gtsam/python/README.md

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# README
# Python Wrapper
This is the Python wrapper around the GTSAM C++ library. We use Cython to generate the bindings to the underlying C++ code.
## Requirements
- If you want to build the GTSAM python library for a specific python version (eg 3.6),
use the `-DGTSAM_PYTHON_VERSION=3.6` option when running `cmake` otherwise the default interpreter will be used.
- If the interpreter is inside an environment (such as an anaconda environment or virtualenv environment),
then the environment should be active while building GTSAM.
- This wrapper needs `Cython(>=0.25.2)`, `backports_abc(>=0.5)`, and `numpy(>=1.11.0)`. These can be installed as follows:
```bash
pip install -r <gtsam_folder>/cython/requirements.txt
```
- For compatibility with GTSAM's Eigen version, it contains its own cloned version of [Eigency](https://github.com/wouterboomsma/eigency.git),
named `gtsam_eigency`, to interface between C++'s Eigen and Python's numpy.
## Install
- Run cmake with the `GTSAM_INSTALL_CYTHON_TOOLBOX` cmake flag enabled to configure building the wrapper. The wrapped module will be built and copied to the directory defined by `GTSAM_CYTHON_INSTALL_PATH`, which is by default `<PROJECT_BINARY_DIR>/cython` in Release mode and `<PROJECT_BINARY_DIR>/cython<CMAKE_BUILD_TYPE>` for other modes.
- Build GTSAM and the wrapper with `make`.
- To install, simply run `make python-install`.
- The same command can be used to install into a virtual environment if it is active.
- **NOTE**: if you don't want GTSAM to install to a system directory such as `/usr/local`, pass `-DCMAKE_INSTALL_PREFIX="./install"` to cmake to install GTSAM to a subdirectory of the build directory.
- You can also directly run `make python-install` without running `make`, and it will compile all the dependencies accordingly.
## Unit Tests
The Cython toolbox also has a small set of unit tests located in the
test directory. To run them:
```bash
cd <GTSAM_CYTHON_INSTALL_PATH>
python -m unittest discover
```
## Utils
TODO
## Examples
TODO
## Writing Your Own Scripts
See the tests for examples.
### Some Important Notes:
- Vector/Matrix:
- GTSAM expects double-precision floating point vectors and matrices.
Hence, you should pass numpy matrices with `dtype=float`, or `float64`.
- Also, GTSAM expects _column-major_ matrices, unlike the default storage
scheme in numpy. Hence, you should pass column-major matrices to GTSAM using
the flag order='F'. And you always get column-major matrices back.
For more details, see [this link](https://github.com/wouterboomsma/eigency#storage-layout---why-arrays-are-sometimes-transposed).
- Passing row-major matrices of different dtype, e.g. `int`, will also work
as the wrapper converts them to column-major and dtype float for you,
using numpy.array.astype(float, order='F', copy=False).
However, this will result a copy if your matrix is not in the expected type
and storage order.
- Inner namespace: Classes in inner namespace will be prefixed by <innerNamespace>\_ in Python.
Examples: `noiseModel_Gaussian`, `noiseModel_mEstimator_Tukey`
- Casting from a base class to a derive class must be done explicitly.
Examples:
```python
noiseBase = factor.noiseModel()
noiseGaussian = dynamic_cast_noiseModel_Gaussian_noiseModel_Base(noiseBase)
```
## Wrapping Custom GTSAM-based Project
Please refer to the template project and the corresponding tutorial available [here](https://github.com/borglab/GTSAM-project-python).