Overview
In this series of articles, we have covered various important topics related to image processing using OpenCV.
In this article, First we covered how to read, write, and display images using OpenCV. We also discussed some basic image manipulations such as resizing, rotating, and flipping images.
Then , we explained color space conversions and image thresholding. We discussed the different color spaces used in image processing and how to convert images between them. We also covered thresholding, which is used to segment images based on pixel intensity.
At last, we talked about contour detection and shape analysis. We explained how to detect the boundaries of objects in an image using contours and how to analyze their shape properties, such as area, perimeter, and centroid.
Image Reading, Writing and Display using OpenCV
OpenCV (Open Source Computer Vision Library) is an open source computer vision and machine learning software library. It is used for processing images and videos to recognize objects, identify faces, track moving objects, and much more. In this section, we will cover how to read, write and display images using OpenCV.
Reading an Image
To read an image using OpenCV, we use the cv2.imread() function. This function takes the file path of the image as its argument and returns an image object.
Here is an example:
import cv2
img = cv2.imread('image.jpg')This will read the image with the file name image.jpg and return an image object.
Writing an Image
To write an image using OpenCV, we use the cv2.imwrite() function. This function takes two arguments: the file name and the image object.
Here is an example:
import cv2
img = cv2.imread('image.jpg')
cv2.imwrite('new_image.jpg', img)This will write the image to a new file called new_image.jpg.
Displaying an Image
To display an image using OpenCV, we use the cv2.imshow() function. This function takes two arguments: the title of the window and the image object.
Here is an example:
import cv2
img = cv2.imread('image.jpg')
cv2.imshow('Image', img)
cv2.waitKey(0)
cv2.destroyAllWindows()This will display the image in a new window with the title "Image". The cv2.waitKey(0) function waits indefinitely for a key event, and the cv2.destroyAllWindows() function closes all windows.
Basic Image Manipulations
Image manipulation is the process of changing an image to achieve a desired result. Some of the basic image manipulations include resizing, rotating, and flipping an image. In this section, we will cover how to perform these basic image manipulations using OpenCV.
Resizing an Image
Resizing an image is the process of changing its size. This can be useful if you want to display an image in a smaller or larger size. To resize an image using OpenCV, we use the cv2.resize() function. This function takes three arguments: the image object, the new width, and the new height.
Here is an example:
import cv2
img = cv2.imread('image.jpg')
resized_img = cv2.resize(img, (500, 500))
cv2.imshow('Resized Image', resized_img)
cv2.waitKey(0)
cv2.destroyAllWindows()This will resize the image to a new size of 500 x 500 pixels.
Rotating an Image
Rotating an image is the process of rotating it by a certain degree. To rotate an image using OpenCV, we use the cv2.rotate() function. This function takes two arguments: the image object and the rotation mode.
Here is an example:
import cv2
img = cv2.imread('image.jpg')
rotated_img = cv2.rotate(img, cv2.ROTATE_90_CLOCKWISE)
cv2.imshow('Rotated Image', rotated_img)
cv2.waitKey(0)
cv2.destroyAllWindows()This will rotate the image by 90 degrees clockwise.
Flipping an Image
Flipping an image is the process of reversing it horizontally or vertically. To flip an image using OpenCV, we use the cv2.flip() function. This function takes two arguments: the image, object and the flip code.
Here is an example:
import cv2
img = cv2.imread('image.jpg')
flipped_img = cv2.flip(img, 1)
cv2.imshow('Flipped Image', flipped_img)
cv2.waitKey(0)
cv2.destroyAllWindows()
This will flip the image horizontally.
Color Space Conversions and Image Thresholding
In image processing, color space conversion is the process of converting an image from one color space to another. Image thresholding is the process of creating a binary image from a grayscale or color image by applying a threshold value. In this section, we will cover how to perform color space conversions and image thresholding using OpenCV.
Color Space Conversions
To convert an image from one color space to another using OpenCV, we use the cv2.cvtColor() function. This function takes two arguments: the image object and the conversion code.
Here is an example:
import cv2
img = cv2.imread('image.jpg')
gray_img = cv2.cvtColor(img, cv2.COLOR_BGR2GRAY)
cv2.imshow('Grayscale Image', gray_img)
cv2.waitKey(0)
cv2.destroyAllWindows()
This will convert the image to grayscale.
Image Thresholding
To apply thresholding to an image using OpenCV, we use the cv2.threshold() function. This function takes three arguments: the image object, the threshold value, and the maximum value.
Here is an example:
import cv2
img = cv2.imread('image.jpg')
gray_img = cv2.cvtColor(img, cv2.COLOR_BGR2GRAY)
threshold_value = 127
max_value = 255
ret, thresh_img = cv2.threshold(gray_img, threshold_value, max_value, cv2.THRESH_BINARY)
cv2.imshow('Thresholded Image', thresh_img)
cv2.waitKey(0)
cv2.destroyAllWindows()
This will create a binary image with a threshold value of 127.
Conclusion
In this article, we have covered several important topics related to image processing using OpenCV. We discussed the basics of reading, writing, and displaying images, as well as basic image manipulation tasks such as resizing, rotating, and flipping images. Additionally, we explored color space conversion and image thresholding.
In the next article, we will delve into contour detection and shape analysis, as well as image filtering techniques such as smoothing and sharpening. We will also cover edge detection using the Canny edge detector.
By mastering these concepts and techniques, you will be well-equipped to tackle more complex image processing tasks using OpenCV.
