Graybox Tool

Use the graybox tool to define an area on the form to evaluate for the presence of data, to define the precise location and size of the graybox area, and for archiving an image clip. If you installed the RealTime Character Recognition optional component, you can define ICR/OCR Parameters and scan a recognition test sheet.

NOTE: Graybox is an imaging function that cannot be used on OMR scanners. A graybox requires Enable image to be turned on in the Application Settings dialog box for the side of the sheet where the graybox is located.

Grayboxes and RealTime Character Recognition utilizing NestorReader

You can develop applications with the optional RealTime Character Recognition component and then either run with a version of ScanTools without that component or run with an OMR scanner. The ICR/OCR functions will automatically be reset to the ScanTools environment:

ICR/OCR grayboxes will be handled as standard grayboxes.
Character recognition specific settings will be disregarded.

Graybox Evaluate vs Clip Regions

The area on the form that will be evaluated for the presence of data is called the evaluate region. The area on the form that will be archived or displayed in the post-scan editor is called the clip region.

The result of the evaluation for the presence of data can be used to:

For both Standard and ICR/OCR Grayboxes: Archive a clip of the area only if data is present, using enable conditional clipping for image archiving as described below. The cutoff value defined in the graybox tool dialog box determines how significant a mark within this area must be to be considered data for conditional clipping.
For Standard Grayboxes: Present this area for key entry in the post-scan editor using a graybox edit. The graybox threshold defined in the graybox edit is used to determine how significant a mark within this area must be to be considered data for presenting to the post-scan editor.
For ICR/OCR Grayboxes: Determine whether ICR/OCR data is present using the cutoff value. If data is present and RealTime Character Recognition utilizing NestorReader is installed, the recognition engine returns either the highest confidence character according to the ICR/OCR Parameters defined or an asterisk if the confidence level is not met. The post-scan editor, using a graybox edit, displays the clipped image plus the highest confidence character or an asterisk or a space, depending on the graybox edit parameters.

NOTE:For grayboxes, the same edit type must be used at both scan-time and at post-scan editing.

Defining the evaluation region

There are two ways to define an evaluation region for a standard graybox or an ICR/OCR graybox:

Draw the graybox in the grid definition area – If you have a background form image displayed in the grid definition area, move the mouse pointer to a corner of the area where you want to define the graybox, hold the left mouse button down and drag the pointer to the opposite corner of the graybox. When you release the left mouse button, a blue box is displayed showing you the border of the graybox. If you do not have a background form image to display in the grid definition area, we suggest you draw a box on your form to outline the area and then scan to define the location in the grid definition area.
Use the grid measurement dialog box to enter the exact size and location of the evaluation region. You can define region size by response position location (Cell/TM method), in thousandths of an inch or hundredths of a millimeter, or by a combination (Hybrid) method.

TIP: If you are using absolute units of measurement (.001 in or .01 mm) and your application settings include either enable ScanFlex or OMR/merge horizontal adjustment, it may be helpful to define a larger region to accommodate image skew.

Defining the clip region

The clip region for a standard graybox or an ICR/OCR graybox is automatically defined when you define the evaluation region. By default, it is identical to the evaluation region. If desired, you can redefine a clip region so that it is different in size or shape than the evaluation region. There are two ways to do this:

Click+drag in the Grid Definition Area :
- New graybox (not yet appended): While pressing the CTRL key, move the mouse pointer to a corner of the desired clip region, hold the left mouse button down, and drag the pointer to the opposite corner of the desired clip region.
- Existing graybox (already appended): Select the graybox and then select Edit Selected Grid. While pressing the CTRL key, move the mouse pointer to a corner of the desired clip region, hold the left mouse button down, and drag the pointer to the opposite corner of the desired clip region.

Use the Grid Measurement dialog box to enter the exact size and location of the clip region. You can define region size by response position location (Cell/TM method), in thousandths of an inch or hundredths of a millimeter, or by a combination (Hybrid) method.

A graybox evaluation region and clip region must both be on the same side of the sheet.

NOTE: When ScanTools Plus takes a clip of an ICR/OCR graybox for use in the editor, ScanTools Plus will also save phantom clips for each resolved ICR/OCR character. However, if the defined clip region does not fully encompass the evaluation region, phantom clips will not be saved for that ICR/OCR graybox.

What's on the screen?

Use this element…	…to…
Output Length	Enter the number of bytes to reserve in the output record for data derived from the graybox.
Cutoff	Enter the cutoff value. The cutoff value has several functions: To increase the speed of data evaluation. Because evaluating a graybox is a compute-intensive operation, evaluation of a graybox region stops as soon as the graybox cutoff value has been reached. To determine how significant a mark within the evaluation area must be in order to be considered data for conditional clipping. To determine the presence of ICR/OCR data. When ICR/OCR Graybox Resolution is selected and the optional RealTime Character Recognition component is installed, the graybox is sent to the recognition engine if the graybox value is equal to or greater than the Cutoff Value. ICR/OCR data is considered to be "not present" if the value is less than the Cutoff Value. Valid values are 0 - 15. 0 (zero) always produces data. 1 - 15, 1 causes very light marks to produce data, 15 requires very dark marks to produce data. CAUTION: The Cutoff Value should not be less than the Graybox Threshold in a graybox edit or the edit will prevent data from ever being appearing in the post-scan editor.
Enable Conditional Clipping for Image Archive	Specify to archive this graybox: Check this box to archive this graybox clip region only if it contains data (as determined by the Cutoff Value). Clear this box to archive this graybox clip region whether it contains data or not. Conditional clipping is supported by both scan-time (iNAME) and post-scan image archiving. NOTE: Clipping for edit failures overrides conditional clipping for image archiving. If a graybox edit produces a clip, the clip will be archived, whether Conditional Clipping is enabled or not. What is archiving? (missing or bad snippet) See Document and Sheet Properties Dialog - Clips Tab or iNAME Configuration Dialog for more details on image archiving.
Resolution	Specify how data in the graybox is resolved: Standard Graybox – data in this area is resolved using standard graybox data detection. During scanning, the graybox area will be evaluated for the presence or absence of data using the cutoff value. Any grids using this resolution are listed as Graybox. ICR/OCR Graybox – data in this area is resolved using character recognition. This option is available only if the optional component RealTime Character Recognition utilizing NestorReader is installed. Selecting this option enables the ICR/OCR Parameters button, allowing you to define characteristics to use for character recognition. During scanning, the image of the written (ICR) or machine-printed (OCR) characters in the graybox evaluateion area is submitted to the installed character recognition engine. The recognition engine returns the highest confidence character as data or an asterisk if the confidence level is not met. Any grids using this resolution are listed as Graybox (OCR). CAUTION: If you change the resolution of a graybox from ICR/OCR Graybox to Standard Graybox, all currently defined ICR/OCR Parameters are deleted. . NOTE: You cannot define an ICR/OCR graybox without having installed the optional full-function RealTime Character Recognition component on your machine. However, if RealTime Character Recognition is not installed on your machine, you can change the resolution of an ICR/OCR Graybox to Standard Graybox.
Unit of Measurement	(missing or bad snippet)
OCR/ICR Parameters	Define character recognition parameters. The character recognition component uses the defined parameters on the image of the written or machine printed characters in the graybox area. See ICR/OCR Parameters for details. NOTE: This option is available only if the optional component RealTime Character Recognition is installed and the graybox resolution selected is ICR/OCR.
Edit Selected Grid	(missing or bad snippet)
Clip Attributes	(missing or bad snippet)
Grid Measurement	(missing or bad snippet)
Test Recognition	View character recognition results of a sample scanned sheet containing hand-written or machine-print characters. NOTE: This test is available only if the optional component RealTime Character Recognition is installed and the graybox resolution selected is ICR/OCR. This requires an image scanner.

Graybox Tool

How do I…