Getting Started with Kinect For Windows in Visual Studio .NET

If you haven't heard, Microsoft has released a new version of the Kinect that's just for Windows applications, along with a new Software Development Kit so .NET developers can write apps for Windows that use the Kinect.

Code along with me while I show you how to get started.

Downloads:

• Kinect For Windows SDK 1.0

This is a 64-bit SDK with a commercial license.

If you're going to use voice recognition with the Kinect, download these:

• Microsoft Speech Platform - Runtime (Version 11)
• Microsoft Speech Platform - Software Development Kit (SDK) (Version 11)

Download the x86 versions of each of these. Kinect only works with the 32-bit version.

We're going to make an application that simply tracks your right hand, showing the X, Y, and Z values in real-time as you move it. 

Getting Started:

• Create a new WPF application
• Add a reference to the Kinect SDK

C:\Program Files\Microsoft SDKs\Kinect\v1.0\Assemblies\Microsoft.Kinect.dll

• If using Speech, add a reference to the Microsoft Speech SDK

C:\Program Files (x86)\Microsoft SDKs\Speech\v11.0\Assembly\Microsoft.Speech.dll

XAML Source:

Change the default <Grid></Grid> to the following:

    <StackPanel>

        <Label FontSize="30" Content="X" Height="50"

                  HorizontalAlignment="Left" Margin="10,10,0,0" Name="LabelX" 

                  VerticalAlignment="Top" />

        <Label FontSize="30" Content="Y" Height="50"

                  HorizontalAlignment="Left" Margin="10,10,0,0" Name="LabelY"

                  VerticalAlignment="Top" />

        <Label FontSize="30" Content="Z" Height="50"

                  HorizontalAlignment="Left" Margin="10,10,0,0" Name="LabelZ"

                  VerticalAlignment="Top" />

    </StackPanel>

---

VB Source:

Class MainWindow 

    Private WithEvents Sensor As Microsoft.Kinect.KinectSensor

    Private Sub Window_Loaded(sender As System.Object, e As System.Windows.RoutedEventArgs) Handles MyBase.Loaded

        If Microsoft.Kinect.KinectSensor.KinectSensors.Count = 0 Then

            MessageBox.Show("No Kinect Devices Found")

            Application.Current.Shutdown()

        Else

            Sensor = Microsoft.Kinect.KinectSensor.KinectSensors(0)

            Sensor.SkeletonStream.Enable(New Microsoft.Kinect.TransformSmoothParameters)

            Sensor.Start()

        End If

    End Sub

 

    Private Sub Sensor_SkeletonFrameReady(sender As Object, e As Microsoft.Kinect.SkeletonFrameReadyEventArgs) Handles Sensor.SkeletonFrameReady

        Dim frame = e.OpenSkeletonFrame

 

        '-- Bail if there's no frame.

        If frame Is Nothing Then Return

 

        Using frame

            '-- Bail if no data is returned 

            If frame.SkeletonArrayLength = 0 Then Return

 

            '-- Copy the data to an array

            Dim data(frame.SkeletonArrayLength - 1) As Microsoft.Kinect.Skeleton

            frame.CopySkeletonDataTo(data)

 

            '-- Bail if the data wasn't copied

            If data.Length = 0 Then Return

 

            '-- Are we tracking?

            If data(0).TrackingState = Microsoft.Kinect.SkeletonTrackingState.Tracked Then

                '-- data(0) now contains live data

                Dim X = data(0).Joints(Microsoft.Kinect.JointType.HandRight).Position.X

                Dim Y = data(0).Joints(Microsoft.Kinect.JointType.HandRight).Position.Y

                Dim Z = data(0).Joints(Microsoft.Kinect.JointType.HandRight).Position.Z

                LabelX.Content = X.ToString

                LabelY.Content = Y.ToString

                LabelZ.Content = Z.ToString

                LabelX.UpdateLayout()

                LabelY.UpdateLayout()

                LabelZ.UpdateLayout()

            End If

        End Using

    End Sub

End Class

---

C# Source:

 

    public partial class MainWindow : Window

    {

        Microsoft.Kinect.KinectSensor Sensor;

 

        public MainWindow()

        {

            InitializeComponent();

            if (Microsoft.Kinect.KinectSensor.KinectSensors.Count == 0)

            {

                MessageBox.Show("No Kinect Devices Found");

                Application.Current.Shutdown();

            }

            else

            {

                Sensor = Microsoft.Kinect.KinectSensor.KinectSensors[0];

                Sensor.SkeletonFrameReady += Sensor_SkeletonFrameReady;

                Sensor.SkeletonStream.Enable(new Microsoft.Kinect.TransformSmoothParameters());

                Sensor.Start();

            }

        }

 

        private void Sensor_SkeletonFrameReady(object sender, Microsoft.Kinect.SkeletonFrameReadyEventArgs e)

        {

            Microsoft.Kinect.SkeletonFrame frame = e.OpenSkeletonFrame();

 

            //-- Bail if there's no frame.

            if (frame == null)

                return;

 

            using (frame)

            {

                //-- Bail if no data is returned 

                if (frame.SkeletonArrayLength == 0)

                    return;

 

                //-- Copy the data to an array

                Microsoft.Kinect.Skeleton[] data = new Microsoft.Kinect.Skeleton[frame.SkeletonArrayLength];

                frame.CopySkeletonDataTo(data);

 

                //-- Bail if the data wasn't copied

                if (data.Length == 0)

                    return;

 

                //-- Are we tracking?

                if (data[0].TrackingState == Microsoft.Kinect.SkeletonTrackingState.Tracked)

                {

                    //-- data(0) now contains live data

                    Single X = data[0].Joints[Microsoft.Kinect.JointType.HandRight].Position.X;

                    Single Y = data[0].Joints[Microsoft.Kinect.JointType.HandRight].Position.Y;

                    Single Z = data[0].Joints[Microsoft.Kinect.JointType.HandRight].Position.Z;

                    LabelX.Content = X.ToString();

                    LabelY.Content = Y.ToString();

                    LabelZ.Content = Z.ToString();

                    LabelX.UpdateLayout();

                    LabelY.UpdateLayout();

                    LabelZ.UpdateLayout();

                    this.UpdateLayout();

                }

            }

 

        }

    }