The ultimate goal of training a model is to deploy it for real-world applications. Export mode in Ultralytics YOLOv8 offers a versatile range of options for exporting your trained model to different formats, making it deployable across various platforms and devices. This comprehensive guide aims to walk you through the nuances of model exporting, showcasing how to achieve maximum compatibility and performance.
This table details the configurations and options available for exporting YOLO models to different formats. These settings are critical for optimizing the exported model's performance, size, and compatibility across various platforms and environments. Proper configuration ensures that the model is ready for deployment in the intended application with optimal efficiency.
| `format` | `str` | `'torchscript'` | Target format for the exported model, such as `'onnx'`, `'torchscript'`, `'tensorflow'`, or others, defining compatibility with various deployment environments. |
| `imgsz` | `int` or `tuple` | `640` | Desired image size for the model input. Can be an integer for square images or a tuple `(height, width)` for specific dimensions. |
| `keras` | `bool` | `False` | Enables export to Keras format for TensorFlow SavedModel, providing compatibility with TensorFlow serving and APIs. |
| `optimize` | `bool` | `False` | Applies optimization for mobile devices when exporting to TorchScript, potentially reducing model size and improving performance. |
| `half` | `bool` | `False` | Enables FP16 (half-precision) quantization, reducing model size and potentially speeding up inference on supported hardware. |
| `int8` | `bool` | `False` | Activates INT8 quantization, further compressing the model and speeding up inference with minimal accuracy loss, primarily for edge devices. |
| `dynamic` | `bool` | `False` | Allows dynamic input sizes for ONNX and TensorRT exports, enhancing flexibility in handling varying image dimensions. |
| `simplify` | `bool` | `False` | Simplifies the model graph for ONNX exports, potentially improving performance and compatibility. |
| `opset` | `int` | `None` | Specifies the ONNX opset version for compatibility with different ONNX parsers and runtimes. If not set, uses the latest supported version. |
| `nms` | `bool` | `False` | Adds Non-Maximum Suppression (NMS) to the CoreML export, essential for accurate and efficient detection post-processing. |
| `batch` | `int` | `1` | Specifies export model batch inference size or the max number of images the exported model will process concurrently in `predict` mode. |
Adjusting these parameters allows for customization of the export process to fit specific requirements, such as deployment environment, hardware constraints, and performance targets. Selecting the appropriate format and settings is essential for achieving the best balance between model size, speed, and accuracy.
Available YOLOv8 export formats are in the table below. You can export to any format using the `format` argument, i.e. `format='onnx'` or `format='engine'`. You can predict or validate directly on exported models, i.e. `yolo predict model=yolov8n.onnx`. Usage examples are shown for your model after export completes.