diff --git a/scripts/brpy/__init__.py b/scripts/brpy/__init__.py
index bd9a37d..4060fbc 100644
--- a/scripts/brpy/__init__.py
+++ b/scripts/brpy/__init__.py
@@ -12,6 +12,14 @@ def _var_string_args(n):
 	s.extend(_string_args(n))
 	return s
 
+def _handle_string_func(func):
+    def call_func(*args):
+        howlong = func('', 0, *args)
+        msg = 'x'*(howlong-1)
+        func(msg, howlong, *args)
+        return msg
+    return call_func
+
 def init_brpy(br_loc='/usr/local/lib'):
     """Takes the ctypes lib object for br and initializes all function inputs and outputs"""
     br_loc += '/libopenbr.%s'
@@ -48,9 +56,14 @@ def init_brpy(br_loc='/usr/local/lib'):
     br.br_is_classifier.restype = c_bool
     br.br_make_mask.argtypes = _string_args(3)
     br.br_make_pairwise_mask.argtypes = _string_args(3)
-    br.br_most_recent_message.restype = c_char_p
-    br.br_objects.argtypes = _string_args(2) + [c_bool]
-    br.br_objects.restype = c_char_p
+    br.br_most_recent_message.argtypes = [c_char_p, c_int]
+    br.br_most_recent_message.restype = c_int
+    func = br.br_most_recent_message.__call__
+    br.br_most_recent_message = _handle_string_func(func)
+    br.br_objects.argtypes = [c_char_p, c_int] + _string_args(2) + [c_bool]
+    br.br_objects.restype = c_int
+    func2 = br.br_objects.__call__
+    br.br_objects = _handle_string_func(func2)
     br.br_plot.argtypes = plot_args
     br.br_plot.restype = c_bool
     br.br_plot_detection.argtypes = plot_args
@@ -61,7 +74,10 @@ def init_brpy(br_loc='/usr/local/lib'):
     br.br_plot_metadata.restype = c_bool
     br.br_progress.restype = c_float
     br.br_read_pipe.argtypes = [c_char_p, POINTER(c_int), POINTER(POINTER(c_char_p))]
-    br.br_scratch_path.restype = c_char_p
+    br.br_scratch_path.argtypes = [c_char_p, c_int]
+    br.br_scratch_path.restype = c_int
+    func3 = br.br_scratch_path.__call__
+    br.br_scratch_path = _handle_string_func(func3)
     br.br_sdk_path.restype = c_char_p
     br.br_get_header.argtypes = [c_char_p, POINTER(c_char_p), POINTER(c_char_p)]
     br.br_set_header.argtypes = _string_args(3)
@@ -88,11 +104,15 @@ def init_brpy(br_loc='/usr/local/lib'):
     br.br_img_channels.restype = c_int
     br.br_img_is_empty.argtypes = [c_void_p]
     br.br_img_is_empty.restype = c_bool
-    br.br_get_filename.argtypes = [c_void_p]
-    br.br_get_filename.restype = c_char_p
+    br.br_get_filename.argtypes = [c_char_p, c_int, c_void_p]
+    br.br_get_filename.restype = c_int
+    func4 = br.br_get_filename.__call__
+    br.br_get_filename = _handle_string_func(func4)
     br.br_set_filename.argtypes = [c_void_p, c_char_p]
-    br.br_get_metadata_string.argtypes = [c_void_p, c_char_p]
-    br.br_get_metadata_string.restype = c_char_p
+    br.br_get_metadata_string.argtypes = [c_char_p, c_int, c_void_p, c_char_p]
+    br.br_get_metadata_string.restype = c_int
+    func5 = br.br_get_metadata_string.__call__
+    br.br_get_metadata_string = _handle_string_func(func5)
     br.br_enroll_template.argtypes = [c_void_p]
     br.br_enroll_template.restype = c_void_p
     br.br_enroll_template_list.argtypes = [c_void_p]