UIImageView not redrawing when image set to nil - ios

Question

I am using a UIImageView to display both still and animated images. So sometimes, I'm using .image and sometimes I'm using .animationImages. This is fine.
Whether it's static or animated, I store the UIImages's in item.frames (see below)
The problem is that I'd like to display a UIActivityIndicatorView in the center of the view when the animation frames are loading. I would like this to happen with no images or frames in there. The line that isn't doing what it's supposed to is:
[self.imageView removeFromSuperview];
As a matter of fact, setting it to another image at this point doesn't do anything either. It seems like none of the UI stuff is happening in here. BTW,
NSLog(#"%#", [NSThread isMainThread]?#"IS MAIN":#"IS NOT");
prints IS MAIN.
The image that is in there will stick around until the new animation frames are all in there (1-2 seconds) and they start animating
This is all being run from a subclass of UIView with the UIImageView as a subview.
- (void)loadItem:(StructuresItem *)item{
self.imageView.animationImages = nil;
self.imageView.image = nil;
[self.spinner startAnimating];
self.item = item;
if (item.frameCount.intValue ==1){
self.imageView.image = [item.frames objectAtIndex:0];
self.imageView.animationImages = nil;
}else {
[self.imageView removeFromSuperview];
self.imageView =[[UIImageView alloc] initWithFrame:self.bounds];
[self addSubview:self.imageView ];
if( self.imageView.isAnimating){
[self.imageView stopAnimating];
}
self.imageView.animationImages = item.frames;
self.imageView.animationDuration = self.imageView.animationImages.count/12.0f;
//if the image doesn't loop, freeze it at the end
if (!item.loop){
self.imageView.image = [self.imageView.animationImages lastObject];
self.imageView.animationRepeatCount = 1;
}
[self.imageView startAnimating];
}
[self.spinner stopAnimating];
}
My ignorant assessment is that something isn't being redrawn once that image is set to nil. Would love a hand.

Answer 1

What I have found is not an answer to the question, but rather a much better approach to the problem. Simply, use NSTimer instead of animationImages. It loads much faster, doesn't exhaust memory and is simpler code. yay!
Do this:
-(void)stepFrame{
self.currentFrameIndex = (self.currentFrameIndex + 1) % self.item.frames.count;
self.imageView.image = [self.item.frames objectAtIndex:self.currentFrameIndex];
}
and this
-(void)run{
if (self.item.frameCount.intValue>1){
self.imageView.image = [self.item.frames objectAtIndex:self.currentFrameIndex];
self.timer = [NSTimer scheduledTimerWithTimeInterval:1/24.0f target:self selector:#selector(stepFrame) userInfo:nil repeats:YES];
}else{
self.imageView.image = [self.item.frames objectAtIndex:0];
}
}