Intended Audience

This page describes who seekcamera-python is designed for and what background knowledge will help you get the most out of it. Understanding whether this library fits your use case and skill level will help you evaluate it quickly and set realistic expectations before you write a single line of code.

Who this library is for

seekercamera-python is built for software developers who want to integrate Seek Thermal OEM camera cores into Python applications. If you are building a product, prototype, or research tool that needs to capture and process thermal imagery programmatically, this library gives you a high-level Python interface to the underlying Seek Thermal SDK without requiring you to write C code directly.

You will get the most out of this library if you:

• Are comfortable writing Python 3 applications and working with third-party packages
• Understand basic concepts such as callbacks, event-driven programming, and working with numerical data (for example, using numpy arrays)
• Have a Seek Thermal OEM camera core physically attached to your development system
• Have already installed, or are willing to install, the Seek Thermal SDK 4.X on your system

What you do not need to know

You do not need experience with C or the Seek Thermal SDK's native C interface. The Python bindings mirror the SDK's major functionality in a more approachable, higher-level API. That said, the official Seek Thermal SDK C Programming Guide (included with the SDK) is a useful reference if you want a deeper understanding of how the underlying system works.

Hardware requirement

This is not a simulation or emulation library. A physical Seek Thermal OEM camera core must be connected to your machine. The library will not produce thermal frames without one. If you are evaluating whether to purchase hardware, visit the Seek Thermal OEM page to learn about available Starter Kits.

Use cases this library supports

seekercamera-python is a good fit if you want to:

• Capture thermal frames from one or more cameras simultaneously in a single application
• Export thermal data in various formats, such as pixel value CSV files or OpenCV-compatible image frames
• Build responsive applications using the library's asynchronous, event-driven API
• Target multiple camera models with a common API that works across both Mosaic and Micro Core cameras
• Prototype quickly using the provided example applications as a starting point

Use cases outside the scope of this library

This library does not provide a graphical user interface, a standalone desktop application, or any hardware drivers. Driver and SDK installation are prerequisites you handle separately before using the Python bindings.

The following example illustrates the minimum profile of a developer who is ready to use this library. It is not a runnable program, but it shows the kind of Python knowledge assumed throughout the documentation.

Typical familiarity expected: working with packages and callbacks

# You should be comfortable installing packages:
# pip3 install seekcamera-python

# Importing a third-party library
from seekcamera import SeekCamera, SeekCameraManager, SeekCameraManagerEvent

# Defining a callback function — a core pattern used throughout the API
def on_frame(camera, frame_data, some_state):
    # You should be comfortable working with objects and their attributes
    thermography_frame = frame_data.thermography_float
    print(f"Received a frame from camera: {camera.serial_number}")
    # Frames are exposed as numpy arrays, so numpy familiarity helps
    print(f"Frame shape: {thermography_frame.data.shape}")

# The SDK uses an event-driven model; callbacks are registered, not polled
# You do not need to write C — the Python bindings handle the interface

If this pattern looks familiar and approachable, you are well-positioned to use seekcamera-python. If callbacks or numpy arrays are new concepts, reviewing those topics first will make the rest of the documentation easier to follow.

• Installation — How to install seekcamera-python and its dependencies, including the required Seek Thermal SDK 4.X
• Sample applications — Runnable examples (seekcamera-opencv, seekcamera-simple) that demonstrate common API patterns and serve as starting points for your own projects
• Capturing thermal frames — How the asynchronous, event-driven frame capture API works
• Working with multiple cameras — How to manage more than one Seek Thermal OEM core within a single SDK instance
• Error handling and logging — How to interpret errors and log output from the library