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Getting started with Open CV

asked 2012-08-06 07:11:54 -0600

ragu gravatar image

Hi Folks,

I am very new to Open CV. I just want to do image processing for one of my application. To begin with open CV, first what are all the basic knowledge should i have with me?. Also if i want to learn open CV, then what is the perfect procedure?.

Thanks in advance!!!

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answered 2012-08-06 08:07:23 -0600

sammy gravatar image

updated 2012-08-06 08:37:08 -0600

Welcome to the OpenCV world! It is one of the most colorful and enjoyable parts of the computer science!

There are many places to start from, each with its own strong and weak points. I will list some resources here, letting you choose how to start with them. All provide a gentle introduction to both OpenCV and image processing techniques.

But, before going this way, you should make sure you have at least basic understanding of C/C++ (this is the main language for OpenCV, and most examples/tutorials use it, but there are also Java, Python and unofficial C# bindings). You should know about memory management, pointers, data structures and objects. Basic knowledge of STL will help you.

Starting points:

  • Online documentation and tutorials. Here is where you learn basic installation/configuration, and then move on to actual image processing with this great tutorial list. Do not forget to explore the opencv/samples folder in your local installation folder

  • "Learning OpenCV", a book by Gary Bradsky and A. Kaehler. It offers an in-depth voyage thru image processing, and after completing it you'll be well equipped for even complex tasks in the field. It is similar in presentation and level of difficulty to university courses, but offers a gentle intro, so you should not be shy on it.

  • OpenCV Cookbook, an easy-to start book with nice examples. It is somehow easier to follow than the previous one, but it offers much less in-depth discution.

  • If you are already familiar with image processing (with other languages/tools like Matlab/Octave, etc) and also have a good programming experience, the reference docs and the opencv/samples should give you a kick-start in OpenCV

Last, but not least, do not forget to explore some other online resources, when in need:

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answered 2012-08-07 00:54:34 -0600

Michael Burdinov gravatar image

That is very good list of starting points for novice. But I am not sure about "Learning OpenCV". It was writen for OpenCV 1, which had very difficult API (dealing with contours for example was real hell). OpenCV 2 has much frendlier API, so this book won't really help him.

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It's true that it follows the old interface, but I think the information quality detailed there exceeds the language problems. After all, and API is just a simple convention, and the programs can be easily converted to/from an interface to another. But the book is the only so far that helps a student to understand image processing in depth. It contains theory paragraphs, questions, exercises and clues on how to explore more.

sammy gravatar imagesammy ( 2012-08-07 01:03:52 -0600 )edit
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I think this book may be read for two reasons: OpenCV interface and computer vision introduction. Trying to understand interface of OpenCV 1 is not an easy task for novice, it will just create confusion. As for computer vision introduction, there better books. I don't mean "Learning OpenCV" is bad book. It is quite good. I read it and it helped me a lot. But the competition is hard and there some better ones (in my opinion). For example: "Digital Image Processing" by Gonzalez and Woods (that was my first book in this field), or "Computer Vision: Algorithms and Applications" by Szeliski.

Michael Burdinov gravatar imageMichael Burdinov ( 2012-08-07 02:24:37 -0600 )edit

"Learning OpenCV 2" is in progress, so let's just wait and recommend the book again :)

Kirill Kornyakov gravatar imageKirill Kornyakov ( 2012-08-09 01:38:56 -0600 )edit

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Asked: 2012-08-06 07:11:54 -0600

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Last updated: Aug 07 '12

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