Flutter Packages Weekly #11: photo_view

Woogi
3 min readJul 12, 2024

“Enhance Your Image Viewing Experience in Flutter Apps”

Welcome to another exciting installment of Flutter Packages Weekly! In this edition, we’re zooming in on the photo_view package, a versatile tool that revolutionizes the way you display images in your Flutter applications. If you're looking to provide users with an immersive and interactive image viewing experience, photo_view is your go-to solution. Let's dive into why this package is a must-have and how you can leverage its capabilities to elevate your app's visual storytelling.

Why Use photo_view?

  • Interactive Zoom: Enable users to pinch-to-zoom, double-tap to zoom, and pan around high-resolution images effortlessly.
  • Smooth Transitions: Seamlessly transition between image previews and full-screen views with smooth animations.
  • Customizable Gestures: Fine-tune the gesture behavior to match your app’s specific requirements.
  • Hero Animations: Create visually stunning transitions using Hero animations to seamlessly animate images between screens.
  • Image Loading: Easily load images from various sources, including assets, network URLs, and files.
  • Optimized Performance: photo_view is designed for performance, ensuring a smooth and responsive image viewing experience.

Key Features & How to Use Them

photo_view offers a range of features to create engaging image interactions:

  1. PhotoView: The core widget for displaying zoomable and pannable images.
  2. PhotoViewController: A controller for programmatically manipulating the zoom and pan state of the image.
  3. PhotoViewGallery: A widget for displaying a gallery of zoomable images.
  4. Customizable Widgets: Easily customize the appearance and behavior of various UI elements, such as the loading indicator and error widget.
  5. Gesture Detection: Control how users interact with the image through customizable gesture options.

Installation Guide

Get started with photo_view by adding it to your pubspec.yaml file:

dependencies:
photo_view: ^latest

Example: Zoomable Image

Basic Demo
PhotoView(
imageProvider: AssetImage('assets/image.jpg'),
minScale: PhotoViewComputedScale.contained * 0.8,
maxScale: PhotoViewComputedScale.covered * 1.8,
initialScale: PhotoViewComputedScale.contained,
heroAttributes: PhotoViewHeroAttributes(tag: 'image_hero_tag'),
);

Example: Image Gallery

Image Gallery Demo
PhotoViewGallery.builder(
scrollPhysics: const BouncingScrollPhysics(),
builder: (BuildContext context, int index) {
return PhotoViewGalleryPageOptions(
imageProvider: NetworkImage(galleryItems[index].image),
initialScale: PhotoViewComputedScale.contained,
heroAttributes: PhotoViewHeroAttributes(tag: galleryItems[index].id),
);
},
itemCount: galleryItems.length,
loadingBuilder: (context, event) => Center(
child: Container(
width: 20.0,
height: 20.0,
child: CircularProgressIndicator(),
),
),
);

More Examples:

Hero, Limited Scale Example

Conclusion

In the world of Flutter development, captivating visuals are essential for creating memorable user experiences. The photo_view package empowers you to take image display to the next level, offering interactive zoom, smooth transitions, and customizable gestures. Whether you're building a photo gallery, a product showcase, or any app that features images, photo_view is a valuable asset that will enhance your app's visual storytelling.

Stay tuned for more exciting package explorations in our Flutter Packages Weekly series!

Sign up to discover human stories that deepen your understanding of the world.

Free

Distraction-free reading. No ads.

Organize your knowledge with lists and highlights.

Tell your story. Find your audience.

Membership

Read member-only stories

Support writers you read most

Earn money for your writing

Listen to audio narrations

Read offline with the Medium app

Woogi
Woogi

No responses yet

Write a response