iOS iOS7 Camera Enhancements & Best Programming Practices

[Menneisyys2]

Guys,

I've written three articles on the new Camera features of iOS7 for both casual users and programmers. As this subforum isn't really frequented by the former, I posted the articles in user forums here at MR. (Mostly, the iOS7 one.) Nevertheless, as these articles contain a lot of brand new and highly useful programming info, I take the liberty to link (and summarize) them here in the Programming forum too so that you don't miss the articles. Note that the first part of all these articles are meant for casual users and the second one for programmers.

- Image Stabilization (how / why you may want to dis/enable it and why you're supposed to make it configurable on a fully-fledged AppStore camcorder app): https://forums.macrumors.com/threads/1600908/

- (lossless) zooming: iOS7 supports lossless zooming (to a degree), which produces far better quality than the old, crop-based zooming. In this article, I compare its actual quality to that of crop-based solutions (e.g., the stock Camera app) and also show the API: https://forums.macrumors.com/threads/1601763/

- 60 fps recording: this article, in addition to teaching everything not only 60 fps-related, but also parsing all properties of the new "AVCaptureDeviceFormat", also shows little-discussed areas of video recording, for example, getting the actual resolution of a video mode: https://forums.macrumors.com/threads/1602171/

 

[PriapusZA]

Guys,

I've written three articles on the new Camera features of iOS7 for both casual users and programmers. As this subforum isn't really frequented by the former, I posted the articles in user forums here at MR. (Mostly, the iOS7 one.) Nevertheless, as these articles contain a lot of brand new and highly useful programming info, I take the liberty to link (and summarize) them here in the Programming forum too so that you don't miss the articles. Note that the first part of all these articles are meant for casual users and the second one for programmers.

- Image Stabilization (how / why you may want to dis/enable it and why you're supposed to make it configurable on a fully-fledged AppStore camcorder app): https://forums.macrumors.com/threads/1600908/

- (lossless) zooming: iOS7 supports lossless zooming (to a degree), which produces far better quality than the old, crop-based zooming. In this article, I compare its actual quality to that of crop-based solutions (e.g., the stock Camera app) and also show the API: https://forums.macrumors.com/threads/1601763/

- 60 fps recording: this article, in addition to teaching everything not only 60 fps-related, but also parsing all properties of the new "AVCaptureDeviceFormat", also shows little-discussed areas of video recording, for example, getting the actual resolution of a video mode: https://forums.macrumors.com/threads/1602171/

Quick question - isn't some of the info you're providing still under NDA?

 

[Menneisyys2]

Quick question - isn't some of the info you're providing still under NDA?

Well, the same question could be asked regarding 99% of the threads / posts here in the iOS7 forum - and many of the frontpaged articles here and many other Web sites, many of them even copy/pasting API headers, for example https://www.macrumors.com/2013/06/2...ers-to-detect-blinking-and-smiling-in-photos/

That is: while theoretically it's NDA'd, no one cares. Which is pretty understandable as it's also for Apple's advantage if programmers are able to release apps truly making use of the new OS features right on the launch day.

 

[PriapusZA]

Well, the same question could be asked regarding 99% of the threads / posts here in the iOS7 forum - and many of the frontpaged articles here and many other Web sites, many of them even copy/pasting API headers, for example https://www.macrumors.com/2013/06/2...ers-to-detect-blinking-and-smiling-in-photos/

That is: while theoretically it's NDA'd, no one cares. Which is pretty understandable as it's also for Apple's advantage if programmers are able to release apps truly making use of the new OS features right on the launch day.

I'm glad you think no one cares...

Apple puts NDA's in place for a reason. As a developer I wouldn't risk my account just to share the information.

Apple has it's own developer forums for discussions on how / when to use their new APIs in our apps and we can ask all the questions we want from there.

While I see where you're coming from - if you're not a developer then meh, you don't need to worry about your account.

If you are a developer then I don't know why you would risk your account like that.

 

[Menneisyys2]

I'm glad you think no one cares...

Apple puts NDA's in place for a reason. As a developer I wouldn't risk my account just to share the information.

Oh come on... don't be pendantic. The entire iOS7 subforum and entire Web sites (iDownloadBlog etc. - again, MR has just frontoaged one of their articles that even shows iOS7-only API code) could be closed down if everybody took the NDA seriously.

 

[robbieduncan]

Oh come on... don't be pendantic. The entire iOS7 subforum and entire Web sites (iDownloadBlog etc. - again, MR has just frontoaged one of their articles that even shows iOS7-only API code) could be closed down if everybody took the NDA seriously.

Nope. You are 100% wrong. MacRumors.com LLC did not sign an NDA. You did (assuming you are a paid up developer). Apple could sue you for damages personally but not MacRumors.com LLC.

 

[Menneisyys2]

Nope. You are 100% wrong. MacRumors.com LLC did not sign an NDA. You did (assuming you are a paid up developer). Apple could sue you for damages personally but not MacRumors.com LLC.

1. So, if I do not personally sign an NDA, I am free to publish otherwise, for people that sign the NDA, NDA'd stuff?

2. Apple does NOT want to stop pre-release programming tutorials / info like this. Again, programmers' being able to take advantage of the new features as soon as possible, even on the launch day, is also for Apple's advantage.

 

[PriapusZA]

Nope. You are 100% wrong. MacRumors.com LLC did not sign an NDA. You did (assuming you are a paid up developer). Apple could sue you for damages personally but not MacRumors.com LLC.

This is what I was getting at.

If you're not a developer you didn't sign the NDA and thus - meh, don't worry.

If however you are - then yeah, NDA is serious business.

 

[robbieduncan]

1. So, if I do not personally sign an NDA, I am free to publish NDA'd stuff?

2. Apple does NOT want to stop pre-release programming tutorials / info like this. Again, programmers' being able to take advantage of the new features as soon as possible, even on the launch day, is also for Apple's advantage.

In theory yes, although how you could be sure that you've got the correct info without access to Apple's site (anything you find outside of there could have been altered or incorrect). With regards to tutorials etc Apple provide their own forums that allow for the discussion of NDAed materials which all signed up developers can use and read...

 

[PriapusZA]

2. Apple does NOT want to stop pre-release programming tutorials / info like this. Again, programmers' being able to take advantage of the new features as soon as possible, even on the launch day, is also for Apple's advantage.

Apple as a yearly event. I'm not sure if you've heard of it? WWDC?

During that week Apple covers all the new APIs etc and new technologies as well as showing developers how to use them. There is an Apple developers forum for paid up members to discuss / share the NDA information and how to get the most out of their new iOS.

 

[Menneisyys2]

Apple as a yearly event. I'm not sure if you've heard of it? WWDC?

During that week Apple covers all the new APIs etc and new technologies as well as showing developers how to use them. There is an Apple developers forum for paid up members to discuss / share the NDA information and how to get the most out of their new iOS.

I've participated in those beta forums quite a bit back in the iOS5 beta times. Unfortunately, they have always been pretty deserted compared to MR. I just don't want to spend a lot of my time on writing pretty long articles that, then, would only be read by some dozens of people.

Another problem is that many MR forum members have asked precisely me for info on the subjects I've written stuff about; for example, 60 fps and FoV wideding practices. In the past, I've written JB tweaks to allow both, all of them becoming very popular in the JB & Hacks forum here; hence the large number of local forum members asking me for this kind of info. Many of them even want to start shooting at 60 fps today and don't want to wait for the official release of iOS7. (This is pretty understandable - why wait 3-4 months for some major, new feature like 60 fps shooting that you can use today?) This is why the three articles are not only programmers' good advice / tutorial type of articles, but also written for end users.

 

[PriapusZA]

I've participated in those beta forums quite a bit back in the iOS5 beta times. Unfortunately, they have always been pretty deserted compared to MR. I just don't want to spend a lot of my time on writing pretty long articles that, then, would only be read by some dozens of people.

Another problem is that many MR forum members have asked precisely me for info on the subjects I've written stuff about; for example, 60 fps and FoV wideding practices. In the past, I've written JB tweaks to allow both, all of them becoming very popular in the JB & Hacks forum here; hence the large number of local forum members asking me for this kind of info. Many of them even want to start shooting at 60 fps today and don't want to wait for the official release of iOS7. (This is pretty understandable - why wait 3-4 months for some major, new feature like 60 fps shooting that you can use today?) This is why the three articles are not only programmers' good advice / tutorial type of articles, but also written for end users.

Point taken.

I do find the devforums are not as deserted as you may think. A lot of members regularly reply / post on there.

If you didn't sign the NDA for iOS 7 then ignore all of what we have said. If you did sign it and don't really care that much about it - then that's your prerogative, I guess.

Final note: I am not discrediting your work nor am I saying your articles are pointless - I see value in them. My only concern was the NDA. But again, how you handle that is your baby. I don't work for Apple so I am not going to enforce their policies.

 

[robbieduncan]

I don't work for Apple so I am not going to enforce their policies.

I suppose I should stick my Moderator oar in here and say this is also true of the Moderators on these forums. I can offer my personal advise that you are taking a (small) risk but we won't moderate posts or threads where to enforce an NDA contract that we are not party to.

 

[Menneisyys2]

I suppose I should stick my Moderator oar in here and say this is also true of the Moderators on these forums. I can offer my personal advise that you are taking a (small) risk but we won't moderate posts or threads where to enforce an NDA contract that we are not party to.

Thanks

 

[ArtOfWarfare]

I suppose I should stick my Moderator oar in here and say this is also true of the Moderators on these forums. I can offer my personal advise that you are taking a (small) risk but we won't moderate posts or threads where to enforce an NDA contract that we are not party to.

Interesting stance.

Maybe you should sticky that or include it in some official rules somewhere?

 

[MeFromHere]

Interesting stance.

Maybe you should sticky that or include it in some official rules somewhere?

Interesting, but perhaps also risky.

If MacRumors states, as an official policy, that the moderators won't discourage posting of Apple's NDA material, they could get into trouble eventually. All that NDA stuff is also under copyright. If you publish copyrighted material without permission, you can be sued. If you just provide an open forum where someone else posts the material, you're much safer. But if you actively moderate the forum, AND you routinely allow members to post copyrighted material, you're on much thinner ice.

Certainly, Apple can afford the legal horsepower to harass MacRumors with constant demands to remove copyrighted material. Evidently they have been content to look the other way for small infractions.

 

[robbieduncan]

Interesting, but perhaps also risky.

If MacRumors states, as an official policy, that the moderators won't discourage posting of Apple's NDA material, they could get into trouble eventually. All that NDA stuff is also under copyright. If you publish copyrighted material without permission, you can be sued. If you just provide an open forum where someone else posts the material, you're much safer. But if you actively moderate the forum, AND you routinely allow members to post copyrighted material, you're on much thinner ice.

Certainly, Apple can afford the legal horsepower to harass MacRumors with constant demands to remove copyrighted material. Evidently they have been content to look the other way for small infractions.

We are neither encouraging or discouraging it. The copyright aspect is interesting although I'm not sure that it would be a real issue...