Camera Service Service

wdio-camera-service is a 3rd party package, for more information please see GitHub | npm

A WebdriverIO service that enables camera feed injection for testing applications that use camera/video inputs. This service allows you to mock camera feeds with pre-recorded video files during automated testing.

Features

• 🎥 Inject custom video feeds into Chrome browsers during testing
• 🔄 Dynamically change camera sources during test execution
• 📁 Automatic video directory management
• 🧪 Perfect for testing camera-dependent applications like QR code scanners, video conferencing, etc.

Installation

npm install --save-dev wdio-camera-service

Configuration

Add the camera service to your WebdriverIO configuration:

// wdio.conf.ts
export const config: WebdriverIO.Config = {
  // ... other config
  services: [
    ['camera', {
      defaultCameraFeed: './camera/default.mjpeg',
      videoDirectory: './camera/video',
    }],
  ],
  // ... other config
};

Service Options

Option	Type	Required	Description
defaultCameraFeed	string	✅	Path to the default MJPEG video file
videoDirectory	string	✅	Directory for session-specific video files

Browser Support

• ✅ Chrome/Chromium/Android Chrome - Full support
• ❌ Firefox - Not supported
• ❌ Safari - Not supported
• ❌ Edge - Not supported (unless Chromium-based)

Note: This service only works with Chrome/Chromium browsers as it relies on Chrome-specific command line arguments for camera mocking.

Android SDK Supports (With Chrome)

SDK	Version	Support?
31	12	✅
33	13	✅
34	14	✅
35	15	✅
36	16	✅

Usage

Basic Usage

The service automatically injects the default camera feed when the browser starts:

describe('Camera Tests', () => {
  it('should use default camera feed', async () => {
    await browser.url('https://example.com/camera-app');
    // Your default camera feed is now active
  });
});

Changing Camera Source

Use the changeCameraSource command to switch video feeds during test execution:

describe('Camera Tests', () => {
  it('should change camera source dynamically', async () => {
    await browser.url('https://example.com/camera-app');
    
    // Start with default feed, then switch to a different video
    await browser.changeCameraSource('path/to/barcode-video.mjpeg');
    
    // Test barcode scanning functionality
    await expect($('#barcode-result')).toHaveText('123456789');
    
    // Switch to another video
    await browser.changeCameraSource('path/to/face-video.mjpeg');
    
    // Test face detection
    await expect($('#face-detected')).toBeDisplayed();
  });
});

File Structure

project/
├── camera/
│   ├── default.mjpeg          # Default camera feed
│   ├── barcode-sample.mjpeg   # Sample barcode video
│   ├── face-sample.mjpeg      # Sample face video
│   └── video/                 # Auto-generated session videos
│       └── 0-0.mjpeg         # Session-specific copies
├── test/
│   └── specs/
│       └── camera.e2e.ts     # Test files
└── wdio.conf.ts              # WebdriverIO configuration

Video File Requirements

• Format: MJPEG (Motion JPEG)
• Extension: .mjpeg
• Location: Relative to your project root or absolute paths

Creating MJPEG Files

You can convert existing video files to MJPEG format using FFmpeg:

# Convert MP4 to MJPEG
ffmpeg -i input.mp4 -f mjpeg output.mjpeg

# Convert with specific settings
ffmpeg -i input.mp4 -vcodec mjpeg -q:v 2 -r 30 output.mjpeg

API Reference

Browser Commands

browser.changeCameraSource(videoFilePath: string)

Changes the active camera source to a different video file.

Parameters:

• videoFilePath (string): Path to the new MJPEG video file (relative to project root)

Returns: Promise<void>

Example:

await browser.changeCameraSource('camera/new-feed.mjpeg');

Error Handling

The service will throw errors in the following cases:

• Missing configuration: When defaultCameraFeed or videoDirectory is not specified
• File not found: When the specified video file doesn't exist
• Unsupported browser: When used with non-Chrome browsers (logs warning instead of error)

Example Test Cases

import { browser } from '@wdio/globals';

describe('Camera Application Tests', () => {
  it('should scan QR codes', async () => {
    await browser.url('https://qr-scanner-app.com');
    
    // Inject QR code video
    await browser.changeCameraSource('camera/qr-code.mjpeg');
    
    await $('#start-camera').click();
    await expect($('#qr-result')).toHaveText('Expected QR Content');
  });

  it('should detect faces', async () => {
    await browser.url('https://face-detection-app.com');
    
    // Inject face video
    await browser.changeCameraSource('camera/face.mjpeg');
    
    await $('#start-detection').click();
    await expect($('#face-count')).toHaveText('1 face detected');
  });
});

Troubleshooting

Common Issues

1. "Default camera feed does not exist"

   • Ensure the defaultCameraFeed path is correct
   • Verify the file exists and has proper permissions

2. "New source camera feed does not exist"

   • Check the path passed to changeCameraSource()
   • Ensure the file is in MJPEG format

3. Camera not working in browser

   • Verify you're using Chrome/Chromium
   • Check browser console for permission errors
   • Ensure the test site allows camera access

Debug Tips

• Set logLevel: 'debug' in your WebdriverIO config to see detailed logs
• Check the videoDirectory for generated session files
• Verify MJPEG files play correctly in media players

Contributing

1. Fork the repository
2. Create a feature branch
3. Add tests for new functionality
4. Submit a pull request

License

MIT License—see LICENSE file for details