Professional Documents
Culture Documents
User guide
2013
Table of Contents
ChronoScan Capture allows you to configure advanced applications for document scanning and data capture.
Multiple OCR engines
Advanced user interface.
Automatic learning of user actions for generating templates for different document types.
The ChronoScan team thanks you for trying or using ChronoScan.
Our main goal is to create the best Scanner Control & Data Input solution in the world and make it accessible to
everybody that needs to input data on a regular basis.
Feel free to contact us with any question or suggestion regarding chronoscan@chronoscan.org. All e-mails are
human processed, and you can talk directly with the Development team to ask questions or make suggestions.
Technical Support
There is a support forum open and free to everybody, here you can ask or find specific questions, not only related
to ChronoScan but also about image processing, scanning or data input. Registered users also receive a direct
support e-mail to ask questions to the development team.
ChronoScan Support Forum
For every processed document we want to get a csv file named with the Inv.No:
106673N.csv
And with the detail lines:
"Invoice Date","Line No","Location","Part
Number","Description","Description_PartNumber","Ordered","B.O.","Supplied","Unit
List","Unit Net","GST Code","Total"
Inv No
We are going to use Inv No. to generate the output csv file name.
Date
You will learn how to configure the grid module for details line capture on multiple pages.
Custom column processing
We will create a custom column to extract data from a multi-line column
Split page rows
------------------------
Fast creation mode allows you to select the new field name from the OCR text, and create then, the zone.
A barcode is an optical machine-readable representation of data relating to the object to which it is attached.
(Wikipedia).
Barcodes are optimized to be safe and quickly readable, use it whenever you can to read the data stored on it.
Patch Codes are a type of Barcode that are commonly used to send commands to the program, such as end of
document, number of pages per document, or scan depth change. Which will use PatchCodes to set data for the
documents scanned after it (for example set document type or other fields to a value).
Jobs
A Job in ChronoScan is a set of settings that refer to a specific set of documents that share input data fields,
scan settings, and final store destination.
Good samples are Received Invoices, delivery notes from the supplier
Document Fields for an example Barcode Job:
Batches
A Batch is a particular instance of a Job, (for example January Invoices, February Invoices and so on) that belong
to a received invoice Job.
The job/batch structure is the most used in data entry and scan programs to improve performance and minimize
system configuration.
Job AIRBUS contains seven Batches:
Inputs
In ChronoScan, an Input refers to an input module that adds Images or data to a particular Batch. The standard
inputs are:
Import Images, import images from disk files:
Import PDF: import PDF files even if they are text based PDFs (not images):
TWAIN Scanner: scan images from any TWAIN compatible scanner or camera.
Outputs
An output refers to the final destination of the images and data created with ChronoScan, in ChronoScan you define
an Output as the format of the exported items plus its final destination (storage). For example: TIFF files stored to
local disk, PDF files stored to SharePoint Server, XML file stored in a FTP server.
ChronoScan can produce more than one output at the same time when you export a Batch. You can also use the
captured data to generate file names or directory structures or export it to XML,CSV, ODBC, and other data formats.
Gets the documents from the source module (PDF Text) and sends them to FTP
Send converted input (PDF Text) to local disk
Documents
Documents are a basic structure in ChronoScan, defined as a set of images and input data plus an arbitrary
number of Data Fields defined by the user.
Documents may or may not have a Document Type assigned - assign a Document Type to a document if you
want ChronoScan to remember OCR zones from it.
OCR Zones for Capture Fields
Extract line details for documents with the Grid OCR Control
Document Type
Document Type refers to a Kind of Document. The kind of document is determined by physical similarities
found in those documents. This is done manually, by computer vision algorithms, or OCR triggers. Document
type will always save its information in the "Collaboration document type" field of the Job. If you want to
automatically recognize types, ensure that you always have one "Collaboration document type" field.
Data Fields
Data Fields allows the user to assign values to a Document, the data fields can be text, lists, and numbers,
amounts or dates. The user can manually enter data on Data Fields, assign a default value or read it from OCR
Zones or Barcodes.
Allows you to set properties for the data field. You can set data type, set input mask, sticky values and
even program VBScripts to extend ChronoScan capabilities.
OCR Zone
The OCR Zone is a defined area on a page of a document of known Type; OCR Zones can be Text, Numbers,
amounts, or dates.
The data extracted from an OCR Zone can be assigned to a Data Field of the Document
You can set up OCR Zone basic properties with the context menu, click on Advanced properties to see
advanced options for the Zone:
OCR Triggers
The OCR Trigger is an action associated with an existing text or regular expression on the document.
Actions for triggers are:
Trigger search something similar to "Invoice No." and create a position reference for OCR Zones.
When you reference OCR zones to a floating trigger you will see link arrows indicating the position
reference:
This allows you to control the trigger activation. You can include some words or regular expressions to
search, when the text or regexp is found, the trigger is activated.
You can include different strings/regexp on the same trigger using a semicolon (;) as string separator
(ex: NR. 4;NR. 5)
Fuzzines mean the error margin you allow for the searched text, 0, means that the strings must be
equal, > 0 is fuzzines force, more fuzzines allows more differences on the comparasion.
Trigger actions
This allows you to set the actions for the trigger. You can also set the document type for the document
if the trigger is positive.
Main actions are:
Trigger options
Capture Grid
Grid Menu
Allows to move and set options of the Grid, basic options are:
In with pages the grid is used
Triggers to start/end grid
Grid limits
1. -The first thing you need to start scanning or import images is to create a batch of a determined Job type.
If you don't have any Job type defined, use the Job Wizard to create a new one. Let's look step by step:
2.- On the New Batch Window use the Job Wizard to create a new Job Type:
3.- Insert a Job name that describes the type of job you want to do:
4.- Select the main options for the Job. If you want to read barcodes from your documents, activate Barcode
Reading: to define OCR zones, activate detect document type.
To select basic options for document split, ChronoScan needs to know where the documents end, the basic
options are:
Single Image Documents If your documents are one single image, click on this button. Every image
added to ChronoScan will be a Document.
Multi-Image Documents If your documents have more than one image, click here and select one of
these options:
Split manually All the pages scanned are inserted into a unique document; you will split the
documents later on the ChronoScan viewer.
Split each 'x' images If your documents have all the same number of pages, select this option
and you will be prompted for that number when you click 'next'.
Split when a valid Barcode is Found Every time ChronoScan reads a barcode it creates a
new document; use it if the first page of your document contains a barcode.
New document On PATCHCODE found If you want to split the documents on Pathcodes,
select this option. Print a couple of Patchcodes and insert them between your documents to
automatically split the documents on scan.
5.- Define the fields for your Job - you can use the default fields or insert your own - thses fields allow you to
associate data to every one of your documents and use it to be exported, name the files, and set metadata/
bookmarks on PDF files.
6.- Finally, define which kind of file format and file destination you want for your documents:
Now you have a Job Type to start to scan and process images, when you click 'finish', you will see the active
Create Batch button. Click on it to create a new Batch with the name you desire. You can create all the
Batches you want with the same Job configuration:
Import configuration
Input configurations can be saved with different names, and allow you to configure your input options.
Import: "tiff images import" button
This button will open a file explorer on the current input directory.
Barcode Reading
ChronoScan allows you to capture barcodes from the imported images. Click on "Barcode Read"->"Activate
barcode read" to set up basic barcode options.
Select the barcode types you want to read and set the length of the barcode
Sample read barcode
You can use PatchCodes or Barcodes to split your documents. Keep in mind that PatchCode and barcode
splitters are deleted after read. If you want to preserve the splitter image use "Barcode Read" options instead of
Document Split.
A PatchCode is a page with an optimized barcode that allows you to split your documents or execute actions
while scanning:
Usually, you will print a big set of PatchCodes and insert them between your pages to tell ChronoScan where the
different documents start.
Also you can use a custom barcode with a specific value to act as a document separator.
Processing Batches
This section will cover all the processing topics.
Exporting Batches
Exporting Batches is the process of converting and sending the documents and data on ChronoScan to its output
destination.
Conversion Module
This kind of module converts images or data to a specific file Format. For example, you can scan tiff images,
but you want to generate PDF text files.
Export Module
Get the result of an Output Converter and send it to a specific destination such as disk files, Sharepoint Server
or Cloud Server (Google docs, Dropbox)
When you finish scanning or processing your Batch , you want to get the result. This is done through the
Export Batch button on the main ribbon, or in the small CD on the Batches Panel:
When you click Export Batch on the ribbon, you will see the Execute output window. In this window you can
configure ChronoScan to produce your desired output.
You can link any number of modules to get your results. For example, you can create a configuration that
converts to TIFF and PDF and sends the TIFF to Alfresco, and the PDF to GDrive and local disk.
Conversion Modules:
Convert your batch images and data to a determined format. Typical formats are:
For images and OCR:
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
For data:
1. XML Format
2. TXT or CSV Format
3. Send data to external database (through ODBC)
Keep in mind that you can add specific configuration for every conversion in the export. For example, you can
export your images to PDF with two different resolutions.
Output Modules:
Get the result of the conversion module and send it to a final destination.
Typical final destinations are:
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
FTP
Local or network hard drives
Sharepoint (tm)
Alfresco
CMIS Servers
Google Drive
Add a conversion and output module
This option will show a wizard that allows you to select a conversion format plus an output module and
add both to the current configuration.
Link a conversion or output module
to the selected module
This option allows you to link a conversion or an output module to the selected module..
Modules in the Job output
Here you can select the modules on the Output configuration. When a module is selected the modules
panel shows its preview and options.
Save button
CMIS Module allows ChronoScan to export processed files and metadata to any CMIS compatible server, like
Alfresco or FileNet, for a complete list of CMIS compatible modules see: CMIS Servers (Wikipedia)
The CMIS module configuration is availaible on the Execute output utility:
Set the URL of your CMIS repository and your connection credentials.
Server Explore
Allows you to check the connection to the CMIS / Alfresco server and select the main output folder.
Document destination
This section allows you to set the final document/records destination. ChronoScan will try to create the
full Path if it doesn't exist. You can nest all the levels you want. Select the variables you want to use to
generate the destination of your documents.
You can also set the type of uploaded documents with Set ObjectTypeId. Make sure to use a valid ID
type using the CMIS Workbench.
Metadata asignment
This section allows you to set the metadata of the uploaded document, add all aspects/properties you
want, and assign the values using the variables Wizard (Click on the ... button that appears when you
edit one of the fields).
date
int
long
decimal
To use the cast qualifier, write the data type before the value plus with a colon ":" Example:
dynamic:property16
date:%docfield.Capture Date%
CMIS Workbench
We recommend the Apache Chemistry (TM) CMIS Workbench to explore your CMIS server, with the CMIS
workbench you can view your document types, properties and aspects as they are exposed to CMIS.
Apache Chemistry download page
Login Page:
Using ChronoScan
Batches Panel
The Batches panel allows you to view all your Batches and their status with an bird's eye view. It also allows
you to execute operations in selected batches at the same time.
Click on the column's name to sort by specific column.
Use Ctrl+Click to select more than one batch.
Batches Toolbar
From Left to Right:
Open Batch
Process selected batches
Export selected batches
Delete selected batches
Batches Columns
From Left to Right:
Click on the magnifier to view details of the executed export and review the output.
Scripting Model
This section includes the documentation for all the available Objects for the VBScripting of ChronoScan.
Objects
Scripting Objects
ChronoApp
Allows you to access to the ChronoScan application object.
Methods:
Returns
Description
Method
Parameters:
String
GetVariableValue
String
variable
Requested
variable
to
ChronoScan,
for
example
"station_id"
You
can
see
a
complete
variable
list
in
the
variables
wizard
window
of
ChronoScan.
Return
value
for
the
selected
variable.
Parameters:
void
AddToOutputWindow
String
value
Add
the
string
to
the
ChronoScan
trace
window.
ADO.Connection
Parameters:
CreateAdoDBConnection
connectString
ADODB
String
connection.
Take
a
look
at
this
good
article
by
Carlos
Antollini
to
configure
your
DSN.
usrId,
optional
username
if
you
don't
set
it
on
your
DSN
usrPwd,
optional
password
if
you
don't
set
it
on
your
DSN.
Returns
a
connection
to
a
database,
ChronoScan
will
maintain
this
database
open
for
you,
don't
call
mydb.Close
Parameters:
ADO.Connection
GetChronoScanDBConnection
name
Name
of
the
database
connection
on
the
ChronoScan
database
manager.
usrId,
optional
username
if
you
don't
set
it
on
your
DSN
usrPwd,
optional
password
if
you
don't
set
it
on
your
DSN.
Returns
a
connection
to
a
database,
ChronoScan
will
maintain
this
database
open
for
you,
don't
call
mydb.Close
Create
ChronoBatch
CreateBatch
a
new
Batch:
String
JobName
String
BatchName
or
blank
to
use
default
name
If
batch
name
already
exist
it
is
returned.
Parameters:
String
cmdline_GetValue
String
KeyName,
the
name
of
the
key
to
be
retrieved
Returns
the
value
of
the
command
line
key.
Ex:
ChronoScan.Exe
vbs:"testscript.vbs"
mykey:"c:
\myprocdir"
ChronoApp.AddToOutputWindow
"My
process
dir
is
"
&
ChronoApp.cmdline_GetValue("mykey")
SHORT
Parameters:
cmdline_HasKey
String
KeyName,
the
name
of
the
key
to
be
check
Returns
1
if
the
key
exist
on
the
command
line,
or
0
elsewhere.
SHORT
Parameters:
cmdline_HasVal
String
KeyName,
the
name
of
the
key
to
be
check
Returns
1
if
the
key
exist
and
has
value
on
the
command
line,
or
0
elsewhere.
UserField
You will receive one UserField object for every user field in your job when personalizing document Scripts.
Properties:
Type
Description
Method
Allows
Value
String
you
to
set
the
user
field
value
Set
ValidateStatus
bool
it
to
1
or
0:
1
means
that
the
value
of
this
field
is
correct
0
means
that
the
value
of
this
field
is
incorrect
Keep
in
mind
that
script
validation
overrides
normal
app
validation
rules.
void
Message
ValidateMessage
to
show
to
the
user
when
the
value
of
the
field
is
incorrect.
Methods:
Returns
Description
Method
Force
Validate
short
the
document
to
"revalidate",
for
example
for
calculated
fields.
Parameters:
SetDefaultValue
void
String
value
New
default
value
for
the
field.
Parameters:
HelpList_AddValue
short
String
Value
to
add
to
the
list
Return
value
index
DocType
You will receive one DocType on your script when personalizing document Scripts.
Methods:
Type
Description
Method
Parameters
RenameType
void
newname
The
new
name
for
the
type
Rename
the
current
type.
Parameters
SetFieldDefaultValueForType
void
fieldname
Name
of
the
field
value
Value
for
the
field
when
this
type
is
set.
Set
default
field
value
for
this
type.
Thses
values
will
be
set
when
the
Document
Type
is
assigned
or
manually
set
to
a
document.
ChronoBatch
Allows you to access to the ChronoScan application object.
Methods:
Returns
Description
Method
long
Parameters:
GetDocCount
Return
String
GetName
Batch
Name
String
Return
GetJobName
Job
Name
Short
Parameters:
ExecuteInputModule
modname:
image_files
(import
image
files)
pdf_files
(import
PDF
files
with
text
extraction
and
image
conversion)
modparams:
ConfigName#parameter=value#parameter=value
Allowed
parameters
of
pdf_files
module:
directory
=
c:
\temp
extensions
=
*.pdf
|
onlythisfile.pdf
|
*.pdf;*.pdfx
finddirs
=
true|
false
textread
=
true|
false
pagestoextract
=
extracmode
=
0
(images)
|
1
(convert
to
image)
resolution
=
96|
120|
150|
200|
300|
400|
600
colortype
=
0
(black
and
white)
|
1
(color)
splitonfile
=
true|
false
splitondir
=
true|
false
orientateauto
=
true|
false
deleteonimport
=
true|
false
renameimportfile
=
sav
movetofolder
=
<c:
\process_folder>
or
<
\process_folder>
for_fast_text_processing
=
1
(speed
up
text
extraction,
warning:
setting
this
parameter
to
1
means
that
image
quality
will
be
lower)
debug
=
1
(allows
to
view
the
import
options
before
import)
Allowed
parameters
of
image_files
module:
directory
=
c:
\temp
filename
=
*
extension
=
*
finddirs
=
true|
false
splitonfile
=
true|
false
splitondir
=
true|
false
importfromlastfile
=
true|
false
deleteonimport
=
true|
false
renameimportfile
=
sav
movetofolder
=
<c:
\process_folder>
or
<
\process_folder>
debug
=
1
(allows
to
view
the
import
options
before
import)
Parameters:
Short
ExecuteProcess
operations:
CROP
DESKEW
OCR
PRETRIGGERS
TYPEDETECT
FIELDREAD
XGRIDREAD
EXPORTBATCH
BEEP
SENDMAIL
Use ;
to
execute
more
than
one
operation
at
once
(ex:
DESKEW;OCR)
If
empty
will
use
the
configured
options
on
the
Batch.
Short
Save
Save
Changes
on
the
Batch
Short
Empty
DeleteAllDocuments
the
Batch
This sample will search the Document_Type on an external database and lookup 2 fields, if the value doesn't
exist it will set the field to error status.
Dim SQLString
' Create a database connection,
Set MyDB =
ChronoApp.CreateAdoDBConnection("Provider=Microsoft.ACE.OLEDB.12.0;Data Source=C:
\Dbs\suppliers.mdb;Persist Security Info=False;", "", "")
Else
Loop
UserField_Document_Type.HelpList_Populate()
Loop
x=x+1
Notes:
MyDatabase - A database connection created on the adminitration tab
Suppliers - The table on the remote database
AccountRef - The column on the remote database
UserField_Document_Type - The script name of the ChronoScan field you want to
validate.
ChronoScan allows user to access command line parameters from the VBScript, this allows the user to use
command line to personalize tasks.
Use this function of the main object ChronoApp to access command line:
cmdline_GetValue
cmdline_HasKey
cmdline_HasVal
click here for further view
Examples:
Executing import from in a custom directory:
ChronoScan.exe -vbs:"myscript.vbs" -workdir:"c:\myworkdir"
myscript.vbs:
WorkDir = ChronoApp.cmdline_GetValue("workdir")
...
Batch.ExecuteInputModule "pdf_files", "PDF document Import#directory="&workdir
...
ChronoScan Personalization
Key
Description
Allows
general/
to
apptitle
change
the
application
title
values:
general/
true
showlogin
|
false
Allows
to
avoid
the
login
screen
optional
general/
ChronoScan
loginuser
user
optional
general/
ChronoScan
loginpassword
password
values:
general/
true
usermode
|
false
Run
ChronoScan
in
user
mode
(true)
or
administrator
mode
(false)
empty
general/
or
input_module_active
INPUTMODULES_FILES
or
INPUTMODULES_FILES_PDF
or
INPUTMODULES_DEMOIMGS
or
INPUTMODULES_TWAIN
optional
Specify
the
default
input
module
empty
general/
or
input_module_showonly
INPUTMODULES_FILES
or
INPUTMODULES_FILES_PDF
or
INPUTMODULES_DEMOIMGS
or
INPUTMODULES_TWAIN
optional
Allows
only
to
select
the
specified
module
optional
splash/
Path
showlogo
to
a
logo
to
show
on
the
splash
screen.
parameters:
actions/
job="JOBNAME"
openbatch
batch="BATCHNAME"
optional
Allows
to
open
a
batch
directly
parameters:
tabs/
show="true"|"false"
scan_tab
optional
Show
or
hide
the
scan
tab
parameters:
tabs/
show="true"|"false"
index_tab
optional
Show
or
hide
the
index
tab
parameters:
tabs/
show="true"|"false"
admin_tab
optional
Show
or
hide
the
administration
tab
parameters:
ribbon
show_ids="true"|"false"
optional
When
true
run
ChronoScan
in
a
special
mode
that
show
button
id's
on
his
label/
tooltip
The
button
Id
is
on
the
left,
if
the
button
is
already
hidden,
the
hidden
tag
is
added.
Use
the
botton
id
on
the
hide_control
nodes
to
hide
buttons.
ribbon/
parameters:
hide_control
id="1560"
Hide
the
specified
control
id
(see
prev
section
to
find
button
id's)
panels/
Reset
resettodefault
panel
configuration
to
defaults
every
type
the
application
is
run.
Sample customization file:
<panels>
<resettodefault>true</resettodefault>
</panels>
</chrono_custom>
Function
Key
Yoggle
T
view
Titles
mode
Space
Toggle
Bar
selection
on
focused
Item
Ctrl
Clear
+
Selection
Q
Ctrl
Select
+
All
A
Items
Rotate
Selected
Items
CounterClockwise
(Left)
Rotate
T
Selected
Items
Clockwise
(Right)
Selected
X
Items
become
first
pages
of
new
Documents
Delete
Del
Selected
Items
Move
W
selection
to
the
left,
adding
to
the
previous
document
if
necessary
Move
R
selection
to
the
right,
adding
to
the
next
document
as
first
page
if
necessary
Change
Mouse
Mode
(rotate,
split,
delete
)
On the Grid and on the Input Form
Function
Key
Zoom
Ctrl
+Width
+
Ctrl
Zoom
+
Height
Ctrl
Zoom
+
Top
9
image
area
Ctrl
Zoom
+
Middle
6
image
area
Zoom
Ctrl
+
Bottom
3
image
area
Ctrl
Zoom
+
on
7,8,4,5,1,2
different
areas
of
the
image
based
on
its
correspondence
with
location
on
number
pad
layout
(try
it!)
Next
TAB
Field
Shift
Previous
+TAB
Field
Next
Return
Field
Next
PagUp
document
Previous
PagDown
document