OpenNI

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Quick Overview

OpenNI (Open Natural Interaction) is an open-source framework for developing applications that utilize natural interaction devices, such as 3D sensors. It provides a standard API for accessing and controlling such devices, as well as for processing depth and color data streams.

Pros

Cross-platform compatibility (Windows, Linux, macOS)
Supports a wide range of 3D sensors and depth cameras
Provides high-level APIs for skeleton tracking and hand gestures
Active community and extensive documentation

Cons

Development has been discontinued since 2014
Limited support for newer hardware and software platforms
Some features may be outdated compared to more recent alternatives
Potential compatibility issues with modern operating systems

Code Examples

Initializing OpenNI and opening a depth stream:

#include <OpenNI.h>

openni::Status rc = openni::OpenNI::initialize();
openni::Device device;
rc = device.open(openni::ANY_DEVICE);

openni::VideoStream depthStream;
rc = depthStream.create(device, openni::SENSOR_DEPTH);
rc = depthStream.start();

Reading depth data from the stream:

openni::VideoFrameRef frame;
depthStream.readFrame(&frame);

const openni::DepthPixel* pDepthMap = (const openni::DepthPixel*)frame.getData();
int middleIndex = (frame.getHeight() + 1) * frame.getWidth() / 2;
int middleDepth = pDepthMap[middleIndex];

Converting depth data to world coordinates:

openni::CoordinateConverter::convertDepthToWorld(depthStream,
    mouseX, mouseY, middleDepth, &worldX, &worldY, &worldZ);

Getting Started

Download and install OpenNI from the official repository.
Include the OpenNI headers in your project.
Link against the OpenNI library.
Initialize OpenNI and open a device:

#include <OpenNI.h>

int main()
{
    openni::Status rc = openni::OpenNI::initialize();
    if (rc != openni::STATUS_OK)
    {
        printf("Initialize failed\n%s\n", openni::OpenNI::getExtendedError());
        return 1;
    }

    openni::Device device;
    rc = device.open(openni::ANY_DEVICE);
    if (rc != openni::STATUS_OK)
    {
        printf("Couldn't open device\n%s\n", openni::OpenNI::getExtendedError());
        return 1;
    }

    // Your code here

    openni::OpenNI::shutdown();
    return 0;
}

Competitor Comparisons

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Pros of librealsense

Active development and regular updates
Extensive documentation and examples
Supports a wide range of Intel RealSense devices

Cons of librealsense

Limited to Intel RealSense hardware
Steeper learning curve for beginners
Larger codebase and potentially higher resource usage

Code Comparison

OpenNI example:

#include <OpenNI.h>

openni::Device device;
openni::VideoStream depth, color;
device.open(openni::ANY_DEVICE);
depth.create(device, openni::SENSOR_DEPTH);
color.create(device, openni::SENSOR_COLOR);

librealsense example:

#include <librealsense2/rs.hpp>

rs2::pipeline pipe;
rs2::config cfg;
cfg.enable_stream(RS2_STREAM_DEPTH);
cfg.enable_stream(RS2_STREAM_COLOR);
pipe.start(cfg);

Both libraries provide similar functionality for accessing depth and color streams, but librealsense offers more modern C++ syntax and Intel-specific optimizations. OpenNI has a simpler API but is no longer actively maintained, while librealsense continues to evolve with new features and device support.

Azure-Kinect-Sensor-SDK

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A cross platform (Linux and Windows) user mode SDK to read data from your Azure Kinect device.

Pros of Azure-Kinect-Sensor-SDK

More recent and actively maintained project
Comprehensive documentation and official Microsoft support
Advanced features like body tracking and multi-camera synchronization

Cons of Azure-Kinect-Sensor-SDK

Limited to Azure Kinect hardware, less device flexibility
Steeper learning curve due to more complex API
Requires Windows for full functionality

Code Comparison

OpenNI example:

#include <OpenNI.h>

openni::Device device;
openni::VideoStream depth, color;
device.open(openni::ANY_DEVICE);
depth.create(device, openni::SENSOR_DEPTH);
color.create(device, openni::SENSOR_COLOR);

Azure-Kinect-Sensor-SDK example:

#include <k4a/k4a.h>

k4a_device_t device = NULL;
k4a_device_open(0, &device);
k4a_device_configuration_t config = K4A_DEVICE_CONFIG_INIT_DISABLE_ALL;
config.color_format = K4A_IMAGE_FORMAT_COLOR_BGRA32;
config.depth_mode = K4A_DEPTH_MODE_NFOV_UNBINNED;
k4a_device_start_cameras(device, &config);

Both SDKs provide APIs for accessing depth and color data from 3D sensors, but Azure-Kinect-Sensor-SDK offers more advanced features and is tailored specifically for the Azure Kinect device. OpenNI, while older and less actively maintained, supports a wider range of devices and may be simpler for basic depth sensing applications.

libfreenect

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Pros of libfreenect

More lightweight and focused specifically on Kinect hardware
Easier to set up and use for basic Kinect functionality
Better community support and more active development

Cons of libfreenect

Less comprehensive feature set compared to OpenNI
Limited to Kinect devices, while OpenNI supports multiple sensors
Fewer high-level APIs for complex applications

Code Comparison

OpenNI example:

#include <OpenNI.h>

openni::Device device;
openni::VideoStream depth, color;

device.open(openni::ANY_DEVICE);
depth.create(device, openni::SENSOR_DEPTH);
color.create(device, openni::SENSOR_COLOR);

libfreenect example:

#include <libfreenect.h>

freenect_context *f_ctx;
freenect_device *f_dev;

freenect_init(&f_ctx, NULL);
freenect_open_device(f_ctx, &f_dev, 0);
freenect_start_depth(f_dev);
freenect_start_video(f_dev);

Both libraries provide APIs for accessing Kinect data, but OpenNI offers a more abstracted approach with support for multiple devices, while libfreenect focuses specifically on Kinect hardware with a simpler API. OpenNI provides a more comprehensive set of features and supports a wider range of sensors, making it suitable for complex applications. However, libfreenect is lighter and easier to set up for basic Kinect functionality, with better community support and more active development.

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Pros of PCL

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Cons of PCL

Steeper learning curve due to its extensive functionality
Larger library size and potentially higher computational requirements

Code Comparison

OpenNI example (depth image acquisition):

#include <OpenNI.h>

openni::Device device;
openni::VideoStream depthStream;
device.open(openni::ANY_DEVICE);
depthStream.create(device, openni::SENSOR_DEPTH);
depthStream.start();

PCL example (point cloud processing):

#include <pcl/point_cloud.h>
#include <pcl/filters/voxel_grid.h>

pcl::PointCloud<pcl::PointXYZ>::Ptr cloud(new pcl::PointCloud<pcl::PointXYZ>);
pcl::VoxelGrid<pcl::PointXYZ> voxel_grid;
voxel_grid.setInputCloud(cloud);
voxel_grid.setLeafSize(0.01f, 0.01f, 0.01f);
voxel_grid.filter(*cloud_filtered);

OpenNI focuses on device interaction and data acquisition, while PCL provides extensive point cloud processing capabilities. OpenNI is simpler for basic depth sensing tasks, but PCL offers more advanced features for 3D data manipulation and analysis.

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README

OpenNI (Version 1.5.4.0 - May 7th 2012)

Website: http://www.primesense.com Forum: http://groups.google.com/group/openni-dev Wiki: http://wiki.openni.org

Binaries are available at: http://www.openni.org/Downloads/OpenNIModules.aspx (The "OpenNI Binaries" section)

Sources are available at: https://github.com/OpenNI/OpenNI or https://github.com/OpenNI/OpenNI/tree/unstable for unstable branch

Release Notes:

At the moment, the default is to compile the code with SSE3 support (this is also true for the supplied binaries). If you have a CPU without such support, please remove the sse compiler flags from the make files. (A good hint for this error is that you encounter an "illegal instructions" messages)
MacOSX: Only OSX 10.6 (Snow Leopard) and above with an Intel based CPU is currently supported.
MacOSX: Drawing the depth/image maps via the mono .NET wrapper can be slow and will cause the FPS to drop.

Build Notes:

Windows: Requirements: 1) Microsoft Visual Studio 2010 From: http://msdn.microsoft.com/en-us/vstudio/bb984878.aspx 2) Python 2.6+/3.x From: http://www.python.org/download/ 3) PyWin32 From: http://sourceforge.net/projects/pywin32/files/pywin32/ Please make sure you download the version that matches your exact python version. 4) WIX 3.5 From: http://wix.codeplex.com/releases/view/60102 5) JDK 6.0 From: http://www.oracle.com/technetwork/java/javase/downloads/jdk-6u32-downloads-1594644.html You must also define an environment variable called "JAVA_HOME" that points to the JDK installation directory. For example: set JAVA_HOME=c:\Program Files (x86)\Java\jdk1.6.0_32

Optional requirements (To build the USB device driver):
	1) Microsoft WDK
	   From: http://www.microsoft.com/en-us/download/details.aspx?displaylang=en&id=11800
	   
	The package already includes a precompiled and digitally signed 32/64 bit driver.

Optional Requirements (To build the documentation):
	1) Doxygen
	   From: http://www.stack.nl/~dimitri/doxygen/download.html#latestsrc
	2) GraphViz
	   From: http://www.graphviz.org/Download_windows.php

Building OpenNI:
    1) Uninstall the previous version.
	2) Go to the directory: "Platform\Win32\CreateRedist".
	   x86 32-bit - Run the script: "RedistMaker.bat y 32 y".
	   x64 64-bit - Run the script: "RedistMaker.bat y 64 y".
	   This will compile and prepare the redist exe files that includes everything.
	3) Install the exe you've just made which is located in Platform\Win32\CreateRedist\FinalXX\OPENNI-WinXX-1.X.X.X.exe 
	   (XX being the number of bits: 32 or 64)
	   The installer will also create the necessary environment variables (OPEN_NI_xxx), add the DLLs to the system path and register the internal modules with NiReg.
	   
	The visual studio solution is located in: Platform\Win32\Build\OpenNI.sln.
	
	When doing development it is recommended that you change the environment variables to point to your development directory instead of the default C:\Program Files\OpenNI.
	(This can save you lots back and forth file copying...)

	Important: Please note that even though the directory is called Win32, you can also use it to compile it for 64-bit targets (Win64/AMD64/x64).

Building the USB driver (Optional):
	Simply go into the directory "OpenNI\Platform\Win32\Driver\Build" and run the "BuildAll.bat" script.
	For your development convenience, you can also use the solution: "Platform\Win32\Driver\Build\psdrv3.sln" but official driver builds should only be made with the batch file above, that uses the proper DDK environment.
	Note: The driver build tool requires a system environment variable called "DDKPATH" that points to the WDK installation dir (for example: "c:\WinDDK\7100.0.0"). To add an environment variable please follow these steps: Control Panel -> System -> Advanced -> Environment Variables -> New (at the "System Variables" tab).

Linux: Requirements: 1) GCC 4.x From: http://gcc.gnu.org/releases.html Or via apt: sudo apt-get install g++ 2) Python 2.6+/3.x From: http://www.python.org/download/ Or via apt: sudo apt-get install python 3) LibUSB 1.0.x From: http://sourceforge.net/projects/libusb/files/libusb-1.0/ Or via apt: sudo apt-get install libusb-1.0-0-dev 4) FreeGLUT3 From: http://freeglut.sourceforge.net/index.php#download Or via apt: sudo apt-get install freeglut3-dev 5) JDK 6.0 From: http://www.oracle.com/technetwork/java/javase/downloads/jdk-6u32-downloads-1594644.html Or via apt: Ubuntu 10.x: sudo add-apt-repository "deb http://archive.canonical.com/ lucid partner" sudo apt-get update sudo apt-get install sun-java6-jdk Ubuntu 12.x: sudo apt-get install openjdk-6-jdk

Optional Requirements (To build the documentation):
	1) Doxygen
	   From: http://www.stack.nl/~dimitri/doxygen/download.html#latestsrc
	   Or via apt:
	   sudo apt-get install doxygen
	2) GraphViz
	   From: http://www.graphviz.org/Download_linux_ubuntu.php
	   Or via apt:
	   sudo apt-get install graphviz

Optional Requirements (To build the Mono wrapper):
	1) Mono
	   From: http://www.go-mono.com/mono-downloads/download.html
	   Or via apt:
	   sudo apt-get install mono-complete
	   
Building OpenNI:
	1) Go into the directory: "Platform/Linux/CreateRedist".
	   Run the script: "./RedistMaker".
	   This will compile everything and create a redist package in the "Platform/Linux/Redist" directory.
	   It will also create a distribution in the "Platform/Linux/CreateRedist/Final" directory.
	2) Go into the directory: "Platform/Linux/Redist".
	   Run the script: "sudo ./install.sh" (needs to run as root)

	   The install script copies key files to the following location:
	       Libs into: /usr/lib
	       Bins into: /usr/bin
	       Includes into: /usr/include/ni
	       Config files into: /var/lib/ni
		
	To build the package manually, you can run "make" in the "Platform\Linux\Build" directory.
	If you wish to build the Mono wrappers, also run "make mono_wrapper" and "make mono_samples".
	
Building OpenNI using a cross-compiler:
	1) Make sure to define two environment variables:
	   - <platform>_CXX - the name of the cross g++ for platform <platform>
	   - <platform>_STAGING - a path to the staging dir (a directory which simulates the target root filesystem).
	   Note that <platform> should be upper cased.
	   For example, if wanting to compile for ARM from a x86 machine, ARM_CXX and ARM_STAGING should be defined.
	2) Go into the directory: "Platform/Linux/CreateRedist".
	   Run: "./RedistMaker <platform>" (for example: "./RedistMake Arm").
	   This will compile everything and create a redist package in the "Platform/Linux/Redist" directory.
	   It will also create a distribution in the "Platform/Linux/CreateRedist/Final" directory.
	3) To install OpenNI files on the target file system:
	   Go into the directory: "Platform/Linux/Redist".
	   Run the script: "./install.sh -c $<platform>_STAGING" (for example: "./install.sh -c $ARM_STAGING").

	   The install script copies key files to the following location:
	       Libs into: STAGING/usr/lib
	       Bins into: STAGING/usr/bin
	       Includes into: STAGING/usr/include/ni
	       Config files into: STAGING/var/lib/ni
		
	To build the package manually, you can run "make PLATFORM=<platform>" in the "Platform\Linux\Build" directory.
	If you wish to build the Mono wrappers, also run "make PLATFORM=<platform> mono_wrapper" and "make PLATFORM=<platform> mono_samples".

MacOSX: Requirements: 1) For Mac OSX 10.7, Xcode 4.3.2 From: http://developer.apple.com/devcenter/mac/index.action http://adcdownload.apple.com/Developer_Tools/xcode_4.3.2/xcode_432_lion.dmg

	      You will also need to download and install the "Commandline Tools for XCode - Late March 2012" package:
	      http://adcdownload.apple.com/Developer_Tools/command_line_tools_for_xcode_4.4__late_march_2012/cltools_lion_latemarch12.dmg
	   
	      Note: Since Xcode is now a normal application, it no longer automatically install itself. You have to copy&paste Xcode yourself into your Applications folder. 
		        (or run the application "Install Xcode" from your Applications folder / LaunchPad). 		   
		        It's also recommended to run the following command after you do the above:
			      sudo xcode-select -switch /Applications/Xcode.app/
	   
	   For Mac OSX 10.6, Xcode 3.2.6:
	      From: http://developer.apple.com/devcenter/mac/index.action
	      http://developer.apple.com/devcenter/download.action?path=/Developer_Tools/xcode_3.2.6_and_ios_sdk_4.3__final/xcode_3.2.6_and_ios_sdk_4.3.dmg
		   
	   Please note that you need to register as a mac developer (It's free!).
	   		   
	2) LibUSB 1.0.x (The patched development tree)
	   This can be installed by two ways:		   
	   A) MacPorts:      
	      From: http://www.macports.org/install.php
		  For Mac OSX 10.7: https://distfiles.macports.org/MacPorts/MacPorts-2.0.4-10.7-Lion.dmg
		  For Mac OSX 10.6: https://distfiles.macports.org/MacPorts/MacPorts-1.9.2-10.6-SnowLeopard.dmg
		  * You will also need to install LibTool:
		      sudo port install libtool			  
		  * And finally, LibUSB itself:
		      sudo port install libusb-devel +universal
	      Note: Do not forget the +universal, it's very important!!
	            If you're previously already installed libusb-devel then use "sudo port uninstall libusb-devel" and reinstall it again with the +universal flag.
				
	   B) Compile the source & install LibUSB yourself:
		  * Change the working directory to the prerequisites directory: "cd Platform\Linux-x86\Build\Prerequisites"
		  * Extract the tar file by running: "tar -xvjf libusb-1.0.8-osx.tar.bz2"
		  * Change the working directory to the libusb directory: "cd libusb"
		  * Run the following commands to build and install libusb:
		      /autogen.sh
		      ./configure LDFLAGS='-framework IOKit -framework CoreFoundation -arch i386 -arch x86_64 ' CFLAGS='-arch i386 -arch x86_64' --disable-dependency-tracking --prefix=/opt/local
		      make
		      sudo make install
			 
Optional Requirements (To build the documentation):
	1) Doxygen
	   Install via MacPorts:
	   sudo port install doxygen
	2) GraphViz
	   Install via MacPorts:
	   sudo port install graphviz

Optional Requirements (To build the Mono wrapper):
	1) Mono
	   From: http://www.go-mono.com/mono-downloads/download.html
	   http://download.mono-project.com/archive/2.10.9/macos-10-x86/10/MonoFramework-MDK-2.10.9_10.macos10.xamarin.x86.dmg
	   Install via MacPorts:
	   sudo port install mono
	   
Building OpenNI:
	1) Go into the directory: "Platform/Linux-x86/CreateRedist".
	   Run the script: "./RedistMaker".
	   This will compile everything and create a redist package in the "Platform/Linux-x86/Redist" directory.
	   It will also create a distribution in the "Platform/Linux-x86/CreateRedist/Final" directory.
	2) Go into the directory: "Platform/Linux-x86/Redist".
	   Run the script: "sudo ./install.sh" (needs to run as root)

	   The install script copies key files to the following location:
	       Libs into: /usr/lib
	       Bins into: /usr/bin
	       Includes into: /usr/include/ni
	       Config files into: /var/lib/ni
		
	To build the package manually, you can run "make" in the "Platform\Linux-x86\Build" directory.
	If you wish to build the Mono wrappers, also run "make mono_wrapper" and "make mono_samples".

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