VLC for iOS url scheme

[tomoji]

Installed VLC for iOS and wondering if I can use url schemes.
I'd like to control VLC via other apps with using url schemes like follows:
In order to open the content of "http://stream02.ouj.example.jp:80/1110411_01.wmv", tried following url scheme but in vain.

vlc://http://stream02.ouj.example.jp:80/1110411_01.wmv

Appreciate your help, thank you.

[Jean-Baptiste Kempf]

Yes, starting next update. 2.0.2

[tomoji]

Thank you for your prompt reply.
I'm looking forward to having next update very soon.

[Jean-Baptiste Kempf]

We do too.

[klaas]

Is there any documentation on this? I would like to play a file that is already present in the VLC app for iOS.

I tried to open it by using "vlc://MyVideo.mov" but had no success. VLC opens, but only displays "Playback failed".

Thanks in advance!!

[fkuehne]

The current vlc:// implementation doesn't work that way. It can be used to force-open external files or streams instead of playing them with other apps or system services. There is no way to access files stored within the VLC context from within other apps.

[Mpittinger]

Just curious as to whether the ability to launch a file stored on the device through the vlc:// scheme is now supported in the latest version of VLC for iOS?

[fkuehne]

No, we did not come around to that as there is still no way to get a list of currently stored files within the VLC context from the outside, so I'm not quite sure how this is supposed to work.

[Mpittinger]

What I was hoping for was the ability to call a specific method (perhaps "play"?) using the VLC URL callback scheme that would allow for a specific video file name to be passed as a parameter. If the file was present in the VLC Library, the file would play in VLC, and then return to the application that called the file. If the file was not present in the VLC Library, the method would return an error.

This type of deep linking would be very useful to build into workflow apps on a mobile device that run locally, and may not always have access to a consistent internet connection.

[fkuehne]

That's feasible and actually exactly the way how our x-callback-url support works for streams. However, how is the calling app supposed to know if there is even a chance to have a file of a given name store within VLC's app context?

[Mpittinger]

I work in the public utility industry so we have many job aid documents that walk our employees through the unique nature of operating or maintaining specific facilities/assets.

Right now, we are posting video help files on YouTube so that our techs can access the correct document at the correct time in a guided workflow app. The workflow app is dynamically pointing to the correct URL based upon which asset is selected in the current form using a lookup table in the workflow app. Some of these video files can be quite large, and connectivity in the field can be an issue, so if we had the video files stored on the local device, we would simply point the URL scheme to use the correct local file instead of pointing to the web file (the workflow app will function off-line). Since these would be standard video files loaded over all of our mobile devices, in theory it would work quite well.

I've been struggling to find a video player that would support a URL Callback method to play locally stored files for this reason for some years. Anything that you could do would be greatly appreciated!

[fkuehne]

We can probably find a solution for that indeed.

btw. did you consider deploying our playback engine in your custom app itself? so you don't need to switch applications? Our API is about as simple as QuickTime's. You can find a basic introduction on my blog: http://feepk.net/2014/12/02/mobilevlcki ... it-part-1/

[Mpittinger]

For us it would be ideal if it worked using the URL Callback method, because we are using a "drag and drop" mobile app building application (Flowfinity Actions, flowfinity.com). This application allows the "non-programmer" to build very robust mobile apps (that include URL deep linking), but it don't think that it would work well with the playback engine that you mentioned - although I very much appreciate the thought and suggestion!

Thanks for the quick replies and the consideration for the expanded functionality!

[Mpittinger]

Hello!

Just checking in to see if you may have a very rough timeframe in mind as to when this ability to invoke a specific video file stored on the mobile device through a URL scheme could be enabled in VLC?

I fully recognize that I'm begging with nothing of any value to offer in return; but I would sincerely appreciate any feedback that you may be able to provide.

Thanks!
Mike

[dfuhrmann]

to when this ability to invoke a specific video file stored on the mobile device through a URL scheme could be enabled in VLC?

Generally, this is not possible because Apple forbids it. So you should ask them about timeframes and such.

[Mpittinger]

At the risk of being a pest, just checking to see if you have been able to make any progress in adding the functionality to call the playback of a local file on a mobile device using the VLC for iOS URL scheme? If not, is this on your development roadmap? Please?????

[fkuehne]

Yes, this is ticket 10083, but nobody worked on this so far as we are still busy with moving to iOS 9 and watchOS 2.

If you would like to help us in getting this done soon, you are welcome to have a look at VLC's sources. Just PM me and I'll get you going.