CameraController

Take a photo with CameraController.

Taking photos with CameraController

After the CameraController is initialized, you capture a photo with the takePicture method. This method asynchronously returns an XFile. The path of the captured photo is obtained with file.path.

final file = await controller.takePicture();
print(file.path);

The dispose method

When the CameraController is no longer needed, you release its resources with dispose. Because camera hardware is a limited resource, not disposing the controller causes memory and hardware leaks. It is called in the dispose method of stateful widgets.

@override
void dispose() {
  controller.dispose();
  super.dispose();
}

Exercise Take a photo and print it

Create a CameraController, initialize it with initialize, capture a photo with takePicture and print the file path.

Show example solution

class CameraDescription {
  final String name;
  CameraDescription(this.name);
}

enum ResolutionPreset { low, medium, high }

class XFile {
  final String path;
  XFile(this.path);
}

class CameraController {
  final CameraDescription camera;
  final ResolutionPreset resolution;
  CameraController(this.camera, this.resolution);
  Future<void> initialize() async {}
  Future<XFile> takePicture() async => XFile('/tmp/photo.png');
  void dispose() {}
}

void main() async {
  final controller = CameraController(
    CameraDescription('0'),
    ResolutionPreset.high,
  );
  await controller.initialize();
  final file = await controller.takePicture();
  print(file.path);
  controller.dispose();
}

Test yourself

What does the takePicture method return?
- Future<void>
- Future<XFile>
- Future<int>
- Future<Widget>
Show answer

Future<XFile> — takePicture asynchronously returns an XFile; this file contains the path of the captured photo.

Take a picture

final file = await controller.____;

Show answer

final file = await controller.takePicture();

CameraController parts

takePicture

Takes a photo
XFile

Captured file
dispose

Releases resources
initialize

Initialization

Next lesson: Summary - Camera

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