how to convert from cvMat to UIImage in objective-c?

Question

I\'m using the OpenCV framework with XCode and want to convert from cvMat or IplImage to UIImage, how to do that? Thanks.

Answer 1

Here I am mentioning all the needed conversion methods together.

Converting UIImage color to UIImage gray, without using opencv and only using iOS library functions:

- (UIImage *)convertImageToGrayScale:(UIImage *)image
{
    // Create image rectangle with current image width/height
    CGRect imageRect = CGRectMake(0, 0, image.size.width, image.size.height);

    // Grayscale color space
    CGColorSpaceRef colorSpace = CGColorSpaceCreateDeviceGray();

    // Create bitmap content with current image size and grayscale colorspace
    CGContextRef context = CGBitmapContextCreate(nil, image.size.width, image.size.height, 8, 0, colorSpace, kCGImageAlphaNone);

    // Draw image into current context, with specified rectangle
    // using previously defined context (with grayscale colorspace)
    CGContextDrawImage(context, imageRect, [image CGImage]);

    /* changes start here */
    // Create bitmap image info from pixel data in current context
    CGImageRef grayImage = CGBitmapContextCreateImage(context);

    // release the colorspace and graphics context
    CGColorSpaceRelease(colorSpace);
    CGContextRelease(context);

    // make a new alpha-only graphics context
    context = CGBitmapContextCreate(nil, image.size.width, image.size.height, 8, 0, nil, kCGImageAlphaOnly);

    // draw image into context with no colorspace
    CGContextDrawImage(context, imageRect, [image CGImage]);

    // create alpha bitmap mask from current context
    CGImageRef mask = CGBitmapContextCreateImage(context);

    // release graphics context
    CGContextRelease(context);

    // make UIImage from grayscale image with alpha mask
    UIImage *grayScaleImage = [UIImage imageWithCGImage:CGImageCreateWithMask(grayImage, mask) scale:image.scale orientation:image.imageOrientation];

    // release the CG images
    CGImageRelease(grayImage);
    CGImageRelease(mask);

    // return the new grayscale image
    return grayScaleImage;
}

Converting color UIImage to color cvMat. Please note that, you will find this piece of code in several links but there is a small modification here. Notice the portion "swap channels". This part is for keeping the color undisturbed otherwise the color channel got modified.

Also notice the following lines. These lines will help to keep the orientation of the image undisturbed.

    if  (image.imageOrientation == UIImageOrientationLeft
         || image.imageOrientation == UIImageOrientationRight) {
        cols = image.size.height;
        rows = image.size.width;
    }

- (cv::Mat)cvMatFromUIImage:(UIImage *)image
{
    CGColorSpaceRef colorSpace = CGImageGetColorSpace(image.CGImage);
    CGFloat cols = image.size.width;
    CGFloat rows = image.size.height;

    if  (image.imageOrientation == UIImageOrientationLeft
         || image.imageOrientation == UIImageOrientationRight) {
        cols = image.size.height;
        rows = image.size.width;
    }

    cv::Mat cvMat(rows, cols, CV_8UC4); // 8 bits per component, 4 channels (color channels + alpha)

    CGContextRef contextRef = CGBitmapContextCreate(cvMat.data,                 // Pointer to  data
                                                    cols,                       // Width of bitmap
                                                    rows,                       // Height of bitmap
                                                    8,                          // Bits per component
                                                    cvMat.step[0],              // Bytes per row
                                                    colorSpace,                 // Colorspace
                                                    kCGImageAlphaNoneSkipLast |
                                                    kCGBitmapByteOrderDefault); // Bitmap info flags

    CGContextDrawImage(contextRef, CGRectMake(0, 0, cols, rows), image.CGImage);
    CGContextRelease(contextRef);
    CGColorSpaceRelease(colorSpace);

    //--swap channels -- //
    std::vector<Mat> ch;
    cv::split(cvMat,ch);
    std::swap(ch[0],ch[2]);
    cv::merge(ch,cvMat);

    return cvMat;
}

Converting UIImage to cvMat gray. Notice the line

cv::Mat cvMat(rows, cols, CV_8UC4, Scalar(1,2,3,4)); // 8 bits per component, 4 channels

instead of

cv::Mat cvMat(rows, cols, CV_8UC1); // 8 bits per component, 1 channels

This line is needed otherwise the code will throw error

- (cv::Mat)cvMatGrayFromUIImage:(UIImage *)image
{
    CGColorSpaceRef colorSpace = CGImageGetColorSpace(image.CGImage);
    CGFloat cols = image.size.width;
    CGFloat rows = image.size.height;

  //  cv::Mat cvMat(rows, cols, CV_8UC1); // 8 bits per component, 1 channels
    cv::Mat cvMat(rows, cols, CV_8UC4, Scalar(1,2,3,4)); // 8 bits per component, 4 channels

    CGContextRef contextRef = CGBitmapContextCreate(cvMat.data,                 // Pointer to data
                                                    cols,                       // Width of bitmap
                                                    rows,                       // Height of bitmap
                                                    8,                          // Bits per component
                                                    cvMat.step[0],              // Bytes per row
                                                    colorSpace,                 // Colorspace
                                                    kCGImageAlphaNoneSkipLast |
                                                    kCGBitmapByteOrderDefault); // Bitmap info flags

    CGContextDrawImage(contextRef, CGRectMake(0, 0, cols, rows), image.CGImage);
    CGContextRelease(contextRef);
    CGColorSpaceRelease(colorSpace);
    return cvMat;
}

Now finally, converting cvMat (color,binary, gray) to UIImage (color, binary, gray). Notice the line :

UIImage *finalImage = [UIImage imageWithCGImage:imageRef scale:1 orientation:self.originalImage.imageOrientation];

This line will help to keep the original orientation of the image

ENJOY !!

-(UIImage *)UIImageFromCVMat:(cv::Mat)cvMat {
    NSData *data = [NSData dataWithBytes:cvMat.data length:cvMat.elemSize()*cvMat.total()];

    CGColorSpaceRef colorSpace;
    CGBitmapInfo bitmapInfo;

    if (cvMat.elemSize() == 1) {
        colorSpace = CGColorSpaceCreateDeviceGray();
        bitmapInfo = kCGImageAlphaNone | kCGBitmapByteOrderDefault;
    } else {
        colorSpace = CGColorSpaceCreateDeviceRGB();
        bitmapInfo = kCGBitmapByteOrder32Little | (
                                                   cvMat.elemSize() == 3? kCGImageAlphaNone : kCGImageAlphaNoneSkipFirst
                                                   );
    }

    CGDataProviderRef provider = CGDataProviderCreateWithCFData((__bridge CFDataRef)data);

    // Creating CGImage from cv::Mat
    CGImageRef imageRef = CGImageCreate(
                                        cvMat.cols,                 //width
                                        cvMat.rows,                 //height
                                        8,                          //bits per component
                                        8 * cvMat.elemSize(),       //bits per pixel
                                        cvMat.step[0],              //bytesPerRow
                                        colorSpace,                 //colorspace
                                        bitmapInfo,                 // bitmap info
                                        provider,                   //CGDataProviderRef
                                        NULL,                       //decode
                                        false,                      //should interpolate
                                        kCGRenderingIntentDefault   //intent
                                        );

    // Getting UIImage from CGImage

    UIImage *finalImage = [UIImage imageWithCGImage:imageRef scale:1 orientation:self.originalImage.imageOrientation];
    CGImageRelease(imageRef);
    CGDataProviderRelease(provider);
    CGColorSpaceRelease(colorSpace);

    return finalImage;
}

Answer 2

You should consider using native OpenCV functions to convert forth and back :

#import <opencv2/imgcodecs/ios.h>
...
UIImage* MatToUIImage(const cv::Mat& image);
void UIImageToMat(const UIImage* image,
                         cv::Mat& m, bool alphaExist = false);

Note: if your UIImage comes from the camera, you should 'normalize' it ( iOS UIImagePickerController result image orientation after upload) before converting to cv::Mat since OpenCV does not take into account Exif data. If you don't do that the result should be misoriented.