VideoPlayer in SwiftUI stops playing when parent-View updates - swift

Question

Using Swift5.3.2, iOS14.4.1, Xcode 12.4,
I am successfully running a VideoPlayer in SwiftUI.
I am calling the Player view with this code: VideoPlayer(player: AVPlayer(url: url)).
The problem is that the video stops playing whenever a parent-View of the VideoPlayer updates (i.e. re-renders).
Since in SwiftUI I don't have any control over when such a re-render moment takes place, I don't know how to overcome this problem.
Any ideas ?
Here is the entire Code:
The VideoPlayer View is called as such:
struct MediaTabView: View {
#State private var url: URL
var body: some View {
// CALL TO VIDEOPLAYER IS HERE !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
VideoPlayer(player: AVPlayer(url: url))
}
}
The MediaTabView is called as such:
import SwiftUI
struct PageViewiOS: View {
var body: some View {
ZStack {
Color.black
// CALL TO MEDIATABVIEW IS HERE !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!d
MediaTabView(url: URL(string: "https://someurel.com"))
CloseButtonView()
}
}
}
The PageViewiOS View is called as such:
struct MainView: View {
#EnvironmentObject var someState: AppStateService
var body: some View {
NavigationView {
Group {
if someState = .stateOne {
// CALL TO PAGEVIEWIOS IS HERE !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
PageViewiOS()
} else {
Text("hello")
}
}
}
}
}

Answer 1

This is in response to our comment thread on the other answer:
class PlayerViewModel: ObservableObject {
#Published var avPlayer: AVPlayer?
func loadFromUrl(url: URL) {
avPlayer = AVPlayer(url: url)
}
}
struct CustomPlayerView: View {
var url : URL
#StateObject private var playerViewModel = PlayerViewModel()
var body: some View {
ZStack {
if let avPlayer = playerViewModel.avPlayer {
VideoPlayer(player: avPlayer)
}
}.onAppear {
playerViewModel.loadFromUrl(url: url)
}
}
}
I'm not sure that this is definitively better, so it's worth testing. But, it does control when AVPlayer gets created and avoids re-creating PlayerViewModel on every render of the parent as well.

Answer 2

With the solution from #jnpdx, everything works now.
Here is the final solution (full credit to #jnpdx):
import SwiftUI
import AVKit
class PlayerViewModel: ObservableObject {
#Published var avPlayer: AVPlayer?
func loadFromUrl(url: URL) {
avPlayer = AVPlayer(url: url)
}
}
struct CustomPlayerView: View {
var url : URL
#StateObject private var playerViewModel = PlayerViewModel()
var body: some View {
ZStack {
if let avPlayer = playerViewModel.avPlayer {
VideoPlayer(player: avPlayer)
}
}.onAppear {
playerViewModel.loadFromUrl(url: url)
}
}
}
With that in hand, it is enough to call the CustomPlayerVideo like that:
CustomPlayerView(url: url)
Remark: I needed to use ZStack instead of Group in my CustomPlayerView in order for it to work.

Answer 3

I have found a solution.
Call the following :
CustomPlayerView(url: url)
...instead of :
VideoPlayer(player: AVPlayer(url: url))
Not sure why this works, tough.
Maybe somebody can explain further ?
Here is the CustomVideoPlayer code:
struct CustomPlayerView: View {
private let url: URL
init(url: URL) {
self.url = url
}
var body: some View {
VideoPlayer(player: AVPlayer(url: url))
}
}
With this minor change, the Video keeps on playing even tough the parent-View gets re-rendered. Still, not sure why ???
----------- Answer with the hint of #jnpdx --------
I changed the CustomVideoPlayer even more :
CustomPlayerView(playerViewModel: PlayerViewModel(avPlayer: AVPlayer(url: url)))
import SwiftUI
import AVKit
class PlayerViewModel: ObservableObject {
#Published var avPlayer: AVPlayer
init(avPlayer: AVPlayer) {
self.avPlayer = avPlayer
}
}
struct CustomPlayerView: View {
#StateObject var playerViewModel: PlayerViewModel
var body: some View {
VideoPlayer(player: playerViewModel.avPlayer)
}
}