How to make a CAShapeLayer have a blur effect? - swift

Question

I have this CAShapeLayer that I want to have a blur effect. How would I be able to do that?
EDIT
I tried it this way but the blur view doesn't show. Anyone know why? Thanks!
func createLayer(in rect: CGRect) -> CAShapeLayer{
let effectView = UIVisualEffectView(effect:UIBlurEffect(style: .regular))
effectView.frame = rect
let view = UIView(frame: rect)
view.addSubview(effectView)
let mask = CAShapeLayer()
mask.frame = rect
mask.cornerRadius = 10
effectView.layer.mask = mask
maskLayer.append(mask)
layer.insertSublayer(mask, at: 1)
return mask
}

Answer 1

The short answer: You don't. You can add a visual effects view (UIVisualEffectView) of type blur (a UIBlurEffect) on top of the shape layer's view, or you could write code that takes the contents of the shape layer, applies a Core Image filter to it, and copies the output to another layer.
Using a UIVisualEffectView is a lot easier than working with Core Image filters, but a visual effect view operates on a view, not a layer. You'll need to make the shaper layer be part of the layer's layer hierarchy in order to use it.
Edit:
Your code has errors and doesn't really make sense. Your method createLayer (which I guess is a view controller instance method?) creates and returns a shape layer.
That method creates a throw-away UIView that is never added to the view hierarchy, nor passed back to the caller. That view will get deallocated as soon as your method returns.
Next you create a visual effects view and make that a subview of the throw-away view. Since the only place that view is attached is to the throw-away view, it will also get deallocated as soon as your method returns.
Next you create a shape layer and set it up as the mask of some other layer maskLayer, which you don't explain. Nor do you install a path into the shape layer.
If you have a view called shapeView, of class ShapeView, and you want to attach a visual effects view to it, you could use code like this:
class ViewController: UIViewController {
#IBOutlet weak var shapeView: ShapeView!
var blurView: UIVisualEffectView?
override func viewDidLoad() {
super.viewDidLoad()
blurView = UIVisualEffectView(effect:UIBlurEffect(style: .regular))
blurView?.frame = shapeView.frame
//Add the blur view on top of the shape view
view.addSubview(blurView!)
}
override func viewDidLayoutSubviews() {
//Update the blurView's frame if needed
blurView?.frame = shapeView.frame
}
}