Fast Image Annotation Tool (FIAT) [Deprecated]

Abstract

FIAT is a simple cross platform tool build for image data annotation using rectangles. It is based on OpenCV high GUI. The User can select rectangular regions of interests whilst assigning class names to each object.

Dependencies

• Boost Library: 1. program_options 2. filesystem 3. system
• OpenCV 3 Library: 1. imgproc 2. core 3. highgui 4. imgcodecs

Preferably if a Qt backed OpenCV is better for a neat UI - c.f. Windows installation tutorial on Windows platforms .

Folder architecture

The folder hierarchy should resemble that of the PASCAL challenge: i.e.

data/
    |-- Annotations/
         |-- *.txt (Annotation files)
    |-- Images/
         |-- *.png (Image files)
    |-- ImageSets/
         |-- train.txt

For each image in data/Images/foo.pngshould correspond an annotation file data/Annotations/foo.txt containing objects' coordinates and their classes:

bar <x1> <x2> <y1> <y2>LF

Building

Run CMake to generate the project on Linux, OS X and Windows and proceed to build.

On Linux/OS X:

cd /path/to/FIAT
mkdir build && cd build
cmake .. [-D options]
make all

Example: on OS X if building with the OpenCV installed by homebrew, cmake options might look like:

cmake -DCMAKE_PREFIX_PATH=/usr/local/opt/opencv3 ..

On Windows:

cd /path/to/FIAT
mkdir build && cd build

Now open CMake GUI, generate a VS project and build the program.

Tutorial

To launch the annotation program, run:

/path/to/annotate --images /path/to/data/Images/ --annotations /path/to/data/Annotations --min_dim <minimal dimension size>

To get help run:

/path/to/annotate --help

Controls:

• Mouse: click with mouse to select upper-left and lower-right corners of a rectangle
• Confirm: 'c' key: confirm selection
  • After confirming switch to terminal window and enter a label for the selection; press enter
  • After labeling switch back to image window and repeat for each annotation, using mouse to select a new rectangle.
• Delete: 'd' key: delete previous annotation rectangle
• Next: 'n' ney: move to next image
• ESC: next image

const int Confirm = 99; // 'c' key const int Next = 110; // 'n' key const int Delete = 100; // delete key const int ESC = 27; // escape key

It is strongly recommended that you run the program without specifying the annotations directory, as it would be inferred automatically. Example:

./bin/annotate --images ~/Desktop/Database/data/Images --min_dim 224

To do

• Complete documentation.
• Improve annotation interface.
• Create unit tests.
• Add a second window to help tracking annotations and enter classes without going back to terminal.