Hi everyone,
I’d like to share a solution I discovered after spending a significant amount of time troubleshooting a persistent issue with the ZED camera Python API. I hope this helps others facing similar problems. For reference, here’s the official installation guide:
Background
I was preparing for large-scale data collection using ZED cameras as labels, and it was critical to get everything running on a specific laptop. However, I encountered a problem where the skeleton (body tracking) would not appear in our data collection program—only the video feed was visible.
To narrow down the issue, I ran the official sample programs and consistently encountered errors. When this error occurred, the model would fail to download, and only RGB output would appear—no skeleton detection.
Relevant ticket: Cudnn not found and AI Models not optimized
This issue wasn’t limited to body tracking; it caused broader problems with the SDK as well.
Troubleshooting Attempts
I tried the following combinations in an attempt to resolve the issue:
- ZED SDK versions: 4.0.8, 4.1.4, 4.2.5, 5.0.1
- CUDA versions: 11.8, 12.1, 12.8
- Various cuDNN installations
Despite these efforts, the problem persisted.
Key Discovery
By chance, I heard that things worked with Python 3.8.10, so I gave it a try—and it worked! Upon further investigation, I realized the crucial factor: do not use the Python version from the Microsoft Store.
Solution
- Avoid installing Python via the Microsoft Store.
- Instead, download and install Python directly from the official website (python.org) or use a package manager like uv, pyenv, or conda.
Problematic Scenario
- Installing Python 3.10 from the Microsoft Store results in version 3.10.11.
- Running the ZED SDK sample with this version consistently triggers the described errors.
I personally use uv, and pinning to Python 3.10.11 connects immediately. However, the issue is reproducible even without uv. I started using uv to quickly resolve the problem with 100% reliability.
Summary
If you’re experiencing issues with ZED SDK and Python—especially with skeleton/body tracking—check your Python installation source. Avoid the Microsoft Store version and use a direct download or a reliable package manager instead. Adding this note to the official documentation could help many others avoid similar headaches.
Hope this saves someone else some time!