GoAnnotate

Visualize, edit and review annotations of YOLO11 detections plus YOLO11 (17-keypoint) and MPII (16-keypoint) pose labels directly against your local image set.

Description

GoAnnotate is a single-binary Go + Canvas tool for reviewing and editing YOLO11 detection/pose annotations and MPII pose annotations. The backend serves the embedded frontend and reads/writes label files on disk while the frontend handles high-frequency rendering, zoom/pan, and annotation edits. Pose formats are inferred from keypoint triplet counts in each label line (17 for YOLO11, 16 for MPII). Each loaded dataset has a Task (Auto, Detection, Pose, Pose_mpii). Auto is shown for new or empty datasets until the first labeled image is saved. On that save, bbox-only labels lock the Task to Detection, while any keypoint data locks it to Pose. Once set, the Task stays fixed until you Load a new dataset, and the current Task is displayed in the status panel.

Quick Start

Download executable from Releases. No installation is required. Single file. Try the dataset examples in example_datasets.

Functions

• Load an images directory and a labels directory, matched by basename (image.jpg -> image.txt).
• Render bounding boxes, pose skeletons, and keypoint handles with a compact OSD panel that shows file and folder (each capped to the last 36 characters), index/TODO + Task, resolution/zoom, status, per-class counts, selected keypoints (when present), selected object size, and active crop size in pixels.
• Minimize the status panel to a single-line summary that shows file index, selected object, and keypoint totals.
• Render zoom-invariant line weights with unfilled keypoint circles and a 1px contrast halo for clearer pose review.
• Draw zoom-invariant class_id:object_id labels inside the top-left of each bounding box.
• Edit keypoints and bounding boxes with drag handles and automatic normalized updates.
• When an object is selected, render only that object's bbox and keypoints.
• Show keypoint names with visibility (e.g., left ear:1 or right ankle:1) on hover in the main canvas and magnifier.
• Show a cursor-centered magnifier window on keypoint selection or double-click/tap for precise inspection and editing.
• Keep the magnifier window anchored on screen once opened so selections inside it do not reposition the view.
• Move, resize, or minimize the magnifier window using its corner handles.
• Automatically center the magnifier on the corresponding keypoint when switching objects, based on the closest visible keypoint of the previous selection; if missing, use the nearest lower-index valid keypoint, then higher, or the object's center.
• Automatically center the magnifier on the corresponding keypoint of the first person (class 0) when switching images; if missing, use the nearest lower-index valid keypoint, then higher, or the object's center.
• Add new objects and keypoints with automatic keypoint naming and class reuse.
• Lock the dataset Task to Detection (bbox-only), Pose (17 keypoints), or Pose_mpii (16 keypoints) based on existing labels or the first labeled save; Detection disables keypoints and Pose saves fill missing keypoints with (0,0,0) for consistency.
• Delete the selected keypoint or object, or open a delete menu to clear all annotations or move the current image and label file into imagesDir/deleted and labelsDir/deleted.
• Detect YOLO11 (17-keypoint) vs MPII (16-keypoint) pose formats per label line and render the appropriate skeleton.
• Switch between multiple annotation color schemes for visibility.
• Save changes to label files on image change with fixed six-decimal precision.
• Maintain per-label history files in labels-history/<label>.json, storing the original labels (before edits) plus the latest saved labels with a timestamp.
• Restore initial or latest labels from history when Undo is empty; restore also applies the saved crop box and can restore the original image from imagesDir/deleted on the next save.
• Define a crop area with Alt + drag, resize it via corner handles, and crop the image on save while remapping annotations to the cropped frame; original image/label files are archived in the deleted subfolders.
• Auto-fit a crop area to all annotations with up to 10% padding (reduced near borders to keep the crop in-frame) using preset aspect ratios (1:1, 1:2, 2:3, 3:4, 16:9) and automatic orientation.
• Crop save supports JPEG/PNG images; other formats report a save error.
• Estimate labels for the current image using up to 8 previous labeled frames with quadratic motion for bounding boxes and keypoints, replacing current labels.
• Keep the OSD status marked as modified until switching images or undoing all changes.
• Mark the current image review status as Done after edits are saved.
• Track review status per image (TODO/Done) in labelsDir/review_status.json; missing or empty means everything is TODO.
• Allow undo per image (up to 512 actions) and clear undo history when switching images.
• Preserve the current pan/zoom and magnifier state when switching images.
• Keep the previous frame visible while loading the next image to avoid blank flashes during navigation.
• Use a full-screen canvas with overlay OSD, top-right Load/Help buttons, and bottom-left Prev / bottom-right Next buttons for image navigation.
• Log loaded dataset paths with total and labeled image counts on load.
• Automatically suggest a Labels Directory when an Images Directory is selected in the UI, prioritized as follows:
  1. YOLO-style: .../labels/{subdir} if images are in .../images/{subdir}.
  2. Sibling: replace images -> labels or image -> label in the folder name (for example, images_mosaics -> labels_mosaics, image-abc -> label-abc).
  3. Subdirectory: imagesDir/labels.
  4. Sibling: ../labels.
  5. Parent: ...
• Prompt before loading when the selected folders contain no images or no label files.

Annotation Formats

GoAnnotate auto-detects the pose format by counting keypoint triplets in each label line.

• YOLO11 pose (17 keypoints): standard COCO order and skeleton.
• MPII pose (16 keypoints): 0 right ankle, 1 right knee, 2 right hip, 3 left hip, 4 left knee, 5 left ankle, 6 pelvis, 7 thorax, 8 upper neck, 9 head top, 10 right wrist, 11 right elbow, 12 right shoulder, 13 left shoulder, 14 left elbow, 15 left wrist.
• MPII skeleton connects right ankle -> right knee -> right hip -> pelvis -> left hip -> left knee -> left ankle, pelvis -> thorax, thorax -> shoulders -> elbows -> wrists, and thorax -> upper neck -> head top.

Interactions

Keyboard

• A: Previous image (wraps first -> last; saves current labels before switching).
• D: Next TODO image (saves current labels before switching). If no TODO images remain, it advances to the next image (wraps).
• Left / Right Arrow: Previous / next image (wraps first/last; saves current labels before switching).
• Home / End: Jump to the first / last image.
• PageUp / PageDown: Jump 100 images backward / forward.
• Esc or Ctrl + Z: Undo the last annotation edit (per image, up to 512 actions).
• Esc or Ctrl + Z when nothing to undo: Open the restore menu for initial/latest label history when both are available.
• Ctrl + D: Mark the current image as Done (auto-advance to next TODO).
• Ctrl + A: Mark the current image as TODO (auto-advance to next TODO).
• V: Cycle visibility of the active keypoint (0 -> 1 -> 2) and update its color.
• B: Cycle annotation color schemes.
• Z / C or Up / Down Arrow: Select previous / next object.
• X: Unselect keypoint (if selected) or unselect object (show all).
• Delete / F: Remove the selected keypoint or object; if nothing is selected, open the delete menu (all annotations or image + label files).
• + / E / - / Q: Increment/decrement the selected keypoint name (available IDs only), or increment/decrement the selected object class ID when no keypoint is selected.

Mouse

• Folder picker: Single click enters a folder; double click selects it.
• Left click: Select keypoint (positions magnifier) or bounding box (selection only).
• Left drag: Move the selected keypoint (positions magnifier).
• Left drag on empty space or bbox: Pan the view (positions magnifier).
• Drag bounding box corners: Resize the bounding box (bbox center cannot be dragged; does not reposition the magnifier).
• Drag bbox side anchors (shown when the side is long enough): Resize in a single dimension; the opposite side stays fixed.
• Shift + drag a bbox or crop corner: Resize while maintaining the original aspect ratio.
• Alt + left drag: Define or replace a crop area (applied on save when switching images).
• Drag crop corners: Resize the crop area.
• Ctrl + left drag: Create a new bounding box (uses the last selected class ID or 0).
• Ctrl + left click (no drag): Add a new keypoint to the selected object on release. It starts from the minimal available ID or from the next available ID above the last selected keypoint (disabled in Detection task).
• Right drag or Space + drag: Pan the view.
• Mouse wheel: Zoom (cursor-centered, only when over the image).
• Hover keypoint (canvas or magnifier): Show the keypoint name and visibility tooltip.
• Magnifier corners: Drag top-left to move (keeps resizing when it hits the right/bottom edge), drag bottom-right to resize (free aspect), click top-right to minimize and click the '+' to restore. Drag the minimized tile to reposition it.
• Double click: Center and unminimize the magnifier on the cursor.
• Click or drag outside the image: No action.

Touch

• Folder picker: Single tap enters a folder; double tap selects it.
• Swipe right: Previous image (wraps first -> last; saves current labels before switching, works outside the image too).
• Swipe left: Next image (wraps last -> first; saves current labels before switching, works outside the image too).
• Tap a bounding box: Select the object (selection only).
• Tap a keypoint: Select it and position the magnifier (does not unminimize).
• Drag a keypoint: Move the selected keypoint (positions magnifier).
• Drag a bounding box corner: Resize the bounding box without moving the magnifier.
• One-finger drag: Pan the view (positions magnifier).
• Pinch: Zoom in or out (centered on the pinch midpoint, only over the image).
• Pinch inside the magnifier: Zoom the magnifier view.
• Double tap: Center and unminimize the magnifier on the tap.
• Drag minimized magnifier: Reposition the minimized tile.
• Touch outside the image: No action.

UI

• The app opens with the project popup visible on start.
• The top-right Load button opens the popup with Images Dir and Labels Dir inputs.
• The Browse buttons open a dedicated folder picker overlay starting at the path in the field; single click/tap enters a folder and double click/tap selects it. Load warns if no images or labels are found.
• The Help button below Load opens a popup with usage instructions and shortcuts.
• The Del button below Help deletes the selection, or opens a delete menu when nothing is selected (image/label deletion archives originals in deleted subfolders).
• The Undo button below Del undoes the last annotation edit (same as Esc / Ctrl + Z, up to 512 actions per image).
• When nothing is left to undo, the Undo button opens a restore menu for initial/latest label history when both are available; restores are loaded into the editor and saved on the next save or image switch.
• The Mark button below Undo opens review controls for the current image or entire folder.
• The Crop button below Mark opens aspect choices (1:1, 1:2, 2:3, 3:4, 16:9) to auto-fit a crop around all annotations with up to 10% padding (reduced near borders).
• The Estm button below Crop estimates labels from up to 8 previous images using quadratic motion, replacing current labels.
• Current Done/TODO saves any unsaved edits before marking and advancing.
• The bottom-left Prev and bottom-right Next buttons switch images (wrap first/last; disabled when fewer than 2 images).
• Hovering over buttons shows a tooltip describing the action.
• Changes are saved automatically as soon as the image is changed. Undo works only within unsaved changes and keeps up to 512 actions per image.
• Recent folders appear as a dropdown suggestion for each directory field.
• The GoAnnotate title in the popup links to the project repository.
• Click the '+' on a minimized magnifier to restore it.
• The status panel lists File and Folder on the first two lines (each capped to the last 36 characters), then Index/TODO and Task, followed by Resolution/Zoom; the top-right anchor collapses the panel to a single-line summary; click again to restore it.
• The OSD Modified line shows both edit status and review status (TODO/Done).

Run

Requires Go 1.25+.

go run .

By default, the server listens on 127.0.0.1:8080. You can configure the address and port using the -ip and -port flags:

go run . -ip 0.0.0.0 -port 9090

To restrict all file access (browse/list/read/write/delete/review status) to a specific path, use the -data-root flag:

go run . -data-root C:\my\data\folder

Then open http://127.0.0.1:8080 (or your configured address) in your browser.

Tests

node tests/labels.test.js