diff --git a/android/apps/camera_template/Makefile b/android/apps/camera_template/Makefile
index 3d1e8eec62..4bec050c02 100644
--- a/android/apps/camera_template/Makefile
+++ b/android/apps/camera_template/Makefile
@@ -1,28 +1,31 @@
 #Re-usable Makefile template for
 #android-ndk + swig projects
-#author: Ethan Rublee
-#date: summer 2010
-
 # The path to the NDK, requires crystax version r-4 for now, due to support
-#for the standard library
-ifndef ANDROID_NDK_BASE
-ANDROID_NDK_BASE = $(HOME)/android-ndk-r4-crystax
-$(info default ndk location set ANDROID_NDK_BASE = $(ANDROID_NDK_BASE))
+# for the standard library
+
+# load environment from local make file
+LOCAL_ENV_MK=local.env.mk
+ifneq "$(wildcard $(LOCAL_ENV_MK))" ""
+include $(LOCAL_ENV_MK)
+else
+$(shell cp sample.$(LOCAL_ENV_MK) $(LOCAL_ENV_MK))
+$(info ERROR local environement not setup! try:)
+$(info gedit $(LOCAL_ENV_MK))
+$(error Please setup the $(LOCAL_ENV_MK) - the default was just created')
 endif
-
-#define OPENCV_ROOT when calling this makefile
-#OPENCV_ROOT = $(ANDROID_NDK_BASE)/apps/opencv
-ifndef OPENCV_ROOT
-$(error Please define OPENCV_ROOT with something like the command \
-make OPENCV_ROOT=<opencv>)
+ifndef ARM_TARGETS
+ARM_TARGETS="armeabi armeabi-v7a"
 endif
+ANDROID_NDK_BASE = $(ANDROID_NDK_ROOT)
+
+$(info OPENCV_CONFIG = $(OPENCV_CONFIG))
 
 ifndef PROJECT_PATH
 $(info PROJECT_PATH defaulting to this directory)
 PROJECT_PATH=.
 endif
 
-$(info OPENCV_ROOT = $(OPENCV_ROOT))
+android_jni=../../android-jni/jni
 
 # The name of the native library
 LIBNAME = libfoobar.so
@@ -42,46 +45,43 @@ SWIG_BASE = foobar
 #swig interface files are in jni/*.i
 SWIG_JAVA_OUT = $(wildcard $(SWIG_JAVA_DIR)/*.java)
 SWIG_IS = $(wildcard jni/*.i)
+#the main swig file that includes others
+SWIG_MAIN = jni/foobar.i
+SWIG_C_DIR = jni/gen
+SWIG_C_OUT = $(SWIG_C_DIR)/foo_swig.cpp
 
-#the directory where the jni sources are
-C_DIR = jni
+# Find all the C++ sources in the native folder
+SOURCES = $(wildcard jni/*.cpp)
+HEADERS = $(wildcard jni/*.h)
 
-#directory where to put generated files
-#relative to the C_DIR
-GEN_DIR = gen
+ANDROID_MKS = $(wildcard jni/*.mk)
 
-#the c swig is generated and put into the jni/gen folder
-SWIG_C_DIR = $(C_DIR)/$(GEN_DIR)
 
-#this file - jin/gen/foobar_swig.cpp must be included in the Android.mk
-#for it to be built!
-SWIG_C_OUT = $(SWIG_C_DIR)/$(SWIG_BASE)_swig.cpp
+BUILD_DEFS=OPENCV_CONFIG=$(OPENCV_CONFIG) \
+	PROJECT_PATH=$(PROJECT_PATH) \
+	V=$(V) \
+	$(NDK_FLAGS) \
+	ARM_TARGETS=$(ARM_TARGETS) \
+	SWIG_C_OUT=$(SWIG_C_OUT)
 
 # The real native library stripped of symbols
 LIB		= libs/armeabi-v7a/$(LIBNAME) libs/armeabi/$(LIBNAME)
 
-# Find all the C++ sources in the native folder
-SOURCES = $(wildcard jni/*.cpp)
-HEADERS = $(wildcard jni/*.h)
-
-ANDROID_MKS = $(wildcard jni/*.mk)
 
-#this gets called by the make command
 all:	$(LIB)
 
+
 #calls the ndk-build script, passing it OPENCV_ROOT and OPENCV_LIBS_DIR
 $(LIB): $(SWIG_C_OUT) $(SOURCES) $(HEADERS) $(ANDROID_MKS)
-	$(ANDROID_NDK_BASE)/ndk-build OPENCV_ROOT=$(OPENCV_ROOT) \
-	OPENCV_LIBS_DIR=$(OPENCV_LIBS_DIR) PROJECT_PATH=$(PROJECT_PATH) SWIG_C_OUT=$(GEN_DIR)/$(SWIG_BASE)_swig.cpp V=$(V) $(NDK_FLAGS)
+	$(ANDROID_NDK_BASE)/ndk-build $(BUILD_DEFS)
 
 
 #this creates the swig wrappers
-#-I$(OPENCV_ROOT)/android/jni is an additional swig include path
 $(SWIG_C_OUT): $(SWIG_IS)
 	make clean-swig &&\
 	mkdir -p $(SWIG_C_DIR) &&\
 	mkdir -p $(SWIG_JAVA_DIR) &&\
-	swig -java -c++ -I$(OPENCV_ROOT)/android/jni -package  "$(SWIG_JAVA_PACKAGE)" \
+	swig -java -c++ -I$(android_jni) -package  "$(SWIG_JAVA_PACKAGE)" \
 	-outdir $(SWIG_JAVA_DIR) \
 	-o $(SWIG_C_OUT) $(SWIG_MAIN)
 	
@@ -95,4 +95,6 @@ clean-swig:
 	
 #does clean-swig and then uses the ndk-build clean
 clean: clean-swig
-	$(ANDROID_NDK_BASE)/ndk-build clean V=$(V) $(NDK_FLAGS)
+	$(ANDROID_NDK_BASE)/ndk-build clean $(BUILD_DEFS)
+
+
diff --git a/android/apps/camera_template/default.properties b/android/apps/camera_template/default.properties
index 887872424a..22f3e44f0e 100644
--- a/android/apps/camera_template/default.properties
+++ b/android/apps/camera_template/default.properties
@@ -7,6 +7,6 @@
 # "build.properties", and override values to adapt the script to your
 # project structure.
 
-android.library.reference.1=../../opencv/android/
+android.library.reference.1=../../android-jni/
 # Project target.
 target=android-7
diff --git a/android/apps/camera_template/jni/Android.mk b/android/apps/camera_template/jni/Android.mk
index b66bb70328..a943255bd1 100644
--- a/android/apps/camera_template/jni/Android.mk
+++ b/android/apps/camera_template/jni/Android.mk
@@ -6,16 +6,8 @@ LOCAL_PATH := $(call my-dir)
 
 include $(CLEAR_VARS)
 
-#pass in OPENCV_ROOT or define it here
-#OPENCV_ROOT := ~/android-opencv/opencv
-ifndef OPENCV_ROOT
-${error please define OPENCV_ROOT before this point!}
-endif
-
-#define OPENCV_INCLUDES
-include $(OPENCV_ROOT)/includes.mk
-#define OPENCV_LIBS
-include $(OPENCV_ROOT)/libs.mk
+#define OPENCV_INCLUDES and OPENCV_LIBS
+include $(OPENCV_CONFIG)
 
 LOCAL_LDLIBS += $(OPENCV_LIBS) $(ANDROID_OPENCV_LIBS) -llog -lGLESv2
     
@@ -23,14 +15,9 @@ LOCAL_C_INCLUDES +=  $(OPENCV_INCLUDES) $(ANDROID_OPENCV_INCLUDES)
 
 LOCAL_MODULE    := foobar
 
-
-ifndef SWIG_C_OUT
-${error please define SWIG_C_OUT before this point!}
-endif
-
 #make sure to pass in SWIG_C_OUT=gen/foobar_swig.cpp
 #done in the makefile
-LOCAL_SRC_FILES := ${SWIG_C_OUT} TestBar.cpp
+LOCAL_SRC_FILES := gen/foo_swig.cpp TestBar.cpp
 
 include $(BUILD_SHARED_LIBRARY)
 
diff --git a/android/apps/camera_template/jni/Application.mk b/android/apps/camera_template/jni/Application.mk
index a2c96a8fe8..0bbce43113 100644
--- a/android/apps/camera_template/jni/Application.mk
+++ b/android/apps/camera_template/jni/Application.mk
@@ -1,2 +1,2 @@
 # The ARMv7 is significanly faster due to the use of the hardware FPU
-APP_ABI := armeabi armeabi-v7a
\ No newline at end of file
+APP_ABI := $(ARM_TARGETS)
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/android/apps/camera_template/sample.local.env.mk b/android/apps/camera_template/sample.local.env.mk
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..b0cf78fd36
--- /dev/null
+++ b/android/apps/camera_template/sample.local.env.mk
@@ -0,0 +1,4 @@
+#location of android-opencv port of OpenCV to android
+OPENCV_CONFIG=../../build/android-opencv.mk
+ANDROID_NDK_ROOT=$(HOME)/android-ndk-r4-crystax
+ARM_TARGETS="armeabi armeabi-v7a"