMERA = 1242;
    private static final int MSG_CAMERA_OPENED = 1;
    private static final int MSG_SURFACE_READY = 2;
    private final Handler mHandler = new Handler(this);
    SurfaceView mSurfaceView;
    SurfaceHolder mSurfaceHolder;
    CameraManager mCameraManager;
    String[] mCameraIDsList;
    CameraDevice.StateCallback mCameraStateCB;
    CameraDevice mCameraDevice;
    CameraCaptureSession mCaptureSession;
    boolean mSurfaceCreated = true;
    boolean mIsCameraConfigured = false;
    private Surface mCameraSurface = null;

    @Override
    protected void onCreate(Bundle savedInstanceState) {
        super.onCreate(savedInstanceState);
        setContentView(R.layout.activity_main);

        this.mSurfaceView = (SurfaceView) findViewById(R.id.SurfaceViewPreview);
        this.mSurfaceHolder = this.mSurfaceView.getHolder();
        this.mSurfaceHolder.addCallback(this);
        this.mCameraManager = (CameraManager) this.getSystemService(Context.CAMERA_SERVICE);

        try {
            mCameraIDsList = this.mCameraManager.getCameraIdList();
            for (String id : mCameraIDsList) {
                Log.v(TAG, "CameraID: " + id);
            }
        } catch (CameraAccessException e) {
            e.printStackTrace();
        }

        mCameraStateCB = new CameraDevice.StateCallback() {
            @Override
            public void onOpened(CameraDevice camera) {
                Toast.makeText(getApplicationContext(), "onOpened", Toast.LENGTH_SHORT).show();

                mCameraDevice = camera;
                mHandler.sendEmptyMessage(MSG_CAMERA_OPENED);
            }

            @Override
            public void onDisconnected(CameraDevice camera) {
                Toast.makeText(getApplicationContext(), "onDisconnected", Toast.LENGTH_SHORT).show();
            }

            @Override
            public void onError(CameraDevice camera, int error) {
                Toast.makeText(getApplicationContext(), "onError", Toast.LENGTH_SHORT).show();
            }
        };
    }

    @Override
    protected void onStart() {
        super.onStart();

        //requesting permission
        int permissionCheck = ContextCompat.checkSelfPermission(this, Manifest.permission.CAMERA);
        if (permissionCheck != PackageManager.PERMISSION_GRANTED) {
            if (ActivityCompat.shouldShowRequestPermissionRationale(this, Manifest.permission.CAMERA)) {

            } else {
                ActivityCompat.requestPermissions(this, new String[]{Manifest.permission.CAMERA}, MY_PERMISSIONS_REQUEST_CAMERA);
                Toast.makeText(getApplicationContext(), "request permission", Toast.LENGTH_SHORT).show();
            }
        } else {
            Toast.makeText(getApplicationContext(), "PERMISSION_ALREADY_GRANTED", Toast.LENGTH_SHORT).show();
            try {
                mCameraManager.openCamera(mCameraIDsList[1], mCameraStateCB, new Handler());
            } catch (CameraAccessException e) {
                e.printStackTrace();
            }
        }
    }

    @Override
    protected void onStop() {
        super.onStop();
        try {
            if (mCaptureSession != null) {
                mCaptureSession.stopRepeating();
                mCaptureSession.close();
                mCaptureSession = null;
            }

            mIsCameraConfigured = false;
        } catch (final CameraAccessException e) {
            // Doesn't matter, cloising device anyway
            e.printStackTrace();
        } catch (final IllegalStateException e2) {
            // Doesn't matter, cloising device anyway
            e2.printStackTrace();
        } finally {
            if (mCameraDevice != null) {
                mCameraDevice.close();
                mCameraDevice = null;
                mCaptureSession = null;
            }
        }
    }

    @Override
    public boolean handleMessage(Message msg) {
        switch (msg.what) {
            case MSG_CAMERA_OPENED:
            case MSG_SURFACE_READY:
                // if both surface is created and camera device is opened
                // - ready to set up preview and other things
                if (mSurfaceCreated && (mCameraDevice != null)
                        && !mIsCameraConfigured) {
                    configureCamera();
                }
                break;
        }

        return true;
    }

    private void configureCamera() {
        // prepare list of surfaces to be used in capture requests
        List<Surface> sfl = new ArrayList<Surface>();

        sfl.add(mCameraSurface); // surface for viewfinder preview

        // configure camera with all the surfaces to be ever used
        try {
            mCameraDevice.createCaptureSession(sfl,
                    new CaptureSessionListener(), null);
        } catch (CameraAccessException e) {
            e.printStackTrace();
        }

        mIsCameraConfigured = true;
    }


    @Override
    public void onRequestPermissionsResult(int requestCode, @NonNull String[] permissions, @NonNull int[] grantResults) {
        super.onRequestPermissionsResult(requestCode, permissions, grantResults);

        switch (requestCode) {
            case MY_PERMISSIONS_REQUEST_CAMERA:
                if (ActivityCompat.checkSelfPermission(this, Manifest.permission.CAMERA) == PackageManager.PERMISSION_GRANTED)
                    try {
                        mCameraManager.openCamera(mCameraIDsList[1], mCameraStateCB, new Handler());
                    } catch (CameraAccessException e) {
                        e.printStackTrace();
                    }
                break;
        }
    }

    @Override
    public void surfaceCreated(SurfaceHolder holder) {
        mCameraSurface = holder.getSurface();
    }

    @Override
    public void surfaceChanged(SurfaceHolder holder, int format, int width, int height) {
        mCameraSurface = holder.getSurface();
        mSurfaceCreated = true;
        mHandler.sendEmptyMessage(MSG_SURFACE_READY);
    }

    @Override
    public void surfaceDestroyed(SurfaceHolder holder) {
        mSurfaceCreated = false;
    }

    private class CaptureSessionListener extends
            CameraCaptureSession.StateCallback {
        @Override
        public void onConfigureFailed(final CameraCaptureSession session) {
            Log.d(TAG, "CaptureSessionConfigure failed");
        }

        @Override
        public void onConfigured(final CameraCaptureSession session) {
            Log.d(TAG, "CaptureSessionConfigure onConfigured");
            mCaptureSession = session;

            try {
                CaptureRequest.Builder previewRequestBuilder = mCameraDevice
                        .createCaptureRequest(CameraDevice.TEMPLATE_PREVIEW);
                previewRequestBuilder.addTarget(mCameraSurface);
                mCaptureSession.setRepeatingRequest(previewRequestBuilder.build(),
                        null, null);
            } catch (CameraAccessException e) {
                Log.d(TAG, "setting up preview failed");
                e.printStackTrace();
            }
        }
    }
}

Solution 2

With CameraX it's easy now.

    // Create a preview use case instance
val preview = Preview.Builder().build()

// Bind the preview use case and other needed user cases to a lifecycle
val camera = cameraProvider.bindToLifecycle(lifecycleOwner, cameraSelector, preview, imageAnalysis, imageCapture)

// Create a surfaceProvider using the bound camera's cameraInfo
val surfaceProvider = previewView.createSurfaceProvider(camera.cameraInfo)

// Attach the surfaceProvider to the preview use case to start preview
preview.setSurfaceProvider(surfaceProvider)


<androidx.camera.view.PreviewView
    android:layout_width="match_parent"
    android:layout_height="match_parent"
    app:scaleType="fitEnd" />

https://medium.com/androiddevelopers/display-a-camera-preview-with-previewview-86562433d86c

Comments

[Alex Cohn]

So, "onOpened" toast does not appear, too?

[user2121]

@AlexCohn some times it appears

[Moses Liao GZ]

do you have this in kotin?

[Maxim Metelskiy]

@MosesLiaoGZ I am sorry, but no

[Magnus]

Thanks, I guess... but it's kind of ridiculous that it takes a huge piece of code like this just to show a freakin' camera preview...

[Dan]

@BadCash Whilst this is a large amount of code to do a seemingly simple task, there are google made packages which do it simply for you. Have a look at CameraView

[Hamza Abdullah]

this code Open Front Camera ?? how I can use this to Open back camera

[Maxim Metelskiy]

@HamzaAbdullah try to change 'mCameraIDsList[1]' to 'mCameraIDsList[0]'

[Akash Mishra]

"this.mSurfaceHolder = this.mSurfaceView.getHolder();" Attempt to invoke virtual method 'android.view.SurfaceHolder android.view.SurfaceView.getHolder()' on a null object reference

[Anjani Mittal]

hey while using this code the camera preview is somewhat elongated, upon orientation changes one can notice that, any idea why its happening ?

[Shivaraj Patil]

Better option with cameraX medium.com/androiddevelopers/…

[ElliotM]

The question asked for rendering on a SurfaceView, not a PreviewView.

[spartygw]

@AkashMishra check your layout, probably the problem is your surface view is not named SurfaceViewPreview. This line this.mSurfaceView = (SurfaceView) findViewById(R.id.SurfaceViewPreview);