Visualize files names in ‘*.flo‘

If you are familiar with python, you can convert your ‘*.flo’ files to png and even video by tools provoided by georgegach/flowiz. Just follow their instruction, you can easily visualize your flow files.

Below shows an example of the result by the python code.

If you are familiar with MATLAB or C++, you can use codes provided by MPI Sintel Flow Dataset. After downloading the complete dataset, you can find the codes in flow_code subdirectory.

Below shows an example of the result by the matlab code.

I post these codes of MATLAB form in case you don’t want to download the dataset.
Converting ‘.flo’ files to ‘jpg’ and save as ‘avi’, this code is written by me. You can also write your own codes according to your case.

clear all;
clc;
filepath = 'bamboo_2/';
dirOutput = dir(fullfile(filepath, '*.flo'));
fileNum = size(dirOutput, 1);

WriterObj = VideoWriter(strcat(filepath,'video'));
open(WriterObj);

truerange = 1;
range = truerange * 1.04;
    


for k=1:fileNum
    fileName = strcat(filepath, dirOutput(k).name)
    F = readFlowFile(fileName);
    
    x = F(:,:,1);
    y = F(:,:,2);
       
    height = size(x, 2);
    width  = size(x, 1);
    s = round(height/188); 
    
    u = x*range/s;
    v = y*range/s;

    img2 = computeColor(u/range/sqrt(2), v/range/sqrt(2));
    flow_img_path = strcat(filepath, 'img2/');    
    if ~exist(flow_img_path, 'dir')
      mkdir(flow_img_path);
    end
    name = strcat(flow_img_path, strrep(dirOutput(k).name, '.flo', '.jpg'));
    imwrite(img2, name);
    
    writeVideo(WriterObj, img2);
              
    imshow(img2);
    title('saved and reloaded test color pattern');
end

close(WriterObj);

readFlowFile.m, this is a function file.

function img = readFlowFile(filename)

% readFlowFile read a flow file FILENAME into 2-band image IMG 

%   According to the c++ source code of Daniel Scharstein 
%   Contact: schar@middlebury.edu

%   Author: Deqing Sun, Department of Computer Science, Brown University
%   Contact: dqsun@cs.brown.edu
%   $Date: 2007-10-31 16:45:40 (Wed, 31 Oct 2006) $

% Copyright 2007, Deqing Sun.
%
%                         All Rights Reserved
%
% Permission to use, copy, modify, and distribute this software and its
% documentation for any purpose other than its incorporation into a
% commercial product is hereby granted without fee, provided that the
% above copyright notice appear in all copies and that both that
% copyright notice and this permission notice appear in supporting
% documentation, and that the name of the author and Brown University not be used in
% advertising or publicity pertaining to distribution of the software
% without specific, written prior permission.
%
% THE AUTHOR AND BROWN UNIVERSITY DISCLAIM ALL WARRANTIES WITH REGARD TO THIS SOFTWARE,
% INCLUDING ALL IMPLIED WARRANTIES OF MERCHANTABILITY AND FITNESS FOR ANY
% PARTICULAR PURPOSE.  IN NO EVENT SHALL THE AUTHOR OR BROWN UNIVERSITY BE LIABLE FOR
% ANY SPECIAL, INDIRECT OR CONSEQUENTIAL DAMAGES OR ANY DAMAGES
% WHATSOEVER RESULTING FROM LOSS OF USE, DATA OR PROFITS, WHETHER IN AN
% ACTION OF CONTRACT, NEGLIGENCE OR OTHER TORTIOUS ACTION, ARISING OUT OF
% OR IN CONNECTION WITH THE USE OR PERFORMANCE OF THIS SOFTWARE. 

TAG_FLOAT = 202021.25;  % check for this when READING the file

% sanity check
if isempty(filename) == 1
    error('readFlowFile: empty filename');
end;

idx = findstr(filename, '.');
idx = idx(end);

if length(filename(idx:end)) == 1
    error('readFlowFile: extension required in filename %s', filename);
end;

if strcmp(filename(idx:end), '.flo') ~= 1    
    error('readFlowFile: filename %s should have extension ''.flo''', filename);
end;

fid = fopen(filename, 'r');
if (fid < 0)
    error('readFlowFile: could not open %s', filename);
end;

tag     = fread(fid, 1, 'float32');
width   = fread(fid, 1, 'int32');
height  = fread(fid, 1, 'int32');

% sanity check

if (tag ~= TAG_FLOAT)
    error('readFlowFile(%s): wrong tag (possibly due to big-endian machine?)', filename);
end;

if (width < 1 || width > 99999)
    error('readFlowFile(%s): illegal width %d', filename, width);
end;

if (height < 1 || height > 99999)
    error('readFlowFile(%s): illegal height %d', filename, height);
end;

nBands = 2;

% arrange into matrix form
tmp = fread(fid, inf, 'float32');
tmp = reshape(tmp, [width*nBands, height]);
tmp = tmp';
img(:,:,1) = tmp(:, (1:width)*nBands-1);
img(:,:,2) = tmp(:, (1:width)*nBands);
      
fclose(fid);

computeColor.m, this is also a function file.

function img = computeColor(u,v)

%   computeColor color codes flow field U, V

%   According to the c++ source code of Daniel Scharstein 
%   Contact: schar@middlebury.edu

%   Author: Deqing Sun, Department of Computer Science, Brown University
%   Contact: dqsun@cs.brown.edu
%   $Date: 2007-10-31 21:20:30 (Wed, 31 Oct 2006) $

% Copyright 2007, Deqing Sun.
%
%                         All Rights Reserved
%
% Permission to use, copy, modify, and distribute this software and its
% documentation for any purpose other than its incorporation into a
% commercial product is hereby granted without fee, provided that the
% above copyright notice appear in all copies and that both that
% copyright notice and this permission notice appear in supporting
% documentation, and that the name of the author and Brown University not be used in
% advertising or publicity pertaining to distribution of the software
% without specific, written prior permission.
%
% THE AUTHOR AND BROWN UNIVERSITY DISCLAIM ALL WARRANTIES WITH REGARD TO THIS SOFTWARE,
% INCLUDING ALL IMPLIED WARRANTIES OF MERCHANTABILITY AND FITNESS FOR ANY
% PARTICULAR PURPOSE.  IN NO EVENT SHALL THE AUTHOR OR BROWN UNIVERSITY BE LIABLE FOR
% ANY SPECIAL, INDIRECT OR CONSEQUENTIAL DAMAGES OR ANY DAMAGES
% WHATSOEVER RESULTING FROM LOSS OF USE, DATA OR PROFITS, WHETHER IN AN
% ACTION OF CONTRACT, NEGLIGENCE OR OTHER TORTIOUS ACTION, ARISING OUT OF
% OR IN CONNECTION WITH THE USE OR PERFORMANCE OF THIS SOFTWARE. 

nanIdx = isnan(u) | isnan(v);
u(nanIdx) = 0;
v(nanIdx) = 0;

colorwheel = makeColorwheel();
ncols = size(colorwheel, 1);

rad = sqrt(u.^2+v.^2);          

a = atan2(-v, -u)/pi;

fk = (a+1) /2 * (ncols-1) + 1;  % -1~1 maped to 1~ncols
   
k0 = floor(fk);                 % 1, 2, ..., ncols

k1 = k0+1;
k1(k1==ncols+1) = 1;

f = fk - k0;

for i = 1:size(colorwheel,2)
    tmp = colorwheel(:,i);
    col0 = tmp(k0)/255;
    col1 = tmp(k1)/255;
    col = (1-f).*col0 + f.*col1;   
   
    idx = rad <= 1;   
    col(idx) = 1-rad(idx).*(1-col(idx));    % increase saturation with radius
    
    col(~idx) = col(~idx)*0.75;             % out of range
    
    img(:,:, i) = uint8(floor(255*col.*(1-nanIdx)));         
end;    

%%
function colorwheel = makeColorwheel()

%   color encoding scheme

%   adapted from the color circle idea described at
%   http://members.shaw.ca/quadibloc/other/colint.htm


RY = 15;
YG = 6;
GC = 4;
CB = 11;
BM = 13;
MR = 6;

ncols = RY + YG + GC + CB + BM + MR;

colorwheel = zeros(ncols, 3); % r g b

col = 0;
%RY
colorwheel(1:RY, 1) = 255;
colorwheel(1:RY, 2) = floor(255*(0:RY-1)/RY)';
col = col+RY;

%YG
colorwheel(col+(1:YG), 1) = 255 - floor(255*(0:YG-1)/YG)';
colorwheel(col+(1:YG), 2) = 255;
col = col+YG;

%GC
colorwheel(col+(1:GC), 2) = 255;
colorwheel(col+(1:GC), 3) = floor(255*(0:GC-1)/GC)';
col = col+GC;

%CB
colorwheel(col+(1:CB), 2) = 255 - floor(255*(0:CB-1)/CB)';
colorwheel(col+(1:CB), 3) = 255;
col = col+CB;

%BM
colorwheel(col+(1:BM), 3) = 255;
colorwheel(col+(1:BM), 1) = floor(255*(0:BM-1)/BM)';
col = col+BM;

%MR
colorwheel(col+(1:MR), 3) = 255 - floor(255*(0:MR-1)/MR)';
colorwheel(col+(1:MR), 1) = 255;