KlugTorch

Overview

A camera app often needs light: a security camera in a dark room, a scanner, a video call at night. KlugTorch switches the camera light (the LED next to the back camera) on and off while the camera keeps running.

KlugTorch first detects whether the device has a camera light at all. Many tablets and some phones have none, so an app can simply hide its light button there.

It works alongside a live camera stream. KlugTorch does not open a camera of its own, so it never competes with the stream for the camera.

Apps that stream with KlugMedia can also use its built-in torch control. KlugTorch is in daily use in our apps, our proof of concept.

Features

• Self-contained: one ANE, no core library or dependency ANEs to add
• Detects whether the device has a camera light
• Turn the camera light on and off with one call
• Works while the camera is streaming on iOS, no interruption
• Reads the current state of the light
• A change event after every switch, also when it fails
• One API for iOS and Android

Supported platforms

On devices without a camera light, and on other platforms, isSupported returns false, so the same code can stay in every app.

Getting started

Add the extension to your application descriptor:

<extensions>
    <extensionID>com.klug.torch.Torch</extensionID>
</extensions>

The light sits next to the back camera, so the back camera should be the active one.

Code examples

Three complete flows. on() and off() return at once; a change event follows each call, and mode tells you the result. Full documentation →

import com.klug.torch.Torch;
import flash.events.Event;

var torch:Torch = Torch.getInstance();

// iOS: true if the default (back) camera has a torch.
// Android 6+: true if a back-facing camera has a flash.
// False on devices without a light and on other platforms.
lightButton.visible = torch.isSupported;   // lightButton: your app's toggle button

var wantLight:Boolean = false;

torch.addEventListener( Event.CHANGE, onTorchChange );   // after every on() / off()

function setLight( on:Boolean ):void
{
    wantLight = on;
    if ( on ) torch.on();
    else      torch.off();
}

function onTorchChange( e:Event ):void
{
    // the event carries no detail: read mode for the current state
    lightButton.selected = torch.mode;

    if ( torch.mode != wantLight )   // the light could not be switched
        showMessage( "The light is not available right now." );   // your app
}

function stopStreaming():void
{
    if ( torch.mode ) setLight( false );   // first the light, then the camera
    stopCamera();                          // your app's stream shutdown
    torch.removeEventListener( Event.CHANGE, onTorchChange );
}

API overview

Events

Buy KlugTorch

A yearly licence for one AIR application, with all updates for 12 months. After payment you receive the extension, the ActionScript library and the documentation by e-mail, usually within one business day. Licence and terms

Requirements