Convexity defects C++ OpenCv

I raised this question because I wasn't able to figure out a solution (it is not only today that I was dealing with the matter hehe), but after all I was able to manage the problem!

I had to change the way I calculated the convex hull, using the index array form. So now we have a vector< int > instead a vector< Point >.

This is the code I used (it works I painted the points over an image):

void HandDetection::findConvexityDefects(vector<Point>& contour, vector<int>& hull, vector<Point>& convexDefects){
    if(hull.size() > 0 && contour.size() > 0){
    CvSeq* contourPoints;
    CvSeq* defects;
    CvMemStorage* storage;
    CvMemStorage* strDefects;
    CvMemStorage* contourStr;
    CvConvexityDefect *defectArray = 0;

    strDefects = cvCreateMemStorage();
    defects = cvCreateSeq( CV_SEQ_KIND_GENERIC|CV_32SC2, sizeof(CvSeq),sizeof(CvPoint), strDefects );

    //We transform our vector<Point> into a CvSeq* object of CvPoint.
    contourStr = cvCreateMemStorage();
    contourPoints = cvCreateSeq(CV_SEQ_KIND_GENERIC|CV_32SC2, sizeof(CvSeq), sizeof(CvPoint), contourStr);
    for(int i=0; i<(int)contour.size(); i++) {
        CvPoint cp = {contour[i].x,  contour[i].y};
        cvSeqPush(contourPoints, &cp);
    }

    //Now, we do the same thing with the hull index
    int count = (int)hull.size();
    //int hullK[count];
    int* hullK = (int*)malloc(count*sizeof(int));
    for(int i=0; i<count; i++){hullK[i] = hull.at(i);}
    CvMat hullMat = cvMat(1, count, CV_32SC1, hullK);

    //We calculate convexity defects
    storage = cvCreateMemStorage(0);
    defects = cvConvexityDefects(contourPoints, &hullMat, storage);
    defectArray = (CvConvexityDefect*)malloc(sizeof(CvConvexityDefect)*defects->total);
    cvCvtSeqToArray(defects, defectArray, CV_WHOLE_SEQ);
    //printf("DefectArray %i %i\n",defectArray->end->x, defectArray->end->y);

    //We store defects points in the convexDefects parameter.
    for(int i = 0; i<defects->total; i++){
        CvPoint ptf;
        ptf.x = defectArray[i].depth_point->x;
        ptf.y = defectArray[i].depth_point->y;
        convexDefects.push_back(ptf);
    }

    //We release memory
    cvReleaseMemStorage(contourStr);
    cvReleaseMemStorage(strDefects);
    cvReleaseMemStorage(storage);
    }
}

This worked for me. If you see something wrong or another way to manage it, please tell me!

found some direct approach using the cpp convexityDefects. Typehandling by convexHull-function. It fills by type, int* returns indizes, Point* returns coordinates.

void WorkFrame( Mat img, double minArea )
{
//assumption:
// img already preprocessed, threshold, gray, smooth, morphology whatever..

//get some contours
vector<vector<Point> > contours;
vector<Vec4i> hierarchy;
findContours( img, contours, hierarchy, CV_RETR_EXTERNAL, CV_CHAIN_APPROX_SIMPLE );

for( int i=0; i<contours.size(); i++ ) 
{
    vector<Point>& c=contours[i];
    double area = contourArea( c );
        if( area<minArea ){ continue; } //filter remaining noise

    //convexHull works typedependent.
    //std::vector<Point> ptHull1; //uncomment and compare to ptHull2
    //convexHull( c, ptHull1 ); //convexHull is smart and fills direct coordinates

    std::vector<int> ihull; 
    convexHull( c, ihull ); //convexHull is smart and fills in contourIndices

    std::vector<Vec4i> defects;
    convexityDefects( c, ihull, defects ); //expects indexed hull (internal assertion mat.channels()==1)

    std::vector< Point > ptHull2;
    std::vector<int>::iterator ii=ihull.begin();
    while( ii!=ihull.end() )
    {
        int idx=(*ii);
        ptHull2.push_back( c[idx] );
        ii++;
    }
    cv::polylines( mat, c, true, Scalar( 0xCC,0xCC,0xCC ), 1 );
    cv::polylines( mat, ptHull2, true, Scalar( 0xFF, 0x20, 0x20 ), 1 );

    std::vector<Vec4i>::iterator d=defects.begin();
    while( d!=defects.end() )
    {
        Vec4i& v=(*d); d++;
        int startidx=v[0]; Point ptStart( c[startidx] );
        int endidx=v[1]; Point ptEnd( c[endidx] );
        int faridx=v[2]; Point ptFar( c[faridx] );

        cv::circle( img, ptStart, 4, Scalar( 0x02,0x60,0xFF ), 2 );
        cv::circle( img, ptEnd,   4, Scalar( 0xFF,0x60,0x02 ), 2 );
        cv::circle( img, ptFar,   4, Scalar( 0x60,0xFF,0x02 ), 2 );
    }
}

}