cvyamlParser

A simple yaml parser for OpenCV datatypes to Matlab using the new Matlab C++ Data API
262 Downloads
Updated 17 Feb 2021

A simple yaml parser for OpenCV datatypes to Matlab using the new Matlab C++ Data API. The mexfile readcvYaml can be used to transfer data efficiently from OpenCV to Matlab through YAML files. The parser is able to infer the correct datatype at runtime and return it in a corresponding Matlab structure. It uses the OpenCV filestorage class. Additionally, the parser is able to fold indexed variables with same basename into a multidimensional structure.

Usage: https://youtu.be/jHjLLROfxhg

UPDATE V2.0! : Windows support and multichannel matrix support is added
In the latest update (v2.0) windows mex function and compile instructions are added. Additionally the parces is greatly improved, now allowing nested mixed structures (map,vector) and multichannel matrices and raw image data.

Installation
1: go to mex folder
cd mex/
2: invoke mex command with optimization flags:
It's not necessary but good to have level 3 optimisation. by default optimisation level 2 is used. Make sure to link with the correct open cv library and include paths:

mex -v COPTIMFLAGS="-O3 -fwrapv -DNDEBUG" ../src/readcvYaml.cpp -I [path_to_includes] -L [path_to_lib]
e.g.:

mex -v COPTIMFLAGS="-O3 -fwrapv -DNDEBUG" ../src/readcvYaml.cpp -I/usr/local/include/opencv4 -L/usr/local/lib/ -lopencv_core
If mex was successful a verbose message will be printed in the console.

3: add mex path to matlab path variable:
You do this the easiest by navigating to mex folder and calling:

addpath(pwd); savepath;
From now the readcvYaml mex function should be accessible from any path in you matlab environment

4 : References
Please use the following DOI to cite cvyamlParser: DOI

5: Licence
Please refer to the licence file for information about code distribution, usage and copy rights. The code is provided under BSD 3-Clause License. Licence info regarding OpenCV and Matlab: https://opencv.org/license/ https://in.mathworks.com/pricing-licensing.html

Usage:
call readcvYaml on the dataset of choice. The function takes as input the filename and the sort option. By default readcvYaml will parse the variables names listed in the yaml file and assign this to a structure with corresponding fields. E.g.:

s = readcvYaml('../data/test_data.yaml')
s =
struct with fields:
matA0: [1000×3 double]
matA1: [1000×3 double]
matA2: [1000×3 double]

In readcvYaml a handy option is implemented to sort the data based on basename and numeric identifier. When using the sorting option entries that have a unique basename will be folded into multidimentional struct. This is very handy when you have similar datasets that belong to the same category or experimental condition etc. This is done like so:

s = readcvYaml('../data/test_data.yaml','sorted')
s =
struct with fields:

matA: [1×3 struct]
The sorting then stores the matrices with matA basename in 2d strructure that can be accessed with:

s.matA(1).matA
The numerical identifier does not have to be continuous, the sorting wil sort and store in ascending order. I.e.: A1, A2, A7, A12 and so forth. s.matA(1).index stores the numerical identifier.

The parser will automatically identify the datatype of the stored variable and return this in the structure. It is able to handle all common types used in OpenCV and Matlab environments. Common datatypes are that are returned from OpenCv to matlab:

OpenCV --> Matlab -- sizeof
CV_8U ,CV_8US --> int8_t(char) -- 1
CV_16S,CV_16U --> short -- 2
CV_32S --> int -- 4
CV_32F --> float -- 4
CV_64F --> double -- 8
The parser can convert vectors, matrices and single variables stored in yaml file. Although untested it should also work with xml files. Refer to the test_data.yaml and genyamlData.cpp see an example of how the data is generated.

Benchmarking
A benchmark results are provided for linux and osx platforms in folders linux and osx. The benchmark test were perfomed on standard Dell Optiplex 7400 and 2,3 GHz Intel Core i5 16G macbook, respectively.

To run the benchmark follow the steps:

1: generate test data to test the function:
Go to src folder and compile genyamlData:

cd src/
g++ -std=c++11 genyamlData.cpp -o genyamlData -I [path_to_cv_includes] [opencv_core_lib]
e.g.:

g++ -std=c++11 genyamlData.cpp -o genyamlData -I /usr/local/include/opencv4 -lopencv_core
Then run with:

genyamlData [outout_path_of_yaml]
e.g.:

genyamlData ../data/test_data.yaml
2: Run benchmark on you own pc:
In folder benchmark a simple script is provided to run readcvYaml on your own data. Simply choose the number of iterations with N parameter and run benchmarktest_cvYaml.m. The benchmark was performed for 5x[1000x3] double, 5x[2000x3] float, 5x[2000x3] int, and 5x[3000] double, 5x[6000] float and 5x[6000] int vectors. See test_data.yaml for the actual dataset.

Result of the benchmark test on linux Optiplex system can be found in figures. The sorting is slightly more expensive as expected but negligible for the current dataset.

Cite As

Tigran Mkhoyan (2024). cvyamlParser (https://github.com/tmkhoyan/cvyamlParser), GitHub. Retrieved .

Tmkhoyan. Tmkhoyan/CvyamlParser: Initial Public Release. Zenodo, 2019, doi:10.5281/zenodo.2703498.

View more styles
MATLAB Release Compatibility
Created with R2019a
Compatible with any release
Platform Compatibility
Windows macOS Linux
Categories
Find more on Code Generation, GPU, and Third-Party Support in Help Center and MATLAB Answers

Community Treasure Hunt

Find the treasures in MATLAB Central and discover how the community can help you!

Start Hunting!

Versions that use the GitHub default branch cannot be downloaded

Version Published Release Notes
2.0.3

Updated readme. Usage video: https://youtu.be/jHjLLROfxhg

2.0.2

List of updates:
Windows mex function
Multichannel matrix
Mixed nested structures
Automatic type deduction of nested structures
Delimiter option for sequences numbered structures
File extension safety

1.0.2

new image

1.0.1

updated logo and info

1.0.0

To view or report issues in this GitHub add-on, visit the GitHub Repository.
To view or report issues in this GitHub add-on, visit the GitHub Repository.