Builders using the Amazon Chime SDK for iOS can share a second video stream such as screen capture in a meeting without disrupting their applications existing audio/video stream.
- You have read the API overview and have a basic understanding of the components covered in that document.
- You have completed Getting Started and have running application which uses the Amazon Chime SDK.
- You have read the Custom Video Sources, Processors, and Sinks and have a basic understanding of APIs such as VideoSource.
- You have a physical iOS device. Screen sharing is not supported on simulator.
- iOS 11.0 or later for in application only screen sharing
- iOS 12.0 or later for device level screen sharing
There are two options to share screen on iOS, In Application Only, and Device Level sharing. The main difference between the two options is that Device Level sharing capture the entire device screen view and continues to send screen capture after Customer Application is in the background, including view of other applications subsequently opened. In Application Only sharing only captures and shares the view within the Customer Application when used. This guide goes over each individually. Both options leverage Apple ReplayKit framework to capture the screen and and send the screen video stream to remote participants through the new Content Share API in Amazon Chime SDK for iOS. Note: Physical iOS device is required to test in application only or device level screen sharing.
InAppScreenCaptureSource uses RPScreenRecorder and its startCapture(handler:completionHandler:) method from ReplayKit to capture Customer Application screen. InAppScreenCaptureSource and its methods are only available on iOS 11 and above. While RPScreenRecorder is capturing the screen, it locks device orientation until it stops capturing. RPScreenRecorder does not send video frames to InAppScreenCaptureSource when user puts Customer Application in the background, and remote participants see a paused video stream from the sender.
InAppScreenCaptureSource takes a Logger instance on initialization for logging messages. Builders can also add a CaptureSourceObserver which is notified when RPScreenRecorder is started, stopped, or failed.
let inAppScreenCaptureSource = InAppScreenCaptureSource(logger: logger)
inAppScreenCaptureSource.addCaptureSourceObserver(observer: observer)
User will see a system permission dialog when InAppScreenCaptureSource.start() is called for the first time. captureDidStart() is called after user taps “Record Screen” and RPScreenRecorder is started. captureDidFail(error:) is called with CaptureSourceError.systemFailure if user taps “Don’t Allow”.
func methodToStartScreenShare() {
inAppScreenCaptureSource.start()
}
// CaptureSourceObserver
func captureDidStart() {
logger.info(msg: "InAppScreenCaptureSource did start")
let contentShareSource = ContentShareSource()
contentShareSource.videoSource = inAppScreenCaptureSource
// Get reference to current MeetingSession object.
meetingSession.audioVideo.startContentShare(source: contentShareSource)
}
stop() on InAppScreenCaptureSource only stops RPScreenRecorder from capturing the screen, it is still necessary to call stopContentShare() on ContentShareController to stop the peer connection for sending the screen capture data.
func methodToStopScreenShare() {
inAppScreenCaptureSource.stop()
}
// CaptureSourceObserver
func captureDidStop() {
logger.info(msg: "InAppScreenCaptureSource did stop")
// Get reference to current MeetingSession object.
meetingSession.audioVideo.stopContentShare()
}
func captureDidFail(error: CaptureSourceError) {
logger.error(msg: "InAppScreenCaptureSource did fail: \(error.description)")
// Get reference to current MeetingSession object.
meetingSession.audioVideo.stopContentShare()
}
Before diving into implementation, please look at this official Apple programming guide to understand the basics of iOS application extensions, relevant vocabulary and limitations. Even though an application extension is bundled with the containing application when user downloads the application, there is no direct communication between the two while they are running. However, an application extension and its containing application can both access a shared privately defined UserDefaults to pass data as long as they are in the same App Group. The following guide uses this mechanism to write necessary data from Customer Application, read from the broadcast upload extension to recreate a MeetingSession to upload screen capture. This guide also uses RPSystemBroadcastPickerView that is available on iOS 12.0 and above to bring up system broadcast picker.
With Customer Application project open in Xcode, select File → New → Target In the pop-up, select Broadcast Upload Extension, and fill in necessary fields on the next screen to finish creating.
- Not necessary to include UI Extension
- Embed in Customer Application that uses Amazon Chime SDK for iOS to create meeting session
- Select the newly created broadcast upload extension target in the project
- Open General tab and add AmazonChimeSDK in the Frameworks and Library section
Note: Xcode 12.0 is used when writing this guide.
To add App Groups capability to both Customer Application target and broadcast upload extension target:
- Select Customer Application target in the project.
- Open Signing & Capabilities tab.
- Click + Capabilities and select App Groups in the pop-up.
- Create an App Group with identifier:
group.<application bundle id>. - Repeat the same steps and select the same App Group for the broadcast upload extension target.
- Verify that
.entitlementsfiles are generated for Customer Application target and the broadcast upload extension target by Xcode, andApp Groupsvalues are the same in both.entitlementsfiles. - Regenerate Provisioning Profile for Customer Application in developer.apple.com.
- Create Provisioning Profile for the broadcast upload extension target.
Important: If the broadcast upload extension cannot access app group user defaults while testing in debug or after it’s signed for distribution, it’s very likely one of these steps that went wrong.
RPSystemBroadcastPickerView is available on iOS 12 and above, and contains a button that brings up the system broadcast picker when tapped. This button functions the same as the Screen Recording button in iOS Control Center. Add this view to the application's view hierachy to be the device level screen sharing entry point.
// In the view controller
let pickerViewDiameter: CGFloat = 35
let pickerView = RPSystemBroadcastPickerView(frame: CGRect(x: 0,
y: 0,
width: pickerViewDiameter,
height: pickerViewDiameter))
pickerView.preferredExtension = <Your Broadcast Extension Bundle Identifier>
// Microphone audio is passed through Customer Application instead of broadcast extension.
pickerView.showsMicrophoneButton = false
// Set up view constrains as necessary.
view.addSubview(pickerView)
When there is an active MeetingSession, write necessary data into the app group user defaults before sharing screen capture so that the MeetingSession can be recreated in the Broadcast Upload Extension. If Customer Application is using DefaultMeetingSession from Amazon Chime SDK for iOS, write meetingId string, a MeetingSessionCredentials instance, and a MeetingSessionURLs instance. Here is an example:
// Get reference to current MeetingSession object.
let meetingSessionConfig = meetingSession.configuration
let userDefaultsKeyMeetingId = "demoMeetingId"
let userDefaultsKeyCredentials = "demoMeetingCredentials"
let userDefaultsKeyUrls = "demoMeetingUrls"
if let appGroupUserDefaults = UserDefaults(suiteName: <Your App Group Identifier>) {
appGroupUserDefaults.set(meetingSessionConfig.meetingId, forKey: userDefaultsKeyMeetingId)
let encoder = JSONEncoder()
if let credentials = try? encoder.encode(meetingSessionConfig.credentials) {
appGroupUserDefaults.set(credentials, forKey: userDefaultsKeyCredentials)
}
if let urls = try? encoder.encode(meetingSessionConfig.urls) {
appGroupUserDefaults.set(urls, forKey: userDefaultsKeyUrls)
}
}
When creating broadcast upload extension, Xcode creates a SampleHandler class that handles the screen capture data being captured. To recreate the MeetingSessionConfiguration, add code similar to the following:
let userDefaultsKeyMeetingId = "demoMeetingId"
let userDefaultsKeyCredentials = "demoMeetingCredentials"
let userDefaultsKeyUrls = "demoMeetingUrls"
class SampleHander {
func recreatMeetingSessionConfig() -> MeetingSessionConfiguration? {
guard let appGroupUserDefaults = UserDefaults(suiteName: <Your App Group Identifier>) else {
logger.error(msg: "App Group User Defaults not found")
return nil
}
let decoder = JSONDecoder()
if let meetingId = appGroupUserDefaults.demoMeetingId,
let credentialsData = appGroupUserDefaults.demoMeetingCredentials,
let urlsData = appGroupUserDefaults.demoMeetingUrls,
let credentials = try? decoder.decode(MeetingSessionCredentials.self, from: credentialsData),
let urls = try? decoder.decode(MeetingSessionURLs.self, from: urlsData) {
// Use the same URLRewriter as Customer Application.
return MeetingSessionConfiguration(meetingId: meetingId,
credentials: credentials,
urls: urls,
urlRewriter: URLRewriterUtils.defaultUrlRewriter)
}
return nil
}
}
extension UserDefaults {
@objc dynamic var demoMeetingId: String? {
return string(forKey: userDefaultsKeyMeetingId)
}
@objc dynamic var demoMeetingCredentials: Data? {
return object(forKey: userDefaultsKeyCredentials) as? Data
}
@objc dynamic var demoMeetingUrls: Data? {
return object(forKey: userDefaultsKeyUrls) as? Data
}
}
After a user starts the broadcast, the following methods are called on SampleHandler to start the connection to send screen capture data. ReplayKitSource contains the conversion from the CMSampleBuffer that ReplayKit sends to VideoFrame that the Amazon Chime iOS SDK consumes, and handles device rotation.
var currentMeetingSession: MeetingSession?
lazy var replayKitSource: ReplayKitSource = { return ReplayKitSource(logger: logger) }()
lazy var contentShareSource: ContentShareSource = {
let source = ContentShareSource()
source.videoSource = replayKitSource
return source
}()
override func broadcastStarted(withSetupInfo setupInfo: [String: NSObject]?) {
guard let config = getSavedMeetingSessionConfig() else {
logger.error(msg: "Unable to recreate MeetingSessionConfiguration from Broadcast Extension")
finishBroadcastWithError(NSError(domain: "AmazonChimeSDKDemoBroadcast", code: 0))
return
}
currentMeetingSession = DefaultMeetingSession(configuration: config, logger: logger)
currentMeetingSession?.audioVideo.startContentShare(source: contentShareSource)
}
override func processSampleBuffer(_ sampleBuffer: CMSampleBuffer, with sampleBufferType: RPSampleBufferType) {
replayKitSource.processSampleBuffer(sampleBuffer: sampleBuffer, type: sampleBufferType)
}
User can stop the broadcast by any one of the following:
- Tapping the
RPSystemBroadcastPickerViewadded in Customer Application. - Tapping the status bar.
- Tapping the Screen Recorder button in the Control Center.
The following method is called afterwards on the SampleHandler:
override func broadcastFinished() {
replayKitSource.stop()
currentMeetingSession?.audioVideo.stopContentShare()
}
To stop broadcast programmatically when the meeting session is ended from Customer Application, delete the meeting session data written in app group user defaults, and use Key-Value-Observing pattern in the SampleHandler to stop broadcasting after observing a change.
// In the Customer Application
func endMeeting() {
...
guard let appGroupUserDefaults = UserDefaults(suiteName: <Your App Group Identifier>) else {
logger.error(msg: "App Group User Defaults not found")
return
}
appGroupUserDefaults.removeObject(forKey: userDefaultsKeyMeetingId)
appGroupUserDefaults.removeObject(forKey: userDefaultsKeyCredentials)
appGroupUserDefaults.removeObject(forKey: userDefaultsKeyUrls)
}
// In the broadcast upload extension
class SampleHandler: RPBroadcastSampleHandler {
let userDefaultsObserver: NSKeyValueObservation?
override func broadcastStarted(withSetupInfo setupInfo: [String: NSObject]?) {
...
// If the meetingId is changed from the demo app, we need to observe the meetingId and stop broadcast
userDefaultsObserver = appGroupUserDefaults?.observe(\.demoMeetingId,
options: [.new, .old]) { [weak self] (_, _) in
guard let strongSelf = self else { return }
strongSelf.finishBroadcastWithError(NSError(domain: "<You App Domain>", code: errorCode))
}
}
override func broadcastFinished() {
...
userDefaultsObserver?.invalidate()
}
}
Now users can share screen capture from within Customer Application, or bring up system broadcast picker to share device level screen capture. Users can view the screen share from another device by joining the same meeting session, the same way as viewing screen share from Amazon Chime SDK for Javascript. The attendeeId of a screen share is the same as the original attendee, but with a suffix of #content videoTileDidAdd(tileState:) on VideoTileObserver is called with tileState.isContent being true for the screen share video stream.
// Get reference to current MeetingSession object.
// Add VideoTileObserver instance to receive video streams.
meetingSession.audioVideo.addVideoTileObserver(observer: observer)
// Your VideoTileObserver implementation
func videoTileDidAdd(tileState: VideoTileState) {
if(tileState.isContent) {
meetingSession.audioVideo.bindVideoView(videoView: videoView,
tileId: tileState.tileId)
}
}