Linking OpenCV 2.4.2 with Visual Studio 2010

Question

I have installed OpenCV as described here: Installing openCV 2.4 for C/C++ for Visual Studio.

I try to link openCV libraries and I am stuck at "the local method" in this tutorial.

I have two places with openCV files: [username]/opencv (official)/ where I extracted openCV source (referred further as source directory) [username]/opencv-build/ where I built openCV using cmake and then compiled it with Visual Studio (referred further as build directory)

The tutorial I try to follow says to link $(OPENCV_DIR)\include which refers to build directory. However, "include" folder in my build directory contains only some cmake files, while "include" in the source directory contains openCV headers (in folders opencv and opencv). I understand that I should rather use the source directory instead, but I tried with both and none of them works.

Next, the tutorial says to link $(OPENCV_DIR)\libs. I have a folder "lib" so I guess it is just a spelling error. My folder "lib" contains two folders: "Debug" and "Release". Should I add [username]/opencv-build/lib/Debug to Debug Property Page and [username]/opencv-build/lib/Release to Release Property Page?

I have added 242 version libraries to Linker input in both Property Pages.

Whatever I did, Visual Studio highlights all of the include statements and hence, everything else.

#include "stdafx.h"
#include <cv.h>
#include <cxcore.h>
#include <highgui.h>

Any ideas what I am doing wrong?

EDIT after go4sri answer:

Change to opencv\include\opencv solved the problems with includes (except "stdafx.h"), however I tried the following "hello world" now:

 #include <cv.h>
 #include <highgui.h>

 int main ( int argc, char **argv )
 {
     cvNamedWindow( "My Window", 1 );
     IplImage *img = cvCreateImage( cvSize( 640, 480 ), IPL_DEPTH_8U, 1 );
     CvFont font;
     double hScale = 1.0;
     double vScale = 1.0;
     int lineWidth = 1;
     cvInitFont( &font, CV_FONT_HERSHEY_SIMPLEX | CV_FONT_ITALIC,
             hScale, vScale, 0, lineWidth );
     cvPutText( img, "Hello World!", cvPoint( 200, 400 ), &font,
             cvScalar( 255, 255, 0 ) );
     cvShowImage( "My Window", img );
     cvWaitKey();
     return 0;
}

Although, includes are no longer highlighted, everything else still is. Errors are "identifier XXX is undefined".

EDIT

I have copied some of the files from the previous versions of openCV to <source_directory>\include\opencv2. Now Visual Studio does not highlight anything, however when I try to build it, I get "unresolved external symbol" error for: _cvCreateImage, _cvInitFont, _cvNamedWindow, _cvPutText, _cvShowImage and _cvWaitKey.

[This thread has a good solution](http://stackoverflow.com/questions/10901905/installing-opencv-2-4-3-in-visual-c-2010-express/10901906#10901906) > If you you want to lear further on Image Processing in Open CV then [OpenCv Tutorial](http://opencv-srf.blogspot.in/) — Tom J Muthirenthi, Dec 14 '13 at 06:20

go4sri · Answer 1 · 2012-07-18T12:42:19.883

1

You were right to use the include from the source directory.

Change the includes to :

#include <opencv\cv.h>
#include <opencv\cxcore.h>
#include <opencv\highgui.h>

They are all contained in the opencv directory under include.This is the standard way of using Opencv.

However, you can also change the include options to <source_dir>\include\opencv;<source_dir>\include\opencv2;<source_dir>\include [This is not recommended]

For the libs:

Yes. Use the Debug directory in the additional library directories option for Debug( and Release for the release) You will also need to change the input library names - Note that all debug libraries end with a d while the release libs do not. For example:

The debug lib will be named: opencv_imgproc242d.lib The release lib will be named: opencv_imgproc242.lib

Hope this helps...

edited Jul 18 '12 at 12:42

answered Jul 18 '12 at 11:38

go4sri

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Thanks! That solved some problems, however I am still unable to build the project. See the question edited. – Jaroslaw Pawlak Jul 18 '12 at 12:14
I am sorry I was ambiguous. You will need to keep the original AND add the new ones to the list of include. So, the final one will looke like: `\include\opencv;\include\opencv2;\include;` I have edited my answer to reflect this. – go4sri Jul 18 '12 at 12:43
If the amount of code you have to change is less, I would recommend that you have just the one include directory in the properties, and add in individual files as in your source. – go4sri Jul 18 '12 at 12:44
\include (except two already mentioned directories) contains only CMakeList.txt, so I don't see the sense to include this directory. \include\opencv2 contains opencv.hpp, however this includes other files so it looks ok. Anyway, I have included all three directories and Visual Studio still does not recognise any of the openCV functions. – Jaroslaw Pawlak Jul 18 '12 at 13:10
1

The reason for adding this directory is because, some of the OpenCV header files include files based on this. For example, if you look at opencv.h: it has `#include "opencv2/core/core_c.h"`. Unless you add the include, it will not be able to get opencv2/... – go4sri Jul 18 '12 at 13:16
Ok, that makes sense, however as I said, it still doesn't work. – Jaroslaw Pawlak Jul 18 '12 at 13:17
let us [continue this discussion in chat](http://chat.stackoverflow.com/rooms/14074/discussion-between-go4sri-and-jaroslaw-pawlak) – go4sri Jul 18 '12 at 13:42

Linking OpenCV 2.4.2 with Visual Studio 2010

1 Answers1