[camera_android_camerax] Implement `setDescriptionWhileRecording` #9878

blackorbs-dev · 2025-08-24T21:20:05Z

setDescriptionWhileRecording allows switching camera while a video recording is in progress. This feature was only working with camera2 setup, but the camera plugin uses camerax by default. So, this PR includes update to address the issue.

Fixes #148013

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…id camerax

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Code Review

This pull request successfully implements the ability to switch cameras while recording video on Android by introducing a persistent recording mode. The changes are well-structured across the camera, camera_platform_interface, and camera_android_camerax packages. My review includes a few suggestions to improve the code, such as removing some dead code and improving test practices. Please also remember to remove the temporary dependency_overrides from the various pubspec.yaml files before merging.

packages/camera/camera/pubspec.yaml

packages/camera/camera_android_camerax/lib/src/android_camera_camerax.dart

packages/camera/camera/test/camera_preview_test.dart

gemini-code-assist · 2025-08-24T21:22:25Z

packages/camera/camera_android_camerax/example/integration_test/integration_test.dart

+
+    await controller.startVideoRecording(enablePersistentRecording: true);
+
+    sleep(const Duration(seconds: 2));


Using sleep in tests can lead to flakiness and slow down the test suite. It's better to use asynchronous waiting mechanisms like tester.pump() with a Duration or tester.pumpAndSettle() to wait for specific conditions or UI updates. This makes tests more reliable and often faster.

Is this also in the camera/camera integration test? I would assume we are using the exact same test.

I've updated both tests to match

stuartmorgan-g · 2025-08-25T11:50:04Z

Thanks for the contribution!

All of the changes in camera_android, camera_avfoundation, camera_web, and camera_windows can be reverted, so that this review is scoped to the right set of package reviewers.

All existing and new tests are passing.

The native test suites do not currently build; please see the CI failure output and resolve the failures.

Adds a section to the review agent configuration to try to get it to stop leaving comments like [this one](#9878 (comment)) on federated plugin PRs that are following our standard, documented process.

camsim99

Thank you so much for your contribution! I'm looking forward to having this feature implemented :)

Took a first pass (at the camera_android_camerax code because the rest can be reverted). Overall looks good, but I think the main changes need a few adjustments.

packages/camera/camera_android_camerax/CHANGELOG.md

packages/camera/camera_android_camerax/example/lib/main.dart

packages/camera/camera_android_camerax/lib/src/android_camera_camerax.dart

…9879) Adds a section to the review agent configuration to try to get it to stop leaving comments like [this one](#9878 (comment)) on federated plugin PRs that are following our standard, documented process.

blackorbs-dev · 2025-08-26T05:47:52Z

I need help on the failing checks @stuartmorgan-g @camsim99. For the repo_checks, I'm having issue with format and federated safety check. I believe the federated check will be fixed when the dependencies overrides are reverted but the format is throwing error:

Formatting .kt files... 
Running command: "java -jar /b/s/w/ir/x/w/packages/script/tool/bin/ktfmt-0.46-jar-with-dependencies.jar camera/camera_android_camerax/android/src/main/java/io/flutter/plugins/camerax/CameraXLibrary.g.kt camera/camera_android_camerax/android/src/main/java/io/flutter/plugins/camerax/ResultCompat.kt" in /b/s/w/ir/x/w/packages/packages 
Error: Invalid or corrupt jarfile /b/s/w/ir/x/w/packages/script/tool/bin/ktfmt-0.46-jar-with-dependencies.jar 
Failed to format Kotlin files: exit code 1.

Even though there are no issues when I ran it locally:

Formatting .kt files...
Running command: "java -jar /Users/blackorbs/AndroidStudioProjects/packages/script/tool/bin/ktfmt-0.46-jar-with-dependencies.jar camera/camera_android_camerax/android/src/main/java/io/flutter/plugins/camerax/CameraXLibrary.g.kt camera/camera_android_camerax/android/src/main/java/io/flutter/plugins/camerax/ResultCompat.kt" in /Users/blackorbs/AndroidStudioProjects/packages/packages
Done formatting camera/camera_android_camerax/android/src/main/java/io/flutter/plugins/camerax/ResultCompat.kt
Done formatting camera/camera_android_camerax/android/src/main/java/io/flutter/plugins/camerax/CameraXLibrary.g.kt

Also, I can't figure out why the tree-status check failed for the last commit.

camsim99 · 2025-08-27T16:22:36Z

@blackorbs-dev Agreed on the federated check, for format, I see the error Error: Invalid or corrupt jarfile /b/s/w/ir/x/w/packages/script/tool/bin/ktfmt-0.46-jar-with-dependencies.jar. Not quite sure what that's about but that's the issue there. My gut is just to re-run it or make sure this branch is up to date with main. I can help debug further if it doesn't go away.

Also, thanks for making edits! I'll take a look soon.

camsim99 · 2025-08-27T17:23:47Z

By the way, this PR can also remove this line: https://github.com/flutter/packages/blob/main/packages/camera/camera_android_camerax/README.md#setdescriptionwhilerecording-is-unimplemented-issue-148013 🥳

blackorbs-dev · 2025-08-27T17:28:10Z

By the way, this PR can also remove this line: https://github.com/flutter/packages/blob/main/packages/camera/camera_android_camerax/README.md#setdescriptionwhilerecording-is-unimplemented-issue-148013 🥳

Noted ✅, I can also revert the dependency overrides right?

stuartmorgan-g · 2025-08-27T17:28:28Z

I see the error Error: Invalid or corrupt jarfile /b/s/w/ir/x/w/packages/script/tool/bin/ktfmt-0.46-jar-with-dependencies.jar. Not quite sure what that's about but that's the issue there.

I would guess network or server error downloading the formatter, since it's pulled on demand rather than via cipd.

stuartmorgan-g · 2025-08-27T17:30:31Z

I can also revert the dependency overrides right?

See this comment; those are the only ones that should be reverted right now, otherwise all the CI will start failing.

…amera platform packages

blackorbs-dev · 2025-08-27T19:14:14Z

@stuartmorgan-g, @camsim99 I've made edits, only the federated check is failing, please take a look

blackorbs-dev · 2025-08-28T06:59:05Z

I think this PR can be re-review @stuartmorgan-g @camsim99

stuartmorgan-g · 2025-08-28T17:28:24Z

packages/camera/camera_platform_interface/lib/src/types/video_capture_options.dart

+  /// * calling [CameraController.setDescription] while a recording is in progress
+  ///
+  /// Defaults to `false`.
+  final bool enableAndroidPersistentRecording;


Platform interfaces should not be platform-specific. What if another platform needs this configuration in the future?

The name and documentation should be sufficiently generic that it could apply to any relevant platform, even if not all platforms require it.

stuartmorgan-g · 2025-08-28T17:29:27Z

packages/camera/camera_web/example/pubspec.yaml

The example/pubspec.yaml files in the reverted packages should be reverted as well.

camsim99

Thanks for the edits! Left a few more comments, mostly small things.

camsim99 · 2025-08-28T18:18:31Z

packages/camera/camera/example/integration_test/camera_test.dart

@@ -275,7 +275,9 @@ void main() {
    await controller.initialize();
    await controller.prepareForVideoRecording();

-    await controller.startVideoRecording();
+    await controller.startVideoRecording(
+      enableAndroidPersistentRecording: true,


Assuming enableAndroidPersistentRecording is kept in this PR, this probably needs to be gated by a check for the Android platform.

camsim99 · 2025-08-28T18:19:58Z

packages/camera/camera_android_camerax/example/integration_test/integration_test.dart

+
+    await controller.startVideoRecording(enablePersistentRecording: true);
+
+    sleep(const Duration(seconds: 2));


Is this also in the camera/camera integration test? I would assume we are using the exact same test.

camsim99 · 2025-08-28T18:23:19Z

packages/camera/camera_android_camerax/lib/src/android_camera_camerax.dart

@@ -288,7 +288,7 @@ class AndroidCameraCameraX extends CameraPlatform {
  ResolutionSelector? _presetResolutionSelector;

  /// The ID of the surface texture that the camera preview is drawn to.
-  late int _flutterSurfaceTextureId;
+  int? _flutterSurfaceTextureId;


I don't understand this change. To me, it implies you no longer have to call createCamera and initializeCamera before doing anything and that should never be the case.

I've reverted the change

camsim99 · 2025-08-28T18:24:29Z

packages/camera/camera_android_camerax/lib/src/android_camera_camerax.dart

+    // Retrieve info required for correcting the rotation of the camera preview
+    sensorOrientationDegrees = description.sensorOrientation.toDouble();
+
+    if (_flutterSurfaceTextureId != null) {


Correct me if I'm wrong but this should never be null; see my comment above.

I've made changes

camsim99 · 2025-08-28T18:25:58Z

packages/camera/camera_android_camerax/lib/src/android_camera_camerax.dart

+    if (options.enableAndroidPersistentRecording) {
+      pendingRecording = await pendingRecording?.asPersistentRecording();
+    }
+


If I'm understanding correctly, a developer will have to set enableAndroidPersistentRecording to set description while recording. Let's please make this clear in documentation everywhere: on this method, in the README, and on the setDescriptionWhileRecording method.

camsim99 · 2025-08-28T18:27:18Z

packages/camera/camera_platform_interface/lib/src/types/video_capture_options.dart

+  /// * lifecycle events
+  /// * calling [CameraController.setDescription] while a recording is in progress
+  ///
+  /// Defaults to `false`.


I noted this elsewhere but can you clarify in the docs that you need to set this in order to set description while recording on Android?

camsim99 · 2025-08-28T18:30:09Z

packages/camera/camera_android_camerax/test/android_camera_camerax_test.dart

@@ -4107,28 +4107,141 @@ void main() {
    );

    test(
-      'setDescriptionWhileRecording does not make any calls involving starting video recording',
+      'setDescriptionWhileRecording changes the camera description',


Can you add to this test or make another to test that if imageCapture and imageAnalysis are bound, then setDescriptionWhileRecording also changes them?

I've included verification for imageCapture and imageAnalysis are bound after setting description

blackorbs-dev · 2025-08-29T12:52:04Z

I've made edits based on your comments @stuartmorgan-g @camsim99. Please take a look.

blackorbs-dev added 2 commits August 24, 2025 22:01

Fixes flutter/flutter#148013: setDescriptionWhileRecording with andro…

0e59dbc

…id camerax

Fixes flutter/flutter#148013: updated Version and Changelog

fcc11be

blackorbs-dev requested review from stuartmorgan-g, hellohuanlin, vashworth, camsim99, ditman and bparrishMines as code owners August 24, 2025 21:20

github-actions bot added p: camera platform-android platform-ios platform-macos platform-web platform-windows labels Aug 24, 2025

gemini-code-assist bot reviewed Aug 24, 2025

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stuartmorgan-g mentioned this pull request Aug 25, 2025

Try to convince GCA to stop complaining about dependency_overrides #9879

Merged

stuartmorgan-g added the federated: all_changes PR that contains changes for all packages for a federated plugin change label Aug 25, 2025

camsim99 changed the title ~~[camera] Fix issue 148013: setDescriptionWhileRecording with android camerax~~ [camera_android_camerax] Implement setDescriptionWhileRecording Aug 25, 2025

camsim99 reviewed Aug 25, 2025

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blackorbs-dev added 2 commits August 25, 2025 19:06

Address review feedback: code fix

971ebc8

Address review feedback: implement code fixes and suggestions

87c985e

Merge branch 'main' into fix-issue-148013

80d3c61

Update camera_android_camerax readme, revert changes for unaffected c…

0461e63

…amera platform packages

blackorbs-dev added 4 commits August 27, 2025 20:17

Merge branch 'main' into fix-issue-148013

f4a076d

Merge branch 'main' into fix-issue-148013

1a8397e

fix merge issue with main

a631f15

update version and changelog

4eece12

stuartmorgan-g reviewed Aug 28, 2025

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stuartmorgan-g added the triage-android Should be looked at in Android triage label Aug 28, 2025

camsim99 reviewed Aug 28, 2025

View reviewed changes

Implement code fixes and suggestions

3ac789c

github-actions bot removed platform-ios platform-macos platform-web platform-windows labels Aug 29, 2025

Merge branch 'main' into fix-issue-148013

53e3aa3


		await controller.startVideoRecording(enablePersistentRecording: true);

		sleep(const Duration(seconds: 2));

[camera_android_camerax] Implement setDescriptionWhileRecording #9878

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[camera_android_camerax] Implement `setDescriptionWhileRecording` #9878

[camera_android_camerax] Implement `setDescriptionWhileRecording` #9878

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