security-union / security-union/remote-shutter

Cinematic mode video recording with remote aperture/subject control

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enhancement
Dominant language
Swift
Stars
19
Forks
3
Avg merge
28m
Merged PRs (30d)
6

Description

Requested by @momentsintimeusa in #206.

What the user wants

Record Cinematic mode video (shallow depth of field with rack focus, like the built-in Camera app) from the camera device, with the focus subject and simulated aperture controllable from the remote.

Platform facts

  • iOS 26 opened Cinematic capture to third-party apps: AVCaptureSession with isCinematicVideoCaptureEnabled on AVCaptureMovieFileOutput, simulatedAperture on the device, and AVCaptureDevice.cinematicVideoCaptureSceneMonitoringStatuses for detected subjects. See WWDC25 session 319 "Capture cinematic video in your app".
  • Supported on iPhone 13 and later; requires a Cinematic-capable format (1080p and 4K at 24/25/30 fps depending on device).
  • The output carries depth/focus metadata, so focus can be edited afterwards in Photos.
  • Tap-to-focus already exists in the app (action 21); in Cinematic mode a tap selects the tracked subject instead of setting a focus point.

Scope sketch

  • Camera: a cinematic video mode in CaptureEngine/RecordingPipeline, gated on device + iOS 26, choosing a Cinematic-capable format.
  • Wire: capability flag supports_cinematic_video, mode entry, and a SetSimulatedAperture command in FlatBufferSchemas.fbs (Unknown = 0 convention). Reuse the tap-to-focus point message for subject selection.
  • Remote: mode picker entry plus an aperture control (f/1.4–f/16); tap on the preview selects the subject.
  • Overlaps with the manual-controls work tracked in #206 (simulated aperture is one of those controls), so coordinate the design.

Open questions

  • Does Cinematic capture require AVCaptureMovieFileOutput, or can the existing AVCaptureVideoDataOutput + AVAssetWriter pipeline carry it? If the former, recording would bypass RecordingPipeline's per-frame crop path.
  • Monetization: part of "enable video" IAP or a Pro tier?

Contributor guide

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First steps

  1. Read the whole issue, then the project's contributing guide.
  2. Comment on the issue to say you are picking it up — it saves two people doing the same work.
  3. Fork the repository and make your change on a branch.
  4. Open a pull request that references the issue number.

Research direction

Start with the cinematic-mode scope in CaptureEngine and RecordingPipeline, then review FlatBufferSchemas.fbs and the existing tap-to-focus action 21. Resolve the AVCaptureMovieFileOutput versus AVAssetWriter question and coordinate with #206 before implementing. Done means the supported devices can record Cinematic video, expose aperture and subject selection remotely, and carry the required capability and mode messages.

Written by the indexing model from the issue text.

Assessment

Tech stack
ios, swift
Domain
mobile
Issue type
Feature
Difficulty
5/5
Estimated time
Over a week
Activity status
Active
Clarity
Mostly clear
Newbie friendliness
35/100

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