diff --git a/Dockerfile b/Dockerfile
index d2bbff1924..ff116a0b0f 100644
--- a/Dockerfile
+++ b/Dockerfile
@@ -47,6 +47,10 @@ RUN wget http://bitbucket.org/eigen/eigen/get/3.3.7.tar.gz
 RUN tar -xzf 3.3.7.tar.gz
 RUN mv eigen-eigen-323c052e1731 /usr/local/include/eigen
 
+# python
+RUN apt-get install -y python3-pip
+RUN pip3 install PyYAML
+
 # orb-slam2
 COPY Thirdparty ${BASE_DIR}/orbslam2/Thirdparty
 COPY Vocabulary ${BASE_DIR}/orbslam2/Vocabulary
diff --git a/python/generate_params_file.py b/python/generate_params_file.py
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..a9fb6cad60
--- /dev/null
+++ b/python/generate_params_file.py
@@ -0,0 +1,51 @@
+"""
+helper script to generate params file from template and camera config
+"""
+
+# lib
+import json
+import yaml
+import argparse
+import math
+
+
+def main():
+    args = parse_arguments()
+
+    # load camera config and template
+    with open(args['camera']) as file:
+        camera_config = json.load(file)
+    with open(args['template']) as file:
+        template_params = yaml.safe_load(file)
+
+    # calculate new params
+    params = template_params.copy()
+    params['Camera.cx'] = camera_config['stream_dimensions']['x'] / 2.0
+    params['Camera.cy'] = camera_config['stream_dimensions']['y'] / 2.0
+    params['Camera.fx'] = (
+            camera_config['stream_dimensions']['x']
+            / (2.0 * math.tan(math.radians(0.5 * camera_config['fov'])))
+    )
+    params['Camera.fy'] = params['Camera.fx']
+
+    # write update params to output file
+    with open(args['output'], 'w') as file:
+        yaml.dump(params, file)
+
+
+def parse_arguments():
+    """
+    helper function to parse CLI args
+
+    :return:
+    """
+    parser = argparse.ArgumentParser()
+    parser.add_argument('--camera', '-c', help='path to camera config.json', required=True)
+    parser.add_argument('--template', '-t', help='path to template parameters', required=True)
+    parser.add_argument('--output', '-o', help='path to generated params file', required=True)
+
+    return vars(parser.parse_args())
+
+
+if __name__ == '__main__':
+    main()