How to read a URL into an AVURLAsset - ios

Question

I am trying to create an AVURLAsset like so:
class TrimFootageViewController: UIViewController {
var movieURL:URL?
override func viewWillAppear(_ animated: Bool) {
playerView.playerLayer.player = player
super.viewWillAppear(animated)
self.thumbnailImage = setThumbnailFrom(path: movieURL!)
print(type(of: self.movieURL!))
asset = AVURLAsset(url: self.movieURL!, options: nil)
print(asset ?? "couldn't get asset")
}
This does not work throwing an Error (lldb) on a another class: Thread 1: EXC_BREAKPOINT (code=1, subcode=0x100318b4c). Additionally it doesn't print the asset so I don't believe its being set right.
However when I use:
class TrimFootageViewController: UIViewController {
var movieURL:URL?
override func viewWillAppear(_ animated: Bool) {
playerView.playerLayer.player = player
super.viewWillAppear(animated)
self.thumbnailImage = setThumbnailFrom(path: movieURL!)
print(type(of: self.movieURL!))
guard let movieURL = URL(string: "https://devimages-cdn.apple.com/samplecode/avfoundationMedia/AVFoundationQueuePlayer_HLS2/master.m3u8") else {
return
}
asset = AVURLAsset(url: movieURL, options: nil)
print(asset ?? "couldn't get asset")
}
it works and correctly prints <AVURLAsset: 0x101b00210, URL = https://devimages-cdn.apple.com/samplecode/avfoundationMedia/AVFoundationQueuePlayer_HLS2/master.m3u8>
self.movieURL! and movieURL both have the same type of URL when printed. Also note that I am settings self.movieURL like so in the previous controller's segue:
override func prepare(for segue: UIStoryboardSegue, sender: Any?){
if segue.identifier == "TrimFootage_Segue" {
let controller = segue.destination as! TrimFootageViewController
controller.movieURL = self.videoRecorded
}
}
how do I properly set the movieURL asset in the AVURLAsset call such that it can be instantiated?

Answer 1

By looking at your code it seems like movieURL is filePath as setThumbnailFrom(path: movieURL!) is working fine. May be this could be the reason.
You can avoid crashing by applying if-let check as:
class TrimFootageViewController: UIViewController {
var movieURL: URL?
override func viewWillAppear(_ animated: Bool) {
super.viewWillAppear(animated)
playerView.playerLayer.player = player
// Just check whether self.movieURL is filePath or URL
// For "setThumbnailFrom" passing as file path
// For "AVURLAsset(url: movURL, options: nil)" passing as URL
self.thumbnailImage = setThumbnailFrom(path: self.movieURL!) // Passing as filePath
if let movURL = self.movieURL as? URL, let asset = AVURLAsset(url: movURL, options: nil) {
print(asset)
} else {
print("Not able to load asset")
}
}
}
Make sure you are sending URL from previous screen:
let controller = segue.destination as! TrimFootageViewController
controller.movieURL = self.videoRecorded

Answer 2

In TrimFootageViewController , define a var movieURLString = "".
In the previous controller's segue:
set movieURLString instead of movieURL.
Then, use your second way init movieURL.
Maybe ok.

Answer 3

I have updated your code. Please have a look. It will not crash anymore and also please check that you are sending the URL(it cannot be nil) from the previous controller:
class TrimFootageViewController: UIViewController {
var movieURL: URL?
override func viewWillAppear(_ animated: Bool) {
playerView.playerLayer.player = player
super.viewWillAppear(animated)
if let mURL = movieURL {
self.thumbnailImage = setThumbnailFrom(path: mURL)
print(type(of: mURL))
asset = AVURLAsset(url: mURL, options: nil)
print(asset ?? "couldn't get asset")
}
}