OpenCV C++ Setup, Build, and Run Using VS Code and Cmake

Credits
WalkWithMe https://youtu.be/MAoQqhcKKAo
  - opencv undistort code
Kevin Wood https://youtu.be/CnXUTG9XYGI
  - how to run opencv with visual studio code

Install CMake

Go to the cmake website (https://cmake.org/download/) and downlad cmake-3.28.1-windows-x86_64.msi for the Windows x64 Installer.

Install OpenCV

Download OpenCV release from the opencv website (https://opencv.org/releases/). Under OpenCV - 4.8.0, click on the Windows button, and run the exe isntall. Specify path to save (i.e. C:\opt)

Install Boost

Download latest from https://www.boost.org/. Follow the build+install guide (https://www.boost.org/doc/libs/1_85_0/more/getting_started/windows.html).

Especially step 5 Prepare to Use a Boost Library Binary and 5.1 Simplified Build From Source

Open CMakeLists.txt and update this line to point to your boost install root directory

set(BOOST_ROOT "C:/Program Files/boost/boost_1_85_0")

Setup Environment Variables

Create a new environment variable (Windows > Edit the system environment variables). Restart VS Code to take effect if already open. This step is required when we call find_package(OpenCV REQUIRED) in the CMakeList.txt file as we will see later.

Variable: `OpenCV_DIR`
Value:`C:\opt\opencv\build`

Add the following paths to your environment variables (Windows -> Edit the system environment variables). This is to find the bin and lib folders.

C:\Program Files\CMake\bin
C:\opt\opencv\build\x64\vc16\bin
C:\opt\opencv\build\x64\vc16\lib

CMakeList.txt

Add your CMakeLists.txt file to your project.

Simple OpenCV Program

Create your main.cpp program.

Configure Step

Configure the build

mkdir build
cmake -B .\build\

Build in Debug

Build and Run Exe in Debug

cmake --build .\build\
.\build\Debug\OpenCVExample.exe

Build in Release

Build and Run Exe in Debug

cmake --build .\build\ --config Release
.\build\Release\OpenCVExample.exe

Modify Program and Rebuild

If you make any changes to your main.cpp file, you just need to re-run the build step and not the configure step.

cmake --build .\build\
.\build\Debug\OpenCVExample.exe

Usage

Drag and drop your raw video file onto the exe
  - Requires a Result folder in the same directory as the exe