This sample applies an end-to-end approach to demonstrate how to write a video recording camera application using the Windows.Media.Capture API in conjunction with orientation sensors to cover the functions that most camera apps will require. In addition, it will show a simple way to use the Video Stabilization effect included in Windows. This sample is based on the CameraStarterKit.
Specifically, this sample will cover how to:
- Manage the MediaCapture object throughout the lifecycle of the app and through navigation events.
- Acquire a camera located on a specific side of the device. In this case, the sample attempts to get the rear camera.
- Start and stop the preview to a UI element, including mirroring for front-facing cameras.
- Record a video to a file in the correct orientation (portrait and landscape).
- Handle rotation events for both, the device moving in space and the page orientation changing on the screen. Also apply any necessary corrections to the preview stream rotation.
- Handle MediaCapture RecordLimitationExceeded and Failed events to be notified that video recording needs to be stopped due to a video being too long, or clean up the MediaCapture instance when an error occurs.
- Manage the Video Stabilization effect, including creation, activation/deactivation, registering for the EnabledChanged event, and cleanup. Note that video stabilization is a very intensive task, which may not be possible to achieve on slower devices. In this case, the effect will disable itself so the captured video maintains a good framerate. When this happens, the sample will allow the user to re-enable it without having to restart the recording session.
- Apply the Encoding Properties recommended by the Video Stabilization effect, for better quality. On supported devices, this may lead to a larger resolution being configured on the "input" to the effect (by using MediaCapture.VideoDeviceController.SetMediaStreamPropertiesAsync()) to allow for some extra padding to crop as part of the stabilization process. Depending on that, the "output" may be reconfigured (by using a new MediaEncodingProfile that will be passed onto the MediaCapture.StartRecordToStorageFileAsync()) to match. This will result in a stabilized video that has the dimensions configured on the VideoDeviceController in the case that a suitable "padded" resolution is available) or in the case that it isn't, a video that is slightly smaller resolution. If the Video Stabilization recommendations are not applied, the resulting cropped video will be scaled back up to the original configuration of the VideoDeviceController, which may result in a loss of quality.
This sample also implements a custom UI to better simulate the experience that a camera application would provide, so any messages intended for the developer are printed to the debug console.
Samples
Conceptual
Capture photos and video with MediaCapture
Media capture using capture device
Using the Video Stabilization effect
Reference
Windows.Media.Capture.MediaCapture namespace
Windows.Media.Capture.MediaCaptureInitializationSettings constructor
Windows.Media.Capture.MediaCaptureInitilizationSettings.VideoDeviceId property
Windows.Devices.Enumeration namespace
Windows.Devices.Enumeration.DeviceInformation class
Windows.Devices.Sensors.SimpleOrientationSensor class
Windows.Graphics.Display.DisplayInformation class
Windows.Phone.UI.Input.HardwareButtons.CameraPressed event
Windows.Graphics.Imaging.BitmapDecoder class
Windows.Graphics.Imaging.BitmapEncoder class
Hardware: Camera
Client: Windows 10
Server: Windows Server 2016 Technical Preview
Phone: Windows 10
- If you download the samples ZIP, be sure to unzip the entire archive, not just the folder with the sample you want to build.
- Start Microsoft Visual Studio 2015 and select File > Open > Project/Solution.
- Starting in the folder where you unzipped the samples, go to the Samples subfolder, then the subfolder for this specific sample, then the subfolder for your preferred language (C++, C#, or JavaScript). Double-click the Visual Studio 2015 Solution (.sln) file.
- Press Ctrl+Shift+B, or select Build > Build Solution.
The next steps depend on whether you just want to deploy the sample or you want to both deploy and run it.
Deploying the sample:
- Select Build > Deploy Solution.
Deploying and running the sample:
- To debug the sample and then run it, press F5 or select Debug > Start Debugging. To run the sample without debugging, press Ctrl+F5 or select Debug > Start Without Debugging.