---
comments: true
description: Explore essential utilities in the Ultralytics package to speed up and enhance your workflows. Learn about data processing, annotations, conversions, and more.
keywords: Ultralytics, utilities, data processing, auto annotation, YOLO, dataset conversion, bounding boxes, image compression, machine learning tools
---
# Simple Utilities
The `ultralytics` package comes with a myriad of utilities that can support, enhance, and speed up your workflows. There are many more available, but here are some that will be useful for most developers. They're also a great reference point to use when learning to program.
Watch: Ultralytics Utilities | Auto Annotation, Explorer API and Dataset Conversion
## Data
### YOLO Data Explorer
[YOLO Explorer](../datasets/explorer/index.md) was added in the `8.1.0` anniversary update and is a powerful tool you can use to better understand your dataset. One of the key functions that YOLO Explorer provides, is the ability to use text queries to find object instances in your dataset.
### Auto Labeling / Annotations
Dataset annotation is a very resource intensive and time-consuming process. If you have a YOLO object detection model trained on a reasonable amount of data, you can use it and [SAM](../models/sam.md) to auto-annotate additional data (segmentation format).
```{ .py .annotate }
from ultralytics.data.annotator import auto_annotate
auto_annotate( # (1)!
data="path/to/new/data",
det_model="yolov8n.pt",
sam_model="mobile_sam.pt",
device="cuda",
output_dir="path/to/save_labels",
)
```
1. Nothing returns from this function
- [See the reference section for `annotator.auto_annotate`](../reference/data/annotator.md#ultralytics.data.annotator.auto_annotate) for more insight on how the function operates.
- Use in combination with the [function `segments2boxes`](#convert-segments-to-bounding-boxes) to generate object detection bounding boxes as well
### Convert Segmentation Masks into YOLO Format
Use to convert a dataset of segmentation mask images to the `YOLO` segmentation format.
This function takes the directory containing the binary format mask images and converts them into YOLO segmentation format.
The converted masks will be saved in the specified output directory.
```python
from ultralytics.data.converter import convert_segment_masks_to_yolo_seg
# The classes here is the total classes in the dataset, for COCO dataset we have 80 classes
convert_segment_masks_to_yolo_seg(masks_dir="path/to/masks_dir", output_dir="path/to/output_dir", classes=80)
```
### Convert COCO into YOLO Format
Use to convert COCO JSON annotations into proper YOLO format. For object detection (bounding box) datasets, `use_segments` and `use_keypoints` should both be `False`
```{ .py .annotate }
from ultralytics.data.converter import convert_coco
convert_coco( # (1)!
"../datasets/coco/annotations/",
use_segments=False,
use_keypoints=False,
cls91to80=True,
)
```
1. Nothing returns from this function
For additional information about the `convert_coco` function, [visit the reference page](../reference/data/converter.md#ultralytics.data.converter.convert_coco)
### Get Bounding Box Dimensions
```{.py .annotate }
from ultralytics.utils.plotting import Annotator
from ultralytics import YOLO
import cv2
model = YOLO('yolov8n.pt') # Load pretrain or fine-tune model
# Process the image
source = cv2.imread('path/to/image.jpg')
results = model(source)
# Extract results
annotator = Annotator(source, example=model.names)
for box in results[0].boxes.xyxy.cpu():
width, height, area = annotator.get_bbox_dimension(box)
print("Bounding Box Width {}, Height {}, Area {}".format(
width.item(), height.item(), area.item()))
```
### Convert Bounding Boxes to Segments
With existing `x y w h` bounding box data, convert to segments using the `yolo_bbox2segment` function. The files for images and annotations need to be organized like this:
```
data
|__ images
├─ 001.jpg
├─ 002.jpg
├─ ..
└─ NNN.jpg
|__ labels
├─ 001.txt
├─ 002.txt
├─ ..
└─ NNN.txt
```
```{ .py .annotate }
from ultralytics.data.converter import yolo_bbox2segment
yolo_bbox2segment( # (1)!
im_dir="path/to/images",
save_dir=None, # saved to "labels-segment" in images directory
sam_model="sam_b.pt",
)
```
1. Nothing returns from this function
[Visit the `yolo_bbox2segment` reference page](../reference/data/converter.md#ultralytics.data.converter.yolo_bbox2segment) for more information regarding the function.
### Convert Segments to Bounding Boxes
If you have a dataset that uses the [segmentation dataset format](../datasets/segment/index.md) you can easily convert these into up-right (or horizontal) bounding boxes (`x y w h` format) with this function.
```python
import numpy as np
from ultralytics.utils.ops import segments2boxes
segments = np.array(
[
[805, 392, 797, 400, ..., 808, 714, 808, 392],
[115, 398, 113, 400, ..., 150, 400, 149, 298],
[267, 412, 265, 413, ..., 300, 413, 299, 412],
]
)
segments2boxes([s.reshape(-1, 2) for s in segments])
# >>> array([[ 741.66, 631.12, 133.31, 479.25],
# [ 146.81, 649.69, 185.62, 502.88],
# [ 281.81, 636.19, 118.12, 448.88]],
# dtype=float32) # xywh bounding boxes
```
To understand how this function works, visit the [reference page](../reference/utils/ops.md#ultralytics.utils.ops.segments2boxes)
## Utilities
### Image Compression
Compresses a single image file to reduced size while preserving its aspect ratio and quality. If the input image is smaller than the maximum dimension, it will not be resized.
```{ .py .annotate }
from pathlib import Path
from ultralytics.data.utils import compress_one_image
for f in Path("path/to/dataset").rglob("*.jpg"):
compress_one_image(f) # (1)!
```
1. Nothing returns from this function
### Auto-split Dataset
Automatically split a dataset into `train`/`val`/`test` splits and save the resulting splits into `autosplit_*.txt` files. This function will use random sampling, which is not included when using [`fraction` argument for training](../modes/train.md#train-settings).
```{ .py .annotate }
from ultralytics.data.utils import autosplit
autosplit( # (1)!
path="path/to/images",
weights=(0.9, 0.1, 0.0), # (train, validation, test) fractional splits
annotated_only=False, # split only images with annotation file when True
)
```
1. Nothing returns from this function
See the [Reference page](../reference/data/utils.md#ultralytics.data.utils.autosplit) for additional details on this function.
### Segment-polygon to Binary Mask
Convert a single polygon (as list) to a binary mask of the specified image size. Polygon in the form of `[N, 2]` with `N` as the number of `(x, y)` points defining the polygon contour.
!!! warning
`N` must always be even.
```python
import numpy as np
from ultralytics.data.utils import polygon2mask
imgsz = (1080, 810)
polygon = np.array([805, 392, 797, 400, ..., 808, 714, 808, 392]) # (238, 2)
mask = polygon2mask(
imgsz, # tuple
[polygon], # input as list
color=255, # 8-bit binary
downsample_ratio=1,
)
```
## Bounding Boxes
### Bounding Box (horizontal) Instances
To manage bounding box data, the `Bboxes` class will help to convert between box coordinate formatting, scale box dimensions, calculate areas, include offsets, and more!
```python
import numpy as np
from ultralytics.utils.instance import Bboxes
boxes = Bboxes(
bboxes=np.array(
[
[22.878, 231.27, 804.98, 756.83],
[48.552, 398.56, 245.35, 902.71],
[669.47, 392.19, 809.72, 877.04],
[221.52, 405.8, 344.98, 857.54],
[0, 550.53, 63.01, 873.44],
[0.0584, 254.46, 32.561, 324.87],
]
),
format="xyxy",
)
boxes.areas()
# >>> array([ 4.1104e+05, 99216, 68000, 55772, 20347, 2288.5])
boxes.convert("xywh")
print(boxes.bboxes)
# >>> array(
# [[ 413.93, 494.05, 782.1, 525.56],
# [ 146.95, 650.63, 196.8, 504.15],
# [ 739.6, 634.62, 140.25, 484.85],
# [ 283.25, 631.67, 123.46, 451.74],
# [ 31.505, 711.99, 63.01, 322.91],
# [ 16.31, 289.67, 32.503, 70.41]]
# )
```
See the [`Bboxes` reference section](../reference/utils/instance.md#ultralytics.utils.instance.Bboxes) for more attributes and methods available.
!!! tip
Many of the following functions (and more) can be accessed using the [`Bboxes` class](#bounding-box-horizontal-instances) but if you prefer to work with the functions directly, see the next subsections on how to import these independently.
### Scaling Boxes
When scaling and image up or down, corresponding bounding box coordinates can be appropriately scaled to match using `ultralytics.utils.ops.scale_boxes`.
```{ .py .annotate }
import cv2 as cv
import numpy as np
from ultralytics.utils.ops import scale_boxes
image = cv.imread("ultralytics/assets/bus.jpg")
h, w, c = image.shape
resized = cv.resize(image, None, (), fx=1.2, fy=1.2)
new_h, new_w, _ = resized.shape
xyxy_boxes = np.array(
[
[22.878, 231.27, 804.98, 756.83],
[48.552, 398.56, 245.35, 902.71],
[669.47, 392.19, 809.72, 877.04],
[221.52, 405.8, 344.98, 857.54],
[0, 550.53, 63.01, 873.44],
[0.0584, 254.46, 32.561, 324.87],
]
)
new_boxes = scale_boxes(
img1_shape=(h, w), # original image dimensions
boxes=xyxy_boxes, # boxes from original image
img0_shape=(new_h, new_w), # resized image dimensions (scale to)
ratio_pad=None,
padding=False,
xywh=False,
)
print(new_boxes) # (1)!
# >>> array(
# [[ 27.454, 277.52, 965.98, 908.2],
# [ 58.262, 478.27, 294.42, 1083.3],
# [ 803.36, 470.63, 971.66, 1052.4],
# [ 265.82, 486.96, 413.98, 1029],
# [ 0, 660.64, 75.612, 1048.1],
# [ 0.0701, 305.35, 39.073, 389.84]]
# )
```
1. Bounding boxes scaled for the new image size
### Bounding Box Format Conversions
#### XYXY → XYWH
Convert bounding box coordinates from (x1, y1, x2, y2) format to (x, y, width, height) format where (x1, y1) is the top-left corner and (x2, y2) is the bottom-right corner.
```python
import numpy as np
from ultralytics.utils.ops import xyxy2xywh
xyxy_boxes = np.array(
[
[22.878, 231.27, 804.98, 756.83],
[48.552, 398.56, 245.35, 902.71],
[669.47, 392.19, 809.72, 877.04],
[221.52, 405.8, 344.98, 857.54],
[0, 550.53, 63.01, 873.44],
[0.0584, 254.46, 32.561, 324.87],
]
)
xywh = xyxy2xywh(xyxy_boxes)
print(xywh)
# >>> array(
# [[ 413.93, 494.05, 782.1, 525.56],
# [ 146.95, 650.63, 196.8, 504.15],
# [ 739.6, 634.62, 140.25, 484.85],
# [ 283.25, 631.67, 123.46, 451.74],
# [ 31.505, 711.99, 63.01, 322.91],
# [ 16.31, 289.67, 32.503, 70.41]]
# )
```
### All Bounding Box Conversions
```python
from ultralytics.utils.ops import (
ltwh2xywh,
ltwh2xyxy,
xywh2ltwh, # xywh → top-left corner, w, h
xywh2xyxy,
xywhn2xyxy, # normalized → pixel
xyxy2ltwh, # xyxy → top-left corner, w, h
xyxy2xywhn, # pixel → normalized
)
for func in (ltwh2xywh, ltwh2xyxy, xywh2ltwh, xywh2xyxy, xywhn2xyxy, xyxy2ltwh, xyxy2xywhn):
print(help(func)) # print function docstrings
```
See docstring for each function or visit the `ultralytics.utils.ops` [reference page](../reference/utils/ops.md) to read more about each function.
## Plotting
### Drawing Annotations
Ultralytics includes an Annotator class that can be used to annotate any kind of data. It's easiest to use with [object detection bounding boxes](../modes/predict.md#boxes), [pose key points](../modes/predict.md#keypoints), and [oriented bounding boxes](../modes/predict.md#obb).
#### Horizontal Bounding Boxes
```{ .py .annotate }
import cv2 as cv
import numpy as np
from ultralytics.utils.plotting import Annotator, colors
names = { # (1)!
0: "person",
5: "bus",
11: "stop sign",
}
image = cv.imread("ultralytics/assets/bus.jpg")
ann = Annotator(
image,
line_width=None, # default auto-size
font_size=None, # default auto-size
font="Arial.ttf", # must be ImageFont compatible
pil=False, # use PIL, otherwise uses OpenCV
)
xyxy_boxes = np.array(
[
[5, 22.878, 231.27, 804.98, 756.83], # class-idx x1 y1 x2 y2
[0, 48.552, 398.56, 245.35, 902.71],
[0, 669.47, 392.19, 809.72, 877.04],
[0, 221.52, 405.8, 344.98, 857.54],
[0, 0, 550.53, 63.01, 873.44],
[11, 0.0584, 254.46, 32.561, 324.87],
]
)
for nb, box in enumerate(xyxy_boxes):
c_idx, *box = box
label = f"{str(nb).zfill(2)}:{names.get(int(c_idx))}"
ann.box_label(box, label, color=colors(c_idx, bgr=True))
image_with_bboxes = ann.result()
```
1. Names can be used from `model.names` when [working with detection results](../modes/predict.md#working-with-results)
#### Oriented Bounding Boxes (OBB)
```python
import cv2 as cv
import numpy as np
from ultralytics.utils.plotting import Annotator, colors
obb_names = {10: "small vehicle"}
obb_image = cv.imread("datasets/dota8/images/train/P1142__1024__0___824.jpg")
obb_boxes = np.array(
[
[0, 635, 560, 919, 719, 1087, 420, 803, 261], # class-idx x1 y1 x2 y2 x3 y2 x4 y4
[0, 331, 19, 493, 260, 776, 70, 613, -171],
[9, 869, 161, 886, 147, 851, 101, 833, 115],
]
)
ann = Annotator(
obb_image,
line_width=None, # default auto-size
font_size=None, # default auto-size
font="Arial.ttf", # must be ImageFont compatible
pil=False, # use PIL, otherwise uses OpenCV
)
for obb in obb_boxes:
c_idx, *obb = obb
obb = np.array(obb).reshape(-1, 4, 2).squeeze()
label = f"{obb_names.get(int(c_idx))}"
ann.box_label(
obb,
label,
color=colors(c_idx, True),
rotated=True,
)
image_with_obb = ann.result()
```
#### Bounding Boxes Circle Annotation ([Circle Label](https://docs.ultralytics.com/reference/utils/plotting/#ultralytics.utils.plotting.Annotator.circle_label))
```python
import cv2
from ultralytics import YOLO
from ultralytics.utils.plotting import Annotator, colors
model = YOLO("yolov8s.pt")
cap = cv2.VideoCapture("path/to/video/file.mp4")
w, h, fps = (int(cap.get(x)) for x in (cv2.CAP_PROP_FRAME_WIDTH, cv2.CAP_PROP_FRAME_HEIGHT, cv2.CAP_PROP_FPS))
writer = cv2.VideoWriter("Ultralytics circle annotation.avi", cv2.VideoWriter_fourcc(*"MJPG"), fps, (w, h))
while True:
ret, im0 = cap.read()
if not ret:
break
annotator = Annotator(im0, line_width=2)
results = model.predict(im0)
boxes = results[0].boxes.xyxy.cpu()
clss = results[0].boxes.cls.cpu().tolist()
for box, cls in zip(boxes, clss):
x1, y1 = int((box[0] + box[2]) // 2), int((box[1] + box[3]) // 2)
annotator.circle_label(box, label=model.names[int(cls)], color=colors(int(cls), True))
writer.write(im0)
cv2.imshow("Ultralytics circle annotation", im0)
if cv2.waitKey(1) & 0xFF == ord("q"):
break
writer.release()
cap.release()
cv2.destroyAllWindows()
```
#### Bounding Boxes Text Annotation ([Text Label](https://docs.ultralytics.com/reference/utils/plotting/#ultralytics.utils.plotting.Annotator.text_label))
```python
import cv2
from ultralytics import YOLO
from ultralytics.utils.plotting import Annotator, colors
model = YOLO("yolov8s.pt")
cap = cv2.VideoCapture("path/to/video/file.mp4")
w, h, fps = (int(cap.get(x)) for x in (cv2.CAP_PROP_FRAME_WIDTH, cv2.CAP_PROP_FRAME_HEIGHT, cv2.CAP_PROP_FPS))
writer = cv2.VideoWriter("Ultralytics text annotation.avi", cv2.VideoWriter_fourcc(*"MJPG"), fps, (w, h))
while True:
ret, im0 = cap.read()
if not ret:
break
annotator = Annotator(im0, line_width=2)
results = model.predict(im0)
boxes = results[0].boxes.xyxy.cpu()
clss = results[0].boxes.cls.cpu().tolist()
for box, cls in zip(boxes, clss):
x1, y1 = int((box[0] + box[2]) // 2), int((box[1] + box[3]) // 2)
annotator.text_label(box, label=model.names[int(cls)], color=colors(int(cls), True))
writer.write(im0)
cv2.imshow("Ultralytics text annotation", im0)
if cv2.waitKey(1) & 0xFF == ord("q"):
break
writer.release()
cap.release()
cv2.destroyAllWindows()
```
See the [`Annotator` Reference Page](../reference/utils/plotting.md#ultralytics.utils.plotting.Annotator) for additional insight.
## Miscellaneous
### Code Profiling
Check duration for code to run/process either using `with` or as a decorator.
```python
from ultralytics.utils.ops import Profile
with Profile(device="cuda:0") as dt:
pass # operation to measure
print(dt)
# >>> "Elapsed time is 9.5367431640625e-07 s"
```
### Ultralytics Supported Formats
Want or need to use the formats of [images or videos types supported](../modes/predict.md#image-and-video-formats) by Ultralytics programmatically? Use these constants if you need.
```python
from ultralytics.data.utils import IMG_FORMATS, VID_FORMATS
print(IMG_FORMATS)
# {'tiff', 'pfm', 'bmp', 'mpo', 'dng', 'jpeg', 'png', 'webp', 'tif', 'jpg'}
print(VID_FORMATS)
# {'avi', 'mpg', 'wmv', 'mpeg', 'm4v', 'mov', 'mp4', 'asf', 'mkv', 'ts', 'gif', 'webm'}
```
### Make Divisible
Calculates the nearest whole number to `x` to make evenly divisible when divided by `y`.
```python
from ultralytics.utils.ops import make_divisible
make_divisible(7, 3)
# >>> 9
make_divisible(7, 2)
# >>> 8
```
## FAQ
### What utilities are included in the Ultralytics package to enhance machine learning workflows?
The Ultralytics package includes a variety of utilities designed to streamline and optimize machine learning workflows. Key utilities include [auto-annotation](../reference/data/annotator.md#ultralytics.data.annotator.auto_annotate) for labeling datasets, converting COCO to YOLO format with [convert_coco](../reference/data/converter.md#ultralytics.data.converter.convert_coco), compressing images, and dataset auto-splitting. These tools aim to reduce manual effort, ensure consistency, and enhance data processing efficiency.
### How can I use Ultralytics to auto-label my dataset?
If you have a pre-trained Ultralytics YOLO object detection model, you can use it with the [SAM](../models/sam.md) model to auto-annotate your dataset in segmentation format. Here's an example:
```python
from ultralytics.data.annotator import auto_annotate
auto_annotate(
data="path/to/new/data",
det_model="yolov8n.pt",
sam_model="mobile_sam.pt",
device="cuda",
output_dir="path/to/save_labels",
)
```
For more details, check the [auto_annotate reference section](../reference/data/annotator.md#ultralytics.data.annotator.auto_annotate).
### How do I convert COCO dataset annotations to YOLO format in Ultralytics?
To convert COCO JSON annotations into YOLO format for object detection, you can use the `convert_coco` utility. Here's a sample code snippet:
```python
from ultralytics.data.converter import convert_coco
convert_coco(
"../datasets/coco/annotations/",
use_segments=False,
use_keypoints=False,
cls91to80=True,
)
```
For additional information, visit the [convert_coco reference page](../reference/data/converter.md#ultralytics.data.converter.convert_coco).
### What is the purpose of the YOLO Data Explorer in the Ultralytics package?
The [YOLO Explorer](../datasets/explorer/index.md) is a powerful tool introduced in the `8.1.0` update to enhance dataset understanding. It allows you to use text queries to find object instances in your dataset, making it easier to analyze and manage your data. This tool provides valuable insights into dataset composition and distribution, helping to improve model training and performance.
### How can I convert bounding boxes to segments in Ultralytics?
To convert existing bounding box data (in `x y w h` format) to segments, you can use the `yolo_bbox2segment` function. Ensure your files are organized with separate directories for images and labels.
```python
from ultralytics.data.converter import yolo_bbox2segment
yolo_bbox2segment(
im_dir="path/to/images",
save_dir=None, # saved to "labels-segment" in the images directory
sam_model="sam_b.pt",
)
```
For more information, visit the [yolo_bbox2segment reference page](../reference/data/converter.md#ultralytics.data.converter.yolo_bbox2segment).
