ultralytics 8.3.180

v8.3.180 - `ultralytics 8.3.180` new `inference_features` method for SAM models (#21708)

on Python PyPI

🌟 Summary

SAM/SAM2 get a new feature-based inference path with standardized tensor outputs, smarter prompt scaling, and a cleaner API — making segmentation faster to integrate and more consistent end-to-end. 🚀

📊 Key Changes

• SAM/SAM2: Added inference_features API to run decoding directly from image features (no full image pass required) 🧠⚡
• Unified outputs: masks and scores now return torch.Tensor (instead of numpy) for consistent PyTorch workflows 🧱
• Improved prompt handling: _prepare_prompts now takes src_shape and dst_shape for accurate scaling across pipelines 🎯
• Refactor & cleanup: SAM2 duplicate prompt_inference path removed; shared feature-based logic used for both models 🧹
• New utilities:
  • _inference_features internal helpers for SAM and SAM2
  • Public inference_features returning masks and xyxy boxes with scores 📦
• Docs fixes and enhancements:
  • Corrected SAM predictor example labels format 📝
  • Added a Comet ML tutorial video for YOLO11 integration 🎥
• Downloader improvements: multi-threaded downloads show progress, clearer logs, and no curl dependency in VOC/VisDrone datasets 📥
• CI/Infra: actions/checkout updated to v5; SBOM generation made more reliable via a dedicated venv 🛠️

🎯 Purpose & Impact

• Faster pipelines and easier integration: Feature-level inference lets advanced users cache encoder outputs and run multiple prompt decodes without re-encoding images, reducing latency and compute costs 🚄
• More robust, less brittle code: Standardized tensor outputs simplify downstream processing, batching, and device management ✅
• Higher accuracy in prompt placement: Explicit source/destination shapes ensure prompts scale correctly, improving segmentation quality across varied image sizes 🎯
• Cleaner APIs for SAM/SAM2: Reduced duplication and consistent methods make it easier to build on top of SAM models and maintain custom workflows 🧩
• Better user experience: Clearer docs and examples reduce errors; improved download feedback and reliability save time and headaches ⏱️
• Stronger CI and compliance posture: Updated actions and SBOM workflow enhance build reliability and security readiness 🔒

What's Changed

• Fix Anchore SBOM action by @glenn-jocher in #21681
• Fix CI.md table by @glenn-jocher in #21683
• Add https://youtu.be/hfSK3Mk5P0I to docs by @RizwanMunawar in #21688
• Fix SAM Predictor example in docs by @Laughing-q in #21700
• Progress multi-thread downloads by @glenn-jocher in #21712
• Bump actions/checkout from 4 to 5 in /.github/workflows by @dependabot[bot] in #21717
• ultralytics 8.3.180 new inference_features method for SAM models by @Laughing-q in #21708

Full Changelog: v8.3.179...v8.3.180