Installing OpenCV with Python support on a Mac

opencv_mac_w_python2

0) Get Anaconda Python
1) Download CMake for Mac and ensure you add the command line binaries to your PATH (sudo "/Applications/CMake.app/Contents/bin/cmake-gui" --install)
2) Download OpenCV
3) cd into the OpenCV director and run `mkdir build`
4) cd into the `build` director you just created and run the following:

Make sure you update the path to your own installation of Anaconda (i.e. replace "sramanujam" in the following with your user name).

        
        cmake ../ -DCMAKE_BUILD_TYPE=RELEASE  -DCMAKE_INSTALL_PREFIX=/usr/local  -DBUILD_EXAMPLES=ON  -DBUILD_NEW_PYTHON_SUPPORT=ON  -DINSTALL_PYTHON_EXAMPLES=ON  -DPYTHON_EXECUTABLE=/Users/sramanujam/anaconda/bin/python -DPYTHON_INCLUDE_DIR=/Users/sramanujam/anaconda/include/python2.7/ -DPYTHON_LIBRARY=/Users/sramanujam/anaconda/lib/libpython2.7.dylib  -DPYTHON_NUMPY_INCLUDE_DIR=/Users/sramanujam/anaconda/lib/python2.7/site-packages/numpy/core/include/ -DPYTHON_PACKAGES_PATH=/Users/sramanujam/anaconda/lib/python2.7/site-packages/ -DBUILD_PYTHON_SUPPORT=ON
        

You should see the following in the console log which confirms that Python module will be build:

        
        --     To be built:                 hal core flann imgproc ml photo video imgcodecs shape videoio highgui objdetect superres ts features2d calib3d stitching videostab python2
        

5) Run: make; sudo make install
6) Switch to the Python directory (OPENCV_HOME/build/modules/python2) and run:
        make
        sudo make install
This will install cv2.so in your Python's site-packages directory
7) Open up your Python REPL and import cv2, it should work


Here's a sample log (of the last couple of steps):

sramanujam@srivatsan-ramanujams-macbook-pro:~/Downloads/opencv-3.0.0/build|
⇒  cd modules 
sramanujam@srivatsan-ramanujams-macbook-pro:~/Downloads/opencv-3.0.0/build/modules|
⇒  ls
CMakeFiles          cudacodec           cudastereo          imgcodecs           python2             videostab
Makefile            cudafeatures2d      cudawarping         imgproc             shape               viz
calib3d             cudafilters         cudev               java                stitching           world
cmake_install.cmake cudaimgproc         features2d          ml                  superres
core                cudalegacy          flann               objdetect           ts
cudaarithm          cudaobjdetect       hal                 photo               video
cudabgsegm          cudaoptflow         highgui             python              videoio
sramanujam@srivatsan-ramanujams-macbook-pro:~/Downloads/opencv-3.0.0/build/modules|
⇒  cd python2
sramanujam@srivatsan-ramanujams-macbook-pro:~/Downloads/opencv-3.0.0/build/modules/python2|
⇒  ls
CMakeFiles                    headers.txt                   pyopencv_generated_ns_reg.h
Makefile                      pyopencv_generated_funcs.h    pyopencv_generated_type_reg.h
cmake_install.cmake           pyopencv_generated_include.h  pyopencv_generated_types.h
sramanujam@srivatsan-ramanujams-macbook-pro:~/Downloads/opencv-3.0.0/build/modules/python2|
⇒  make
[  2%] Built target opencv_hal
[  7%] Built target zlib
[ 15%] Built target opencv_core
[ 23%] Built target opencv_imgproc
[ 25%] Built target opencv_video
[ 28%] Built target opencv_ml
[ 35%] Built target libtiff
[ 46%] Built target libjpeg
[ 53%] Built target libwebp
[ 58%] Built target libjasper
[ 61%] Built target libpng
[ 74%] Built target IlmImf
[ 76%] Built target opencv_imgcodecs
[ 79%] Built target opencv_videoio
[ 79%] Built target opencv_highgui
[ 79%] Built target opencv_objdetect
[ 79%] Built target opencv_flann
[ 84%] Built target opencv_features2d
[ 89%] Built target opencv_calib3d
[ 92%] Built target opencv_stitching
[ 92%] Built target opencv_superres
[ 92%] Built target opencv_shape
[ 97%] Built target opencv_photo
[100%] Built target opencv_videostab
[100%] Built target opencv_python2
sramanujam@srivatsan-ramanujams-macbook-pro:~/Downloads/opencv-3.0.0/build/modules/python2|
⇒  sudo make install
[  2%] Built target opencv_hal
[  7%] Built target zlib
[ 15%] Built target opencv_core
[ 23%] Built target opencv_imgproc
[ 25%] Built target opencv_video
[ 28%] Built target opencv_ml
[ 35%] Built target libtiff
[ 46%] Built target libjpeg
[ 53%] Built target libwebp
[ 58%] Built target libjasper
[ 61%] Built target libpng
[ 74%] Built target IlmImf
[ 76%] Built target opencv_imgcodecs
[ 79%] Built target opencv_videoio
[ 79%] Built target opencv_highgui
[ 79%] Built target opencv_objdetect
[ 79%] Built target opencv_flann
[ 84%] Built target opencv_features2d
[ 89%] Built target opencv_calib3d
[ 92%] Built target opencv_stitching
[ 92%] Built target opencv_superres
[ 92%] Built target opencv_shape
[ 97%] Built target opencv_photo
[100%] Built target opencv_videostab
[100%] Built target opencv_python2
Install the project...
-- Install configuration: "RELEASE"
-- Installing: /usr/local/lib/python2.7/site-packages/cv2.so
sramanujam@srivatsan-ramanujams-macbook-pro:~/Downloads/opencv-3.0.0/build/modules/python2|
⇒  python
Python 2.7.11 |Anaconda 2.2.0 (x86_64)| (default, Dec  6 2015, 18:57:58) 
[GCC 4.2.1 (Apple Inc. build 5577)] on darwin
Type "help", "copyright", "credits" or "license" for more information.
Anaconda is brought to you by Continuum Analytics.
Please check out: http://continuum.io/thanks and https://anaconda.org
>>> import cv2
>>>