Swift 3 : How to export video with text using AVVideoComposition

Question

I am trying to useAVVideoComposition to add some text on top of a video and save the video. This is the code I use:

I Create an AVMutableComposition and AVVideoComposition

var mutableComp =          AVMutableComposition()
var mutableVidComp =       AVMutableVideoComposition()
var compositionSize :      CGSize?

func configureAsset(){

    let options =               [AVURLAssetPreferPreciseDurationAndTimingKey : "true"]
    let videoAsset =             AVURLAsset(url: Bundle.main.url(forResource: "Car", withExtension: "mp4")! , options : options)
    let videoAssetSourceTrack =  videoAsset.tracks(withMediaType: AVMediaTypeVideo).first! as AVAssetTrack

    compositionSize = videoAssetSourceTrack.naturalSize

    let mutableVidTrack =       mutableComp.addMutableTrack(withMediaType: AVMediaTypeVideo, preferredTrackID: kCMPersistentTrackID_Invalid)
    let trackRange =            CMTimeRangeMake(kCMTimeZero, videoAsset.duration)

    do {
        try mutableVidTrack.insertTimeRange( trackRange, of: videoAssetSourceTrack, at: kCMTimeZero)

        mutableVidTrack.preferredTransform = videoAssetSourceTrack.preferredTransform

    }catch { print(error) }

    snapshot =       mutableComp
    mutableVidComp = AVMutableVideoComposition(propertiesOf: videoAsset)
 }

II Setup the layers

  func applyVideoEffectsToComposition()   {

    // 1 - Set up the text layer
    let subTitle1Text =            CATextLayer()
    subTitle1Text.font =           "Helvetica-Bold" as CFTypeRef
    subTitle1Text.frame =           CGRect(x: self.view.frame.midX - 60 , y: self.view.frame.midY - 50, width: 120, height: 100)
    subTitle1Text.string =         "Bench"
    subTitle1Text.foregroundColor = UIColor.black.cgColor
    subTitle1Text.alignmentMode =   kCAAlignmentCenter

    // 2 - The usual overlay
    let overlayLayer = CALayer()
    overlayLayer.addSublayer(subTitle1Text)
    overlayLayer.frame = CGRect(x: 0, y: 0, width: compositionSize!.width, height: compositionSize!.height)
    overlayLayer.masksToBounds = true


    // 3 - set up the parent layer
    let parentLayer =   CALayer()
    let videoLayer =    CALayer()
    parentLayer.frame = CGRect(x: 0, y: 0, width: compositionSize!.width, height: compositionSize!.height)
    videoLayer.frame =  CGRect(x: 0, y: 0, width: compositionSize!.width, height: compositionSize!.height)

    parentLayer.addSublayer(videoLayer)
    parentLayer.addSublayer(overlayLayer)

    mutableVidComp.animationTool = AVVideoCompositionCoreAnimationTool(postProcessingAsVideoLayer: videoLayer, in: parentLayer)

 }

III . Save video with AVMutbaleVideoComposition

func saveAsset (){

    func deleteFile(_ filePath:URL) {

        guard FileManager.default.fileExists(atPath: filePath.path) else { return }

        do {
            try    FileManager.default.removeItem(atPath: filePath.path) }
        catch {fatalError("Unable to delete file: \(error) : \(#function).")} }


    let documentsDirectory = FileManager.default.urls(for: .documentDirectory, in: .userDomainMask)[0] as URL
    let filePath =           documentsDirectory.appendingPathComponent("rendered-audio.mp4")
    deleteFile(filePath)

    if let exportSession = AVAssetExportSession(asset: mutableComp , presetName: AVAssetExportPresetHighestQuality){

        exportSession.videoComposition = mutableVidComp

        //  exportSession.canPerformMultiplePassesOverSourceMediaData = true
        exportSession.outputURL =                   filePath
        exportSession.shouldOptimizeForNetworkUse = true
        exportSession.timeRange =                   CMTimeRangeMake(kCMTimeZero, mutableComp.duration)
        exportSession.outputFileType =              AVFileTypeQuickTimeMovie



        exportSession.exportAsynchronously {
            print("finished: \(filePath) :  \(exportSession.status.rawValue) ")

            if exportSession.status.rawValue == 4 {

                print("Export failed -> Reason: \(exportSession.error!.localizedDescription))")
                print(exportSession.error!)

            }

        }

    }

}

Then I run all three methods in the viewDidLoad method for a quick test. The problem is that when I run the app ,the result of the export is the original video without the title on it.

What am I missing here?

UPDATE

I notice that adding a subTitle1Text.backgroundColor property in part II of the code makes a colored CGRect corresponding to subTitle1Text.frame appear on top of the video when exported.

(See Image)

When this code is modified for playback using AVSynchronizedLayer the desired layer can be seen on top of the video with text on it. So perhaps this is a bug in AVFoundation itself.

I suppose I am only left with the option of using a customVideoCompositorClass. The problem with that is that it takes a lot of time to render the video . Here is an example that uses AVVideoCompositing

Answer 1

Here is full working code which I used in my project. It will show CATextLayer at bottom (0,0). And in export session finish it will replace new path in player item. I used one model from Objective C code to get orientation. Please do testing in device. AVPLayer will not show text layer properly in simulator.

let composition = AVMutableComposition.init()

    let videoComposition = AVMutableVideoComposition()
    videoComposition.frameDuration = CMTimeMake(1, 30)
    videoComposition.renderScale  = 1.0

    let compositionCommentaryTrack: AVMutableCompositionTrack? = composition.addMutableTrack(withMediaType: AVMediaTypeAudio, preferredTrackID: kCMPersistentTrackID_Invalid)


    let compositionVideoTrack: AVMutableCompositionTrack? = composition.addMutableTrack(withMediaType: AVMediaTypeVideo, preferredTrackID: kCMPersistentTrackID_Invalid)


    let clipVideoTrack:AVAssetTrack = self.currentAsset.tracks(withMediaType: AVMediaTypeVideo)[0]

    let audioTrack: AVAssetTrack? = self.currentAsset.tracks(withMediaType: AVMediaTypeAudio)[0]

    try? compositionCommentaryTrack?.insertTimeRange(CMTimeRangeMake(kCMTimeZero, self.currentAsset.duration), of: audioTrack!, at: kCMTimeZero)

    try? compositionVideoTrack?.insertTimeRange(CMTimeRangeMake(kCMTimeZero, self.currentAsset.duration), of: clipVideoTrack, at: kCMTimeZero)

    let orientation = VideoModel.videoOrientation(self.currentAsset)
    var isPortrait = false

    switch orientation {
    case .landscapeRight:
        isPortrait = false
    case .landscapeLeft:
        isPortrait = false
    case .portrait:
        isPortrait = true
    case .portraitUpsideDown:
        isPortrait = true
    }

    var naturalSize = clipVideoTrack.naturalSize

    if isPortrait
    {
        naturalSize = CGSize.init(width: naturalSize.height, height: naturalSize.width)
    }

    videoComposition.renderSize = naturalSize

    let scale = CGFloat(1.0)

    var transform = CGAffineTransform.init(scaleX: CGFloat(scale), y: CGFloat(scale))

    switch orientation {
    case .landscapeRight: break
    // isPortrait = false
    case .landscapeLeft:
        transform = transform.translatedBy(x: naturalSize.width, y: naturalSize.height)
        transform = transform.rotated(by: .pi)
    case .portrait:
        transform = transform.translatedBy(x: naturalSize.width, y: 0)
        transform = transform.rotated(by: CGFloat(M_PI_2))
    case .portraitUpsideDown:break
    }

    let frontLayerInstruction = AVMutableVideoCompositionLayerInstruction(assetTrack: compositionVideoTrack!)
    frontLayerInstruction.setTransform(transform, at: kCMTimeZero)

    let MainInstruction = AVMutableVideoCompositionInstruction()
    MainInstruction.timeRange = CMTimeRangeMake(kCMTimeZero, composition.duration)
    MainInstruction.layerInstructions = [frontLayerInstruction]
    videoComposition.instructions = [MainInstruction]

    let parentLayer = CALayer.init()
    parentLayer.frame = CGRect.init(x: 0, y: 0, width: naturalSize.width, height: naturalSize.height)

    let videoLayer = CALayer.init()
    videoLayer.frame = parentLayer.frame


    let layer = CATextLayer()
    layer.string = "HELLO ALL"
    layer.foregroundColor = UIColor.white.cgColor
    layer.backgroundColor = UIColor.orange.cgColor
    layer.fontSize = 32
    layer.frame = CGRect.init(x: 0, y: 0, width: 300, height: 100)

    var rct = layer.frame;

    let widthScale = self.playerView.frame.size.width/naturalSize.width

    rct.size.width /= widthScale
    rct.size.height /= widthScale
    rct.origin.x /= widthScale
    rct.origin.y /= widthScale



    parentLayer.addSublayer(videoLayer)
    parentLayer.addSublayer(layer)

    videoComposition.animationTool = AVVideoCompositionCoreAnimationTool.init(postProcessingAsVideoLayer: videoLayer, in: parentLayer)

    let documentsPath = NSSearchPathForDirectoriesInDomains(.documentDirectory, .userDomainMask, true)[0]
    let videoPath = documentsPath+"/cropEditVideo.mov"

    let fileManager = FileManager.default

    if fileManager.fileExists(atPath: videoPath)
    {
        try! fileManager.removeItem(atPath: videoPath)
    }

    print("video path \(videoPath)")

    var exportSession = AVAssetExportSession.init(asset: composition, presetName: AVAssetExportPresetHighestQuality)
    exportSession?.videoComposition = videoComposition
    exportSession?.outputFileType = AVFileTypeQuickTimeMovie
    exportSession?.outputURL = URL.init(fileURLWithPath: videoPath)
    exportSession?.videoComposition = videoComposition
    var exportProgress: Float = 0
    let queue = DispatchQueue(label: "Export Progress Queue")
    queue.async(execute: {() -> Void in
        while exportSession != nil {
            //                int prevProgress = exportProgress;
            exportProgress = (exportSession?.progress)!
            print("current progress == \(exportProgress)")
            sleep(1)
        }
    })

    exportSession?.exportAsynchronously(completionHandler: {


        if exportSession?.status == AVAssetExportSessionStatus.failed
        {
            print("Failed \(exportSession?.error)")
        }else if exportSession?.status == AVAssetExportSessionStatus.completed
        {
            exportSession = nil

            let asset = AVAsset.init(url: URL.init(fileURLWithPath: videoPath))
            DispatchQueue.main.async {
                let item = AVPlayerItem.init(asset: asset)


                self.player.replaceCurrentItem(with: item)

                let assetDuration = CMTimeGetSeconds(composition.duration)
                self.progressSlider.maximumValue = Float(assetDuration)

                self.syncLayer.removeFromSuperlayer()
                self.lblIntro.isHidden = true

                self.player.play()
                //                    let url =  URL.init(fileURLWithPath: videoPath)
                //                    let activityVC = UIActivityViewController(activityItems: [url], applicationActivities: [])
                //                    self.present(activityVC, animated: true, completion: nil)
            }

        }
    })

Below is code of My VideoModel class

-(AVCaptureVideoOrientation)videoOrientation:(AVAsset *)asset
{
    AVCaptureVideoOrientation result = 0;
    NSArray *tracks = [asset tracksWithMediaType:AVMediaTypeVideo];
    if([tracks    count] > 0) {
        AVAssetTrack *videoTrack = [tracks objectAtIndex:0];
        CGAffineTransform t = videoTrack.preferredTransform;
        // Portrait
        if(t.a == 0 && t.b == 1.0 && t.c == -1.0 && t.d == 0)
        {
            result = AVCaptureVideoOrientationPortrait;
        }
        // PortraitUpsideDown
        if(t.a == 0 && t.b == -1.0 && t.c == 1.0 && t.d == 0)  {

            result = AVCaptureVideoOrientationPortraitUpsideDown;
        }
        // LandscapeRight
        if(t.a == 1.0 && t.b == 0 && t.c == 0 && t.d == 1.0)
        {
            result = AVCaptureVideoOrientationLandscapeRight;
        }
        // LandscapeLeft
        if(t.a == -1.0 && t.b == 0 && t.c == 0 && t.d == -1.0)
        {
            result = AVCaptureVideoOrientationLandscapeLeft;
        }
    }
    return result;
}

Let me know if you need any more help in this.