Integrating OpenCV (C++) with Visual Studio 2019 - the proper way

#opencv #cpp #tutorial #howto

In this post, I will set up OpenCV v4.10.0 on Windows 10 and create a demo C++ project to demonstrate how to integrate OpenCV with Visual Studio 2019.

Setup OpenCV

1. Download

Go to the OpenCV releases page (https://opencv.org/releases/).
Find version 4.10.0.
Click Windows to download the installer.

2. Install

Run the installer.
Specify "C:\" as the installation path.
After installation, a new folder named opencv should appear in "C:\".

3. Set Environment Variables

Open Advanced System Properties in Windows 10.
Click Environment Variables...
Create a new system variable named OPENCV_DIR with the value: C:\opencv\build\x64\vc16

In the system variable Path, add: %OPENCV_DIR%\bin

Create the Demo Project

1. New Project

Create a new project in Visual Studio.
Set the programming language to C++.
From the filtered list, select Console App.

2. Project Properties

Open the Property Pages window (Project > Properties).

Debug configuration:

Set Configuration to Debug and Platform to x64.
In C/C++ > General, under Additional Include Directories, add: $(OPENCV_DIR)\..\..\include

In Linker > General, under Additional Library Directories, add: $(OPENCV_DIR)\lib

In Linker > Input, under Additional Dependencies, add: opencv_world4100d.lib;

Click Apply.

Release configuration:

Set Configuration to Release.
Repeat the same steps for include and library directories.
In Linker > Input, under Additional Dependencies, add: opencv_world4100.lib;
Click Apply.

Finally, in the Configuration Manager, remove the x86 (Win32) platform.

Run the Program

Replace the default project code with the sample code below.

#include <opencv2/opencv.hpp>

using namespace cv;

int main()
{
    Mat image = Mat::zeros(300, 600, CV_8UC3);
    circle(image, Point(250, 150), 100, Scalar(0, 255, 128), -100);
    circle(image, Point(350, 150), 100, Scalar(255, 255, 255), -100);
    imshow("Display Window", image);
    waitKey(0);
    return 0;
}