Using Core Image filters (CIFilter objects)

The CIFilter class includes class methods that let you ask for a list of filters, as well as methods that let you ask about the inputs used to configure each filter, and the output(s) it provides.

Core Image filters are devided into categories. Most CIFilters belong to more than one category.

The CIFilterTest app is written to ask the system for a list of supported filters, and then presents a list of those filters in a table view grouped by category.

There are 2 methods that let you get lists of avilable filters that match a specific category or categories: +[filterNamesInCategories:], and +[filterNamesInCategory:]

+ (NSArray *)filterNamesInCategories:(NSArray *)categories

This methd takes an array of filter category strings, and returns an array of CIFilters that belong to all the categorys you specify.

Pass categories = nil to get a list of all filters in all categories. (In other words, a list of all available filters.) However, you can't be sure the resulting list will be grouped by category

+ (NSArray *)filterNamesInCategory:(NSString *)category

This method returns all the filters that belong to a single category.


Once you have selected a filter by name, you load it using CIFilter class method +filterWithName

If you use one of the entries in the inputKeys array to fetch a value from the attributes dictionary, you will get another dictionary containing information about that input parameter for the filter.

Core Image filters use Core Image datatypes like CIImage, CIVector, and CIColor, as well as NSNumber. The entry for each inputKey in the attributes dictionary includes a key/value pair CIAttributeClass that tells you the data type of that input parameter, and another key/value pair CIAttributeClass that tells you how the parameter is used. (e.g. the inputKey inputCenter has a CIAttributeClass of CIVector and a CIAttributeType of CIAttributeTypePosition.)

The attributes entry for many input Key values includes a default value for that input key, and sometimes also contains minimum and maximum value ranges. Note that sometimes the deafult values listed in the attributes dictionary do not match the default values that are actually contained in the filter, and that sometimes the minimum and maximum value ranges are wrong. For example, the CILightTunnel filters lists a default inputRotation value of 9, a CIAttributeSliderMin (minimum value) of 0, and a CIAttributeSliderMax value of 1.570796326794897 (pi/2). However, the actual rotation setting that is installed in the filter is 100, and values ranging from -100 to +100 are perfectly valid to use.

Also, the settings for the CIBumpDistortion filter list a CIAttributeDefault setting of 150, 150 for the inputCenter attribute (In other words, the default center-point for the bump distortion filter should be (150, 150).) However, the CIBumpDistortion does not have any value set for it's inputCenter property by default, so the filter does nothing. You have to explictly set an inputCenter value before this filter makes any change to the image.