---
title: Get started with Orisys SDK development
description: Set up a source checkout, run a first test, and find the right example.
---

# Get started with Orisys SDK development

This guide is for contributors working from the SDK source checkout. Obtain the
repository URL from your team, clone it, and change into the `orisys-sdk` directory.
If you only need to use a published wheel, follow the
[Chinese installation guide](get_started.md). Run the commands below from the
repository root.

## First working loop

Use Python 3.10, 3.11, or 3.12. The existing README uses conda; an isolated
environment keeps another installed `orisys` package from shadowing this checkout.

```bash
conda create -n orisys-dev python=3.10
conda activate orisys-dev
python -m pip install -e . pytest
python -c "import orisys; print(orisys.__version__)"
python -m pytest -m "not slow and not hardware" tests/test_calibration.py
```

The editable install makes changes under `src/orisys/` visible without rebuilding a
wheel. `pytest.ini` adds `src/` to the test import path. Before debugging a strange
import failure, check that `python` and `python -m pip` point to the same environment.
The full non-hardware suite is:

```bash
python -m pytest -m "not slow and not hardware"
```

Some tests need a recorded clip. `tests/conftest.py` looks for a repository sample or
the path in `ORISYS_TEST_VIDEO`; a missing clip can skip those tests. Inspect the test
summary rather than treating a run with unexpected skips as coverage.

## Run a pipeline

The examples accept a camera index or, where documented, a video path. Start with
the example matching your sensor. A camera example needs the device and its bundle;
the test command above does not need physical hardware.

```bash
python examples/basic_pipeline.py -v 0 -c box
python examples/basic_pipeline.py -v 0 -c mini
python examples/finger_pipeline.py --camera_id 0 --config finger
```

For a video-only first run, see the exact arguments in
[examples/README.md](../examples/README.md). GUI examples need the optional GUI
dependencies (`python -m pip install -e ".[gui]"`). GPU support is optional; the
declared extras are `cuda12` and `cuda13` in [pyproject.toml](../pyproject.toml).
Start on CPU unless your task requires a GPU backend.

## Find the owner of a change

| What you are changing | Start here |
| --- | --- |
| SDK API or algorithms | `src/orisys/`, then a focused test in `tests/` |
| Product configuration and shipped assets | `sensors/<product>/`; see [sensor bundles](sensor-bundles.md) |
| Example behavior | `examples/` and [examples/README.md](../examples/README.md) |
| Build or release tooling | `build/` and [build/README.md](../build/README.md) |
| Studio UI | The separate `orisys-app` repository |

`config/` holds legacy configurations. New product-bundle work belongs under
`sensors/`. For a physical device's calibration, use a user-selected calibration
directory and `device_id`; the [SDK README](../README.md#configuration) describes
the path and validation contract. Do not commit individual sensor calibration data
to the generic product bundle by accident.

After a change, run the focused tests first, then the relevant non-hardware suite.
If a change requires a camera, record the product, configuration, input, and observed
result in your handoff. See [publishing](publishing.en.md) when preparing a release;
ordinary development does not require a wheel build or a PyPI account.