OpenCV python: ValueError: too many values to unpack

Solution 1:

I got the answer from the OpenCV Stack Exchange site. Answer

THE ANSWER:

I bet you are using the current OpenCV's master branch: here the return statements have changed, see http://docs.opencv.org/modules/imgproc/doc/structural_analysis_and_shape_descriptors.html?highlight=findcontours.

Thus, change the corresponding line to read:
_, contours, _= cv2.findContours(skin_ycrcb, cv2.RETR_EXTERNAL, cv2.CHAIN_APPROX_SIMPLE)
Or: since the current trunk is still not stable and you probably will run in some more problems, you may want to use OpenCV's current stable version 2.4.9.

Solution 2:

This works in all cv2 versions:

contours, hierarchy = cv2.findContours(
    skin_ycrcb, cv2.RETR_EXTERNAL, cv2.CHAIN_APPROX_SIMPLE)[-2:]

Explanation: By using [-2:], we are basically taking the last two values from the tuple returned by cv2.findContours. Since in some versions, it returns (image, contours, hierarchy) and in other versions, it returns (contours, hierarchy), contours, hierarchy are always the last two values.

Solution 3:

You have to change this line;

image, contours, _ = cv2.findContours(skin_ycrcb, cv2.RETR_EXTERNAL, cv2.CHAIN_APPROX_SIMPLE)

Solution 4:

I'm using python3.x and opencv 4.1.0 i was getting error in the following code :

cnts, _ = cv2.findContours(thresh.copy(), cv2.RETR_EXTERNAL,cv2.CHAIN_APPROX_SIMPLE)

ERROR : too many values to Unpack

then i came to know that above code is used in python2.x SO i just replaced above code with below one(IN python3.x) by adding one more '_' in the left most side have a look

_,cnts, _ = cv2.findContours(thresh.copy(), cv2.RETR_EXTERNAL,cv2.CHAIN_APPROX_SIMPLE)

Solution 5:

The thing you need to do is just add '_' where you are not using the required var , originally given by:

im2, contours, hierarchy = cv2.findContours(thresh,cv2.RETR_TREE,cv2.CHAIN_APPROX_SIMPLE)

_ , contours, _ = cv2.findContours(thresh,cv2.RETR_TREE,cv2.CHAIN_APPROX_SIMPLE)

Here the original doc is given: https://docs.opencv.org/3.1.0/d4/d73/tutorial_py_contours_begin.html