How to cache bitmaps into native memory

explanation

the sample code shows how to store 2 different bitmaps (small ones, but it’s just a demo), recycle the original java ones, and later restore them to java instances and use them.

as you might guess, the layout has 2 imageViews. i didn’t include it in the code since it’s quite obvious.

do remember to change the code to your own package if you need, otherwise things won’t work.

MainActivity.java – how to use:

package com.example.jnibitmapstoragetest;
...
public class MainActivity extends Activity
  {
  @Override
  protected void onCreate(final Bundle savedInstanceState)
    {
    super.onCreate(savedInstanceState);
    //
    Bitmap bitmap=BitmapFactory.decodeResource(getResources(),R.drawable.ic_launcher);
    final JniBitmapHolder bitmapHolder=new JniBitmapHolder(bitmap);
    bitmap.recycle();
    //
    Bitmap bitmap2=BitmapFactory.decodeResource(getResources(),android.R.drawable.sym_action_call);
    final JniBitmapHolder bitmapHolder2=new JniBitmapHolder(bitmap2);
    bitmap2.recycle();
    //
    setContentView(R.layout.activity_main);
      {
      bitmap=bitmapHolder.getBitmapAndFree();
      final ImageView imageView=(ImageView)findViewById(R.id.imageView1);
      imageView.setImageBitmap(bitmap);
      }
      {
      bitmap2=bitmapHolder2.getBitmapAndFree();
      final ImageView imageView=(ImageView)findViewById(R.id.imageView2);
      imageView.setImageBitmap(bitmap2);
      }
    }
  }

JniBitmapHolder.java – the “bridge” between JNI and JAVA :

package com.example.jnibitmapstoragetest;
...
public class JniBitmapHolder
  {
  ByteBuffer _handler =null;
  static
    {
    System.loadLibrary("JniBitmapStorageTest");
    }

  private native ByteBuffer jniStoreBitmapData(Bitmap bitmap);

  private native Bitmap jniGetBitmapFromStoredBitmapData(ByteBuffer handler);

  private native void jniFreeBitmapData(ByteBuffer handler);

  public JniBitmapHolder()
    {}

  public JniBitmapHolder(final Bitmap bitmap)
    {
    storeBitmap(bitmap);
    }

  public void storeBitmap(final Bitmap bitmap)
    {
    if(_handler!=null)
      freeBitmap();
    _handler=jniStoreBitmapData(bitmap);
    }

  public Bitmap getBitmap()
    {
    if(_handler==null)
      return null;
    return jniGetBitmapFromStoredBitmapData(_handler);
    }

  public Bitmap getBitmapAndFree()
    {
    final Bitmap bitmap=getBitmap();
    freeBitmap();
    return bitmap;
    }

  public void freeBitmap()
    {
    if(_handler==null)
      return;
    jniFreeBitmapData(_handler);
    _handler=null;
    }

  @Override
  protected void finalize() throws Throwable
    {
    super.finalize();
    if(_handler==null)
      return;
    Log.w("DEBUG","JNI bitmap wasn't freed nicely.please rememeber to free the bitmap as soon as you can");
    freeBitmap();
    }
  }

Android.mk – the properties file of JNI:

LOCAL_PATH := $(call my-dir)

include $(CLEAR_VARS)

LOCAL_MODULE    := JniBitmapStorageTest
LOCAL_SRC_FILES := JniBitmapStorageTest.cpp
LOCAL_LDLIBS := -llog
LOCAL_LDFLAGS += -ljnigraphics

include $(BUILD_SHARED_LIBRARY)
APP_OPTIM := debug
LOCAL_CFLAGS := -g

JniBitmapStorageTest.cpp – the “magical” stuff goes here :

#include <jni.h>
#include <jni.h>
#include <android/log.h>
#include <stdio.h>
#include <android/bitmap.h>
#include <cstring>
#include <unistd.h>

#define  LOG_TAG    "DEBUG"
#define  LOGD(...)  __android_log_print(ANDROID_LOG_DEBUG,LOG_TAG,__VA_ARGS__)
#define  LOGE(...)  __android_log_print(ANDROID_LOG_ERROR,LOG_TAG,__VA_ARGS__)

extern "C"
  {
  JNIEXPORT jobject JNICALL Java_com_example_jnibitmapstoragetest_JniBitmapHolder_jniStoreBitmapData(JNIEnv * env, jobject obj, jobject bitmap);
  JNIEXPORT jobject JNICALL Java_com_example_jnibitmapstoragetest_JniBitmapHolder_jniGetBitmapFromStoredBitmapData(JNIEnv * env, jobject obj, jobject handle);
  JNIEXPORT void JNICALL Java_com_example_jnibitmapstoragetest_JniBitmapHolder_jniFreeBitmapData(JNIEnv * env, jobject obj, jobject handle);
  }

class JniBitmap
  {
  public:
    uint32_t* _storedBitmapPixels;
    AndroidBitmapInfo _bitmapInfo;
    JniBitmap()
      {
      _storedBitmapPixels = NULL;
      }
  };

JNIEXPORT void JNICALL Java_com_example_jnibitmapstoragetest_JniBitmapHolder_jniFreeBitmapData(JNIEnv * env, jobject obj, jobject handle)
  {
  JniBitmap* jniBitmap = (JniBitmap*) env->GetDirectBufferAddress(handle);
  if (jniBitmap->_storedBitmapPixels == NULL)
    return;
  delete[] jniBitmap->_storedBitmapPixels;
  jniBitmap->_storedBitmapPixels = NULL;
  delete jniBitmap;
  }

JNIEXPORT jobject JNICALL Java_com_example_jnibitmapstoragetest_JniBitmapHolder_jniGetBitmapFromStoredBitmapData(JNIEnv * env, jobject obj, jobject handle)
  {
  JniBitmap* jniBitmap = (JniBitmap*) env->GetDirectBufferAddress(handle);
  if (jniBitmap->_storedBitmapPixels == NULL)
    {
    LOGD("no bitmap data was stored. returning null...");
    return NULL;
    }
  //
  //creating a new bitmap to put the pixels into it - using Bitmap Bitmap.createBitmap (int width, int height, Bitmap.Config config) :
  //
  //LOGD("creating new bitmap...");
  jclass bitmapCls = env->FindClass("android/graphics/Bitmap");
  jmethodID createBitmapFunction = env->GetStaticMethodID(bitmapCls, "createBitmap", "(IILandroid/graphics/Bitmap$Config;)Landroid/graphics/Bitmap;");
  jstring configName = env->NewStringUTF("ARGB_8888");
  jclass bitmapConfigClass = env->FindClass("android/graphics/Bitmap$Config");
  jmethodID valueOfBitmapConfigFunction = env->GetStaticMethodID(bitmapConfigClass, "valueOf", "(Ljava/lang/String;)Landroid/graphics/Bitmap$Config;");
  jobject bitmapConfig = env->CallStaticObjectMethod(bitmapConfigClass, valueOfBitmapConfigFunction, configName);
  jobject newBitmap = env->CallStaticObjectMethod(bitmapCls, createBitmapFunction, jniBitmap->_bitmapInfo.height, jniBitmap->_bitmapInfo.width, bitmapConfig);
  //
  // putting the pixels into the new bitmap:
  //
  int ret;
  void* bitmapPixels;
  if ((ret = AndroidBitmap_lockPixels(env, newBitmap, &bitmapPixels)) < 0)
    {
    LOGE("AndroidBitmap_lockPixels() failed ! error=%d", ret);
    return NULL;
    }
  uint32_t* newBitmapPixels = (uint32_t*) bitmapPixels;
  int pixelsCount = jniBitmap->_bitmapInfo.height * jniBitmap->_bitmapInfo.width;
  memcpy(newBitmapPixels, jniBitmap->_storedBitmapPixels, sizeof(uint32_t) * pixelsCount);
  AndroidBitmap_unlockPixels(env, newBitmap);
  //LOGD("returning the new bitmap");
  return newBitmap;
  }

JNIEXPORT jobject JNICALL Java_com_example_jnibitmapstoragetest_JniBitmapHolder_jniStoreBitmapData(JNIEnv * env, jobject obj, jobject bitmap)
  {
  AndroidBitmapInfo bitmapInfo;
  uint32_t* storedBitmapPixels = NULL;
  //LOGD("reading bitmap info...");
  int ret;
  if ((ret = AndroidBitmap_getInfo(env, bitmap, &bitmapInfo)) < 0)
    {
    LOGE("AndroidBitmap_getInfo() failed ! error=%d", ret);
    return NULL;
    }
  LOGD("width:%d height:%d stride:%d", bitmapInfo.width, bitmapInfo.height, bitmapInfo.stride);
  if (bitmapInfo.format != ANDROID_BITMAP_FORMAT_RGBA_8888)
    {
    LOGE("Bitmap format is not RGBA_8888!");
    return NULL;
    }
  //
  //read pixels of bitmap into native memory :
  //
  //LOGD("reading bitmap pixels...");
  void* bitmapPixels;
  if ((ret = AndroidBitmap_lockPixels(env, bitmap, &bitmapPixels)) < 0)
    {
    LOGE("AndroidBitmap_lockPixels() failed ! error=%d", ret);
    return NULL;
    }
  uint32_t* src = (uint32_t*) bitmapPixels;
  storedBitmapPixels = new uint32_t[bitmapInfo.height * bitmapInfo.width];
  int pixelsCount = bitmapInfo.height * bitmapInfo.width;
  memcpy(storedBitmapPixels, src, sizeof(uint32_t) * pixelsCount);
  AndroidBitmap_unlockPixels(env, bitmap);
  JniBitmap *jniBitmap = new JniBitmap();
  jniBitmap->_bitmapInfo = bitmapInfo;
  jniBitmap->_storedBitmapPixels = storedBitmapPixels;
  return env->NewDirectByteBuffer(jniBitmap, 0);
  }