Feature: Video Embedding

[jcadence]

Are you in need of embedding videos in your app? Receiving an error? Give the following a try:

What is video embedding?
Video embedding allows you to take a link from an external source, such as youtube, and embed it into your data to view on your app. This is different from sites like youtube and Vimeo that allow you to upload your video content directly to their server. Currently, AppSheet only supports the embedding of videos.

Where do I set up video embedding?
The ability to embed your videos in your app is done by ensuring your data is correctly set up to accommodate and display videos with the right column types. We’ll walk you through the process of how to do this below.

1. To find the portion of your data where you’ll need to make adjustments for video editing, open your app editor by selecting the app you’d like to work on.
2. The navigation bar on the left side displays a tab titled “Data." Click this tab.
3. Once you’re in the data tab you’ll find a navigation bar along the top of your editor. The second tab is the “Columns” section. Click this tab.
4. Once you’re in this tab you’ll see a list of tables. Select the table you would like to have associated with video embedding.
5. From here, select the data column that you would like to contain the embedded video links and confirm that the column type is set to videos.

Important notes

• To see video embedding in action, here’s a sample app to review.
• Here’s a quick additional read if you’d like a bit more info.
• If you don’t already have a column reserved for your video in your original data source, you’ll need to add a new column first and then adjust its column type to the correct field in your app editor. Adding a new column may ask you to also regenerate your data (learn more about regenerating data which is absolutely ok.
• Setting up the ability to embed videos is similar to working with photos in your data. You can learn a bit more about the structuring your data for the photo feature here.

Try adding this feature to your app now and let us know how video embedding works for you.

Happy app building!

[Cathal_Noone]

No you still need to click on it to play it.

[Kirk_Masden]

Hi @SAFETY_RAMCO !

If you would like something that plays automatically (and, if you don’t need the sound), consider a gif:

Animated gifs Tips & Tricks 💡

This is not an original tip – just recycling a good idea shared with us by @tsuji_koichi: I’ve been making gifs in the way I learned from Koichi to create little animations that illustrate of how to do things in my app. The gifs go into image columns. Here’s one I made today: [Sync.2020-08-28 00_31_30] https://drive.google.com/uc?id=1IfEamThBWZR4gnaJTCuOViz8mmmKKgRd

[Jaros]

@Robin_Pfarrkircher, do you know if this will allow me to have private videos in my Pro account and share them only with people who have access to the app?

[Juan_Pablo_Baez]

I select the video option as the column type, copy the SAME URL and still get error

[Mike_T]

I’m using a Virtual Column, type Show, category Video. Found that you have to use the correct YouTube link: https://youtube.com/embed/....whatever the video Id goes here. I tried using the youtube feature of setting the time of the video start but it doesn’t work. video starts at the beginning.

On my iPhone the video will expand and rotate to take the whole screen. Haven’t tested Android yet.

[Kirk_Masden]

Hi @Mike_T ! Your post prompted me to revisit the the “video” column type. In the past, I had had trouble getting mp4 video files from my server to play in it. Today, however, I found that it works very well. I tested it on my iPhone and on an old Android device. The video played in place in Android and zoomed to fullscreen on my iPhone as soon as I tapped on it. I assume that some fixes that I was unaware of took place on the AppSheet side; it’s been a very long time since I had trouble with mp4s playing in my apps.

By the way, I also confirmed that an mp3 audio file (again, one I put on my server) will play in a video column. It’s not ideal – takes up more space than should be needed and, on my iPhone, goes meaninglessly to full screen – but it works.

P.S. @JCadence confirmed for me in the discussion above that mp4 embedding can be problematic. I think it must be the case that improvements were made since then. Were they announced?

[Kirk_Masden]

Here’s a related thread I found for those interested in video capture:

Wanted: Testers for Video Capture on Android devices Announcements

Hi everyone, AppSheet apps will soon support capturing and uploading short videos. Initially, this feature will only be available on Android devices; support for iOS devices will come later. The feature will initially not be available on desktop either. We need testers! If you’re interested, please reply to this thread. Our team will follow up separately to ensure you meet the criteria for this test. Not everyone who opts in will be the right fit, but there will be other opportunities to parti…

I didn’t sign up as a tester but I’m very interested in the results. I assume that video capture will lead to improve video playing. Also, this will mean that it will be possible to capture audio, even if only in video format. Something to look forward to.

Be sure to check out the post of mine directly above this one if you are interested in playing mp4 files in you app. It seems that some improvements have been made.

[Mike_T]

Boooo on Android only! Yeah on coming soon!

Sign me up for iOS testing when needed.

[jscott]

Regarding embedded videos, is there an option to automatically embed a private video file that is uploaded through a form? This implies that there is a column type of video that someone could submit a file to upload.

In my application, I have a column for video, however, whenever I am editing or generating a new row, the form I am using, doesn’t give an option to upload videos, why is this?

[Aurelien]

Hi @jscott

You may want to have a look to this post:

Video Files on Appsheet - Upload file from App then view on App (No third party services) Tips & Tricks 💡

To film video natively on the app and save the video files to the cloud storage straight-away is one of the awaited features to have. Saving video and audio file such as MP4, MP3 can be done by simply set up the data field type to “File” Then we have link to the those files with hyperlink but not able to view on the appsheet app. This is super easy tricks. Apart from file type data field, add virtual column with show type. Set category to “Video” And put the simple expression…

[jscott]

This is a really efficient workaround. One issue that I am facing, however, is, that I would like the video to be visible inside of the details page. Currently, whenever I add a file in the form, the video only renders in the form after I save it, and I can only view the video when in the form. Is there a way to implement this functionality such that I enter a file in a form and then it renders in the detail view for that record?

[Aurelien]

jscott:

then it renders in the detail view for that record?

It’s what it’s supposed to do. At least, that’s what I see on the demo video in the first post.
==> you see the video in the detail view.
If you don’t have this, can you share a screenshot of your situation ?

[jscott]

Yes, I do see the column name “Show Video” in the column order view option. Here is what I am currently seeing and getting as a result with my current state.
As you can see in the second image that there is no render of the video from the file that I have uploaded.

[SkrOYC]

jscott:

I can only view the video when in the form

Check if your Detail View includes the Show Type Column that points to your video in the Column Order config

[romanus]

I tried for facebook video and it works!

I just put the facebook video download link in the video column.

[SarahCornel]

Thank you for sharing this!

[HannaRIO]

The more I learn about video editing, the more I realize how little I know about it. A lifetime is not enough to figure out all these details and make a good product. There seems to be nothing complicated when any blogger mounts their videos by learning a couple of buttons in the program. And they look ok. But it is worth starting to understand, and this level does not seem satisfactory. Although the initial editing stages can be easily mastered using a video editor for mac, it is better to finish video editing courses later if you want to become a pro.

[Kirk_Masden]

I'm coming back to this after a long time.  Video would be a great addition to AppSheet but, alas, it's not ready for prime time.  For me to use it in my app videos would need to play properly and consistently (with the same or very similar appearance) in all devices (web browser, iOS, and Android).  Sadly, I must submit that that is not the case.  Am I wrong?  I don't think so.  I just tested on all three types of devices with all possible combinations of "video" columns, "show" columns, mp4 files on my server, and YouTube videos. I could not find one method that worked consistently (playing inside the view instead of turning the whole area around the video black on iOS, etc.) on all platforms.  I could get many to work on my computer browser but iOS, in particular, would behave differently (or not play the video at all, as is the case with YouTube).

The one method I know of that's fairly consistent is the link to a mp4 or mp3 file and have it play externally in the device's browser.  It's consistent but not what most of us need, I think.

Google owns YouTube.  At the very least, please figure out how to get YouTube to play in all devices with more-or-less the same appearance.  YouTube may have worked on iOS in the past but not anymore.  

Since video is a supported feature (there is a "video" column and video can be shown in "show" columns) on AppSheet,  I hope AppSheet will focus on this issue and do what is necessary to make it work properly.  Thanks!