Xtractor Designer Advanced User Manual

Transcription

1 Xtractor Designer Advanced User Manual Version 6.1 DocuPhase Corporation 1499 Gulf to Bay Boulevard, Clearwater, FL Tel: (727) Fax: (727) Web:

2 Copyright , DocuPhase Corporation, All rights reserved. All rights reserved. No part of the contents of this publication may be reproduced, transmitted, transcribed, stored in a retrieval system, or translated into any language in any form without written consent from DocuPhase Corporation. This software product, including the manual and media, is copyrighted and contains proprietary information that is subject to change without notice. The software may be used or copied only in accordance with the terms of the license agreement. DocuPhase is a registered trademark of DocuPhase Corporation. All other trademarks are acknowledged as the exclusive property of their respective owners. Version Xtractor Advanced User Manual 6.1 Page 2 of 59

3 Table of Contents Introduction... 5 Welcome to Xtractor!... 5 Purpose and Assumptions... 6 Foundational Terminology... 7 Client Support Services Contact Information... 9 Xtractor Product Overview Data Extraction OCR Barcodes Zone Recognition Subpage Processing Recognition Zones Defined Cover Page Handling Options Xtractor Designer Interface Xtractor Main Menu Xtractor Toolbar Xtractor Workspace Viewer Xtractor Image Viewer Xtractor Administration Workspace Hierarchy Workspace Definition Configuration Workspace Properties Configuration Project Properties Configuration Template and Image Processing Properties Template Processing Properties Image Processing Properties Recognition Template Selection Template Routing Template Zone Properties Date Properties Barcode Zone Properties Barcode Zone Definitions Document Separator Tab Modifications Tab OCR Machine Zone Properties Xtractor Advanced User Manual 6.1 Page 3 of 59

4 OCR Machine Definitions OCR Character Set Document Separator Tab Modifications Tab Validation Tab Working with Xtractor Creating an Image Template Open the sample TIFF image using Xtractor Defining Recognition Zones Testing the recognition zones Saving the image template Using Xtractor to Process DocuPhase Documents Appendix A: Xtractor Installation Prerequisites & Minimum Requirements Xtractor Login Appendix B Routing Template Appendix C Split then Index Template Appendix D Index then Split Template Appendix E Selection Template Appendix F: Routing Documents to Xtractor Xtractor Advanced User Manual 6.1 Page 4 of 59

5 Introduction Welcome to Xtractor! Xtractor is the Barcode and OCR recognition Engine or the DocuPhase content management product suite that extracts and applies data from TIFF images and PDF imaged files produced by scanning paper documents. Xtractor has an interactive designer component that is used to establish zones within the pages of TIFF documents where OCR/Barcode technology can be applied to read essential information used to identify document types and index fields of the document being processed. Xtractor can also be used to process PDF files produced by a paper-document scanner. Xtractor s document capture features include image enhancement controls, correction tools and color image support to assure the quality of scanned documents and to improve the accuracy of returned results. The enhancement functions also minimize the file size of scanned documents which increases the number of documents that can be saved in the available capacity for DocuPhase-Repository storage. The Xtractor Service runs in the background, behind the scenes, to process TIFF documents by applying the Xtractor definitions and OCR/Barcode technology. Xtractor can process single-page and multi-page TIFF documents as well as split compound TIFF documents separating them into multiple separate documents each with their own set of index values. Xtractor can also process certain types of Portable Document Format (PDF) files that are produced by scanners. Although the PDF file-format is covered by standards, there are two types of PDF document-format files: Image-Based PDF Files PDF files that are produced by scanning paper documents to create a document file composed of image pages. They may also be single-page or multiple-page TIFF/PDFs. Text-Based PDF Files PDF files that are produced by PDF authoring tools that contain text content which may also contain image objects such as illustrations, pictures and screenshots. They may also be single-document or multiple-document PDFs. Although Xtractor has a Designer s interactive User Interface, operationally Xtractor also runs as a background service processing and indexing Image-Based PDF and TIFF documents. Functionally, idox and Xtractor both locate and extract information from the document files they process in the background, but each processes its own specific types of files: The DocuPhase Xtractor product is used to process TIFF image files and Image-Based PDF files. The DocuPhase idox product is designed to process Text-Based PDF Files. The Image-Based PDF files are converted and handled as TIFF format documents as they are processed by Xtractor. Both the idox and Xtractor services are able to receive their appropriate documents after capture as configured by assigned routing codes at the appropriate time. Xtractor Advanced User Manual 6.1 Page 5 of 59

6 This allows their configured designs to process each document as they receive it Performing fully-automatic OCR/Barcode recognition to Locate, Index and Split Documents as well as to further route documents to the Data Exchange service that performs configured database lookups in the background for additional fullyautomatic Indexing of the captured documents in DocuPhase. Purpose and Assumptions This manual has been written for the advanced Administrator and Designer user to prepare them to design and configure the Xtractor product using the interactive Xtractor design interface tool to recognize and process different types of TIFF documents and Image-Based PDF documents automatically as a background service. The following are assumptions made with regard to the reading audience for this guide: The reader has received at least one week of DocuPhase provided training. The reader has used the DocuPhase DocuPhase software product for a period of no less than one month. Xtractor Advanced User Manual 6.1 Page 6 of 59

7 Foundational Terminology The following key terminology that appears in this document are defined to aid the reader in case they are unfamiliar with these terms. Barcodes. Barcodes are special machine print codes for storing information. This information is easily and accurately extracted by auto-indexing tools, such as Xtractor. Data Extraction: Data Extraction allows for the collection and manipulation (extraction) of data by use of a computer. Xtractor uses a process called zone recognition to extract index values from scanned documents. Image-Based PDF: A Portable Data File (PDF) format that contains only images. The image content may be pictorial, graphical and/or an image of text much like found in a TIFF file format. Image-based PDFs are produced by scanning paper documents to create a PDF composed of images as opposed to Text-Based PDF files that have been produced by PDF authoring tools. Use Xtractor to process Image-Based PDF files. Note: You can tell if a PDF is Image-Based, by opening it with Adobe Acrobat Reader to a page with text information If you cannot highlight some paragraph text and cannot use the copy-to-clipboard feature to copy it, then it is an Image-Based PDF. The DocuPhase idox product does not process the text information in Image-Based PDF files However, the DocuPhase Xtractor product does process Image-Based PDF format files. Tagged Image File Format (TIFF). A TIFF or TIF is a popular image file format that is used by graphic artist and the publishing industry, Fax-image capture as well as common industry standard file format for storing content such as single or multiple page image documents and images. Subpage Processing. Xtractor can separate and process multiple documents with the use of a properly configured Document Separator. Note: Subpage Processing provides the ability to split multipage documents into multiple separate documents. Text-Based PDF: A Portable Data File (PDF) format that contains text information that can be accessed such as by highlighting and copying it to clipboard. The PDF content may be pictorial, graphical and actual text information. Text-Based PDF are produced by PDF authoring tools as opposed to Image-based PDFs that have been produced by scanning paper documents to create a PDF composed of images. Use idox to process Text-Based PDF files. Note: You can tell if a PDF is Text-Based, by opening it with Adobe Acrobat Reader to a page with text information If you can highlight some text and can use the windows feature copy-to-clipboard to copy it, then it is a Text- Based PDF. Xtractor Advanced User Manual 6.1 Page 7 of 59

8 The DocuPhase Xtractor product does not process the text information in Text-Based PDF files However, the DocuPhase idox product does process Text-Based PDF format files. OCR. Optical Character Recognition (OCR) is a technology that allows a computer to recognize text from paper and then translate that text into a data. Portable Document Format (PDF). Portable Data File (PDF) is an industry standard, royalty free, file format for representing one to many-page image documents that was originally developed by Adobe to be independent of application software, hardware and operating systems. A PDF file encapsulates a complete description for a fixed-layout flat document which includes text, graphics, fonts and other information necessary to display the document. Two main types of PDF documents are Image-Based PDFs and Text- Based PDFs. Note: Image-based PDFs can be processed by the DocuPhase Xtractor product and Text-based PDFs can be processed by the DocuPhase idox product. Zone Recognition. Xtractor makes use of a data extraction technique referred to as Zone Recognition. Through zone recognition, Xtractor is prompted to search within pre-defined zones to perform data extraction. In Xtractor, a Recognition Zone is an area on a page where useful data is anticipated to reside. Guidelines for the extraction of data exist within each recognition zone s definition. This approach to Data Extraction is most successful when applied to pages that adhere to moderately standard formats. There are two types of recognition zones defined in an image template and processed by Xtractor to obtain data: Barcode: Barcodes are the most accurate type of zone recognition Xtractor performs. When configured correctly, a barcode recognition zone can yield 100% accuracy in an optimized system to translate the barcodes to usable computer data. OCR: OCR capture collects all machine print data within a recognition zone to translate the optically-recognized characters in images into usable computer data. Xtractor Advanced User Manual 6.1 Page 8 of 59

9 Client Support Services Contact Information DocuPhase is committed to providing quality service and support for our customers. If you are experiencing difficulty with your DocuPhase software, please let us hear from you so we can help. Client Support Services are provides as part of your Maintenance Program. Enhanced support programs are available upon request. The standard support feature set includes: Product Updates and Upgrades Telephone and support during local business hours Remote Connect Support during local business hours You may: Contact us by at Reach us by phone at (727) Reach us by fax at (727) Find us online at Xtractor Advanced User Manual 6.1 Page 9 of 59

10 Xtractor Product Overview Xtractor uses advanced image processing and recognition technologies to extract useful information from barcodes and machine print (OCR) obtained from scanned or faxed documents. The Xtractor Service runs in the background behind the scenes to process TIFF documents applying the configured Xtractor definitions and OCR/Barcode technology. Xtractor can process single-page, multi-page TIFF documents as well as split compound TIFF documents separating them into multiple separate documents each with their own set of index values. Xtractor updates index values for the documents it processes by reading values from first page of the document image itself. Sub-page processing allows zones to be read from other pages. All of Xtractor s features are accessible through an icon-driven user interface. Xtractor s robust user interface provides rapid creation of new templates without the need for IT assistance or support. Xtractor delivers high performance run-time processing of documents that are configured with just the click of a mouse. Automated Indexing Rules include format restrictions; Exceptions are routed to the appropriate department for review and correction. Verification capabilities enable operators to easily move from one exception document to another, making corrections possible at any stage plus the movement of cumbersome forms to research queues for future review. Xtractor s document capture features include image-enhancement controls, correction tools and color-image support that can be configured to assure the quality of scanned documents and to improve the accuracy of returned results. The enhancement functions also minimize the file size of scanned documents, increasing the number of documents that can be saved in the available capacity for DocuPhase- Repository storage. The Xtractor icon-driven user interface is used to design and develop the templates and specifications that the Xtractor Barcode and OCR Recognition Engine uses while running in the background extracting data and automatically updating document indexes for TIFF-image documents using the data it extracts. Note: The DocuPhase Xtractor product is used to process and extract information from single-page, multiple-page compound document TIFFimage documents and automatically converts Image-Based PDF files to TIFF format for processing. Likewise, the DocuPhase idox product performs similar functions for Portable Document Format (PDF) single-document and multipledocument Text-Based PDF files. Xtractor Advanced User Manual 6.1 Page 10 of 59

11 Both the idox and Xtractor services are able to receive their appropriate documents after capture, as configured by assigned routing codes, at the appropriate time. This allows their configured designs to process each document as they receive it Performing fully-automatic OCR/Barcode recognition to Locate, Index and Split Documents as well as to further route documents to the Data Exchange service that performs configured database lookups in the background for additional fullyautomatic Indexing of the captured documents in DocuPhase. The key features of Xtractor include the following features for TIFF and Image-Based PDF documents: Automated Indexing with Data Extraction Optical Character Recognition Barcode Recognition Zone Recognition Sub-page Processing -- The ability to Split compound TIFF documents Cover Page Handling Options: o o o Retain Cover Page Auto Remove Cover Page or Auto Move Cover Page to be the Last Page These Xtractor features are briefly explained below. Data Extraction Data Extraction allows for the automated collection and manipulation (extraction) of data by a computer. Xtractor uses a process called zone recognition to extract Index values from paper documents that upon scanning paper documents to create digital TIFF or Image-Based PDF files and through the use of DocuPhase technology, they are converted to electronic TIFF images for Data Extraction processing and subsequently stored as automatically indexed documents in DocuPhase (DocuPhase s Content Management solution). OCR Optical Character Recognition (OCR) is a technology that allows a computer to recognize text from digital images of paper and then translate that text into a form that the computer can manipulate as data. The potential of an OCR system is enormous because it enables users to harness the power of computers to access and manage (extract) data contained within printed documents that are scanned as well as from other image sources. Barcodes Barcodes are special machine-print codes for storing information. This information is easily and accurately extracted by auto-indexing tools, such as Xtractor. The DocuPhase BarCoder product is able to conveniently generate printed bar-coded and patch-coded document separator sheets that can be inserted as a cover-sheet for each document that will be stacked together in the input hopper of a scanning device. The Patch-Code and/or a Bar-Code is then used to automatically separate the pages of each document with the BarCoder Cover-Sheet as the 1 st page of each document. Xtractor Advanced User Manual 6.1 Page 11 of 59

12 Note: A BarCode can not only be used as a separator for documents, but it can also be used to identify the type of document, etc. Although the document-separator Cover Sheet can remain captured as the 1 st page of a document, Xtractor has an alternative 1 st Page option for handling a document Cover Sheet by: Automatically removing the 1 st Page (i.e., the barcoded cover-sheet) from the captured document s TIFF image Automatically moving the 1 st Page (i.e., the barcoded separator cover-sheet) to become the last page of the captured document s TIFF image. This 1 st Page option, improves the display of the captured image in DocuPhase since the first page displayed for each document will be the actual 1 st page of the captured document itself and not a barcoded cover sheet, or a non-barcoded cover/title page. Note: Since Xtractor works with the TIFF when it is in a Pre-Entered State before it is submitted to DocuPhase, what the new 1 st Page option does is independent of Revision Control settings and does not create a new revision. The following is a basic example of a Medical Office-Visit Encounter which produced three documents for the same patient (e.g., Lillian Brevoort) and the same encounter number (e.g., ) that are separated and automatically indexed by a BarCoder printed Cover Sheet for this Encounter along with other encounter records with cover sheets that may be placed together in a scanner or Fax machine input hopper. BarCoder Printed Cover Sheet Medical Information for this Patent Encounter EKG for this Patient Encounter XRAY for this Patient Encounter Cover Sheet for this Batch of Documents from this Patient Encounter: Xtractor Advanced User Manual 6.1 Page 12 of 59

13 Zone Recognition Xtractor makes use of a data extraction technique referred to as Zone Recognition. Through Zone Recognition, Xtractor is prompted to search within pre-defined zones to perform data extraction. In Xtractor, a Recognition Zone is an area on a page where useful data is anticipated to reside. Guidelines for the extraction of data are configured for the area in each Recognition Zone. This approach to Data Extraction is most successful when applied to pages that adhere to simple or moderately-complex standard formats. The barcode sheet seen below (in the topic: Recognition Zones Defined) is an example of a page that Xtractor could easily read and auto-index, given it had an Image Template to apply to the page for recognition (i.e., to know where to look). Xtractor allows the user to create an Image Template by defining all the possible Recognition Zones of a page. Recognition Zones are delineated in red, rectangular boxes. Below is a general example of an Image Template with four Recognition Zones. The Xtractor Designer configures Zones and Fields where specific Data can be found using Identifying Codes BarCodes can provide Index Data or Identify the Type of Document OCR Text can provide Index Data or Identify the Type of Document With use of Image Templates, Xtractor analyzes a scanned document in its efforts to extract target data. If the target data extracted from the recognition zones meets pre-defined confidence thresholds and other validation criteria, Xtractor then automatically indexes the target data for the current document retains it in the DocuPhase database. During recognition processing, the Image Template and its associated Recognition Zones are applied to Documents stored in the DocuPhase system that have been flagged for automated indexing. Xtractor Advanced User Manual 6.1 Page 13 of 59

14 Subpage Processing Xtractor can separate (i.e., split) and process multiple documents with the use of a properly configured Document Separator. Note: Subpage Processing provides the ability to split compound documents into multiple separate documents. Recognition Zones Defined Xtractor s core functionality is Automatic Indexing (auto-indexing). This process enables Xtractor to automatically index documents previously converted from paper to electronic format contained in the DocuPhase database (e.g., by scanning or faxing). Xtractor is capable of searching DocuPhase s Application tables to find files that are new and unprocessed. These files will have the.tiff (image) extension. When Xtractor encounters a TIFF file with proper pre-defined attributes, it loads the first page of the TIFF file. Once the first page of the TIFF file is loaded, Xtractor examines data contained within pre-defined Recognition Zones of an Image Template. Xtractor then extracts values from each zone for subsequent auto-indexing to the DocuPhase database. When it is finished processing one document, Xtractor continues to the next document to repeat the process. There are two types of Recognition Zones defined in an Image Template and processed by Xtractor: Barcode OCR Element Xtractor Recognition Zone Types Description Barcode OCR Barcodes are the most accurate type of zone recognition Xtractor performs. When configured correctly, a barcode recognition zone can yield 100% accuracy in an optimized system. OCR capture collects all machine print data within a Recognition Zone. Xtractor consists of four main areas. Main Menu Toolbar Workspace Definition Viewer Image Viewer Xtractor Advanced User Manual 6.1 Page 14 of 59

15 Cover Page Handling Options In some situations, the first page of a document is not desired to be seen initially when it is displayed by the DocuPhase Viewer. For example when BarCoder is used, the patch-coded and bar-coded coversheet it generates is placed on top of each document being scanned to separated and automatically index the documents. After scanning, this patch- and bar-coded page remains on the front of the TIFF-image of the multi-page document as it is passed to Xtractor for processing. Likewise, a title or cover page may have been scanned with the document that the users may or may not want displayed as the document s 1 st page when displayed later. The Cover Page Handling Option is used to specify one of the following methods for handling the cover page (i.e., whether or not it is barcoded): Retain Cover Page (the Default) Auto Remove Cover Page Auto Move Cover Page to be the Last Page Xtractor Advanced User Manual 6.1 Page 15 of 59

16 Xtractor Designer Interface Advanced users such as DocuPhase Designers and Administrators can log on to the Xtractor Designer component to establish definitions and zones to control the OCR/Barcode processing of TIFF documents and image pages by the Xtractor Service component. Xtractor Main Menu The main menu contains four drop-down menus: File, Options, View, and Help. Element Xtractor Main Menu Description File Provides the ability to work with the Xtractor Files. New Creates a new project. Open Opens an existing project. Close Save Closes the existing project without exiting the program. Saves the current project. Save As Exit Displays the Save As dialog to save the current project Closes the current project and exits the application Xtractor Advanced User Manual 6.1 Page 16 of 59

17 Element Xtractor Main Menu Description Options The Options menu consists of one option: Select Recognition Engine. Use the Recognition Engine Selection dialog to select the recognition engine type and accuracy settings. MTX (Mtext) MTX Recognition Engine provides: Fast selectable OCR engine. Support for twelve (12) languages. Supports a maximum of 64 zones on one image; Supports Omnifont, Draftdot9 and Draftdot24 filling methods. Provides two (2) page-level accuracy and speed trade off settings including a combined Accurate & Balanced value and Fast. Provides Checking Subsystem based correction. Xtractor Advanced User Manual 6.1 Page 17 of 59

18 Element Xtractor Main Menu Description MOR FRX (FireWorX) MOR Recognition Engine provides: Supports 119 languages. Supports a maximum of 500 zones on one image. Supports Omnifont, Draftdot24 and OCR-A filling methods. Supports character training to achieve improved accuracy. Provides three (3) page-level accuracy and speed trade off settings including Accurate, Balanced and Fast. Provides Checking Subsystem based correction. FRX Recognition Engine provides: Optimized for speed. Support for 54 languages. Supports a maximum of 2,500 zones on one image. Supports Omnifont filling methods. Supports character training to achieve improved accuracy. Voting 2-Way PLUS 2-way voting engine for accurate and fast machine print OCR capabilities Xtractor Advanced User Manual 6.1 Page 18 of 59

19 Element Xtractor Main Menu Description Voting 3-Way OmniPage 3-way voting engine for accurate and fast machine print OCR capabilities View The View menu consists of one option: Refresh. Use this option to refresh the Workspace Definition Viewer and the Image Viewer. Help The Help menu consists of one option: About. The About option provides a brief description of Xtractor by listing the product name, company name and version number. Xtractor Advanced User Manual 6.1 Page 19 of 59

20 Xtractor Toolbar The Toolbar displays icons that give quick access to commonly used controls in Xtractor. The toolbar displays different icons depending on which object is highlighted in the Workspace Viewer. When a Workspace is highlighted, the following controls are available for quick access. Element Xtractor Toolbar Description New Template Project Open Workspace Save Current Workspace New Project Creates a new workspace. Note: This functionality is also available when the template or the zone is highlighted. Opens a browse dialog to allow the user to browse for an existing workspace. Note: This functionality is also available when the template or the zone is highlighted. Opens a browse dialog to allow the user to save the current workspace configuration. Note: This functionality is also available when the template or the zone is highlighted. Allows the user to create a new project. Properties Delete New Template After a specific project, template or zone is highlighted, press this icon to access properties associated with the object selected. Note: This functionality is also available when the template or the zone is highlighted. After the user highlights a specific project, template or zone, press this icon to prompt the user with a confirmation to remove the object they have selected. Note: This functionality is also available when the template or the zone is highlighted. Allows the user to create a new regular template. Xtractor Advanced User Manual 6.1 Page 20 of 59

21 Element Xtractor Toolbar Description New Selection Template Creates a new Selection Template. New Routing Template Creates a new Routing Template. Run Initiates Xtractor to scan the repository (one time) for images with an Extract Status. (By default this status is A ). Run Continuously Initiates Xtractor to continuously search the repository for images with an Extract Status. (By default this status is A ). Stop Test Select this icon to stop Xtractor from running. Note: At this time, the user must repeatedly press the stop icon to stop the service. Verifies the accuracy of the zones being read. Zoom In Increases the viewable size of the image. Zoom Out Decreases the viewable size of the image. Zone Selection Select a specific zone that has been placed on the image. OCR Machine Zone Place a zone on the image that recognizes optical characters. Barcode Zone Place a zone on the image that recognizes barcodes. Xtractor Advanced User Manual 6.1 Page 21 of 59

22 Element Xtractor Toolbar Description OCR Checkbox Zone OCR Handprint Zone Switch Color/BW Place a zone on the image that recognizes checkbox selections. Note: This feature is currently disabled, but will be available in a future release. Places a zone on the image that recognizes a handprint. Note: This feature is currently disabled, but will be available in a future release. Toggles the image to display as color or black and white. This functionality is useful in allowing the user to see how templates appear before processing and after processing. Xtractor Workspace Viewer Workspace Viewer contains the attributes of the workspace, the project, template(s) and each recognition zone. The workspace items are represented by: Icons A list of names To access the configuration of each workspace item, follow these steps: 1. Highlight the item, right-click it and then select Properties. 2. Select a zone icon to display the Zone Properties. Xtractor Advanced User Manual 6.1 Page 22 of 59

23 Xtractor Image Viewer The Image Viewer displays both the image template and its associated recognition zones. As Xtractor processes documents, it loads target documents into the image viewer and applies the image template to extract data from the document. Set recognition zones are highlighted in red. Xtractor Advanced User Manual 6.1 Page 23 of 59

24 Xtractor Administration When Xtractor initializes for the first time, you are prompted to enter your registration key. The registration key can be obtained from an authorized DocuPhase vendor. This encrypted key is based upon the Machine Key and it is derived from the serial number of the physical hard drive device. To perform the configuration process, follow these steps: 1. Enter your registration key in the Registration Key field and click Submit. After successfully submitting the registration key, the Xtractor Login Dialog loads. 2. Select Server. 3. Enter the User Name, Password and the Server. 4. Click Login. Workspace Hierarchy Xtractor workspaces have a Project a Template and a Zone. The Workspace contains the attributes of the workspace, the project, template(s) and each recognition zone. The Project is the top level container object within the Workspace file. The Template is associated to a DocuPhase Application. The Zone updates a DocuPhase index field with data read from the document. Xtractor Advanced User Manual 6.1 Page 24 of 59

25 Workspace Definition Configuration To access the configuration of each workspace item, highlight the item, right-click it and then select Properties or double-click on a zone icon to display the zone properties dialog box. 1. Open a Workspace or right-click on the existing workspace and select Properties. Note: The Workspace Properties dialog is displayed. 2. The Workspace Properties dialog box requests the name of the web server that Xtractor processes. Note: This feature allows the user to log into one server while processing against another server. 3. Deselect the Show Run Status. Note: This prevents the Run Status screen from appearing when the Project is activated 4. Select OK. Workspace Properties Configuration Workspace configuration takes place in the Workspace Properties dialogue box shown below. The Workspace Properties dialogue box requests the name of the Web Server that Xtractor processes. This feature allows the user to log into one server while processing against another server. Deselect the Show Run Status option to prevent the Run Status screen from appearing when the Project is activated. Xtractor Advanced User Manual 6.1 Page 25 of 59

26 Project Properties Configuration To configure a project, follow these steps. 1. Create a new project or right-click on an existing project and select Template Properties. Note: The Project Properties dialog is displayed. 2. Define the desired project name. 3. Select OK. Template and Image Processing Properties Template Processing Properties There are three types of templates: Recognition, Selection, and Routing templates. Note: To access the Recognition Template Properties, Create a new recognition template or right-click an existing recognition template and select Template Properties Make the desired changes and click OK to save. Xtractor Advanced User Manual 6.1 Page 26 of 59

27 The Template Properties dialog displays the following elements. Element Template Processing Properties Description Name Application Template File Process Extract Status Split Status The user-defined name of the template. The DocuPhase application that contains associated templates and images for use with Xtractor. Displays the name of the file being used as the template. A check in this checkbox allows this template to process when the workspace is activated. Remove the check from this checkbox to disable this template from processing when the workspace is activated. The user defined alpha character entered in this field is the signal that lets Xtractor know that a new document has entered the DocuPhase system and needs to be processed and auto-indexed. The user defined alpha character entered in this field is the temporary status that is assigned to pages that have been separated from the original document during the first pass for subpage processing. By default, this value is S. Xtractor then scans the system for Split Status documents and processes those using the Extract Status defined by the user. Xtractor Advanced User Manual 6.1 Page 27 of 59

28 Element Template Processing Properties Description Unconfident Status Complete Status Corruption Status Xtractor assigns the user defined alpha character entered in this field to a document when it encounters a problem with a document that requires human intervention. By default, this value is P. If it is issued to a bad document, Xtractor moves to the next document in DocuPhase with an A (Extract) Status and begins processing it. Bad documents receive an unconfident status in two basic scenarios: The first scenario is that Xtractor did not find a barcode or machine print in a defined zone. Since Xtractor was expecting data where there is no data to process, the document is flagged with a P to make it visible in DocuPhase in the indexing queue. The second, more common scenario is that the data detected by Xtractor does not meet the confidence threshold for a defined zone in the Xtractor template. If a bad document has been flagged with a P, it requires human intervention to complete the indexing process; it becomes viewable in DocuPhase in the indexing queue; a holding bin that allows manual assignment of index values to documents sent to DocuPhase. The user defined alpha character entered in this field is assigned to the recognition document by Xtractor and is used to signal DocuPhase that the file has been processed and has met all of the confidence requirements for each defined zone in the Xtractor template. When the file status is changed to this character, it is searchable as an archived document in DocuPhase. By default this value is E. The user defined alpha character entered in this field is assigned to the recognition document by Xtractor and is used to signal DocuPhase that the file has not been processed because it was found to be corrupted or unreadable. An example of an unreadable file would be a word document or text file. Xtractor is designed to read TIFF images only. If Xtractor encounters a non-image file, it is considered corrupt. By default, this value is C. Xtractor Advanced User Manual 6.1 Page 28 of 59

29 Image Processing Properties To access the Image Processing Properties, follow these steps. 1. Create a new template or right-click on an existing template and select Image Processing Properties. The Image Processing Properties dialog is displayed. 2. Make the desired changes. Xtractor Advanced User Manual 6.1 Page 29 of 59

30 3. Select OK. Element Image Processing Properties Description Contrast Brightness Saturation Hue Intensity Detect Despeckle Deskew Align Convert to Black and White Magnification Check this box to allow manual adjustment of the contrast of the image. Move the slider to the right to decrease the contrast. Move the slider to the left to increase the contrast. Check this box to allow manual adjustment of the brightness of the image. Move the slider to right to increase the brightness. Move the slider to the left to decrease the brightness. Check this box to allow manual adjustment of the saturation of the image. Move the slider to right to increase the saturation. Move the slider to the left to decrease the saturation. Note: This option only applies to color images. Check this box to allow manual adjustment of the hue of the image by moving the slider left and right. Note: This option only applies to color images. Check this box to adjust manually the level of intensity detected in the image by moving the slider left and right. Note: This option only applies to color images. Check this box to enable despeckle. This feature cleans up the image after it is scanned. Remove the check from the checkbox to disable this feature. Check this box to enable deskew, a feature that removes slanting, twisting or other distortion from the image after the image is scanned. Remove the check from the checkbox to disable this feature. Check this box to enable align, a feature that repositions the image after the image is scanned. Remove the check from the checkbox to disable this feature. Check this box to convert the image to black and white prior to processing. This drop-down menus allows you to choose the level of magnification of the original image and adjusted image windows. Xtractor Advanced User Manual 6.1 Page 30 of 59

31 Recognition Template A recognition template reads data from an image file and updates the associated index fields in DocuPhase. A recognition template is the only type of template that automatically indexes index-fields in DocuPhase. Recognition Template configuration takes place in two areas: Template Properties and Image Processing Properties To access the Recognition Template Properties, follow this step. 1. Create a new recognition template or right-click an existing recognition template and select Template Properties. Note: The Template Properties dialog is displayed. Selection Template A selection template extracts information from a recognition zone located on the first page of a document and then chooses which recognition template to apply for autoindexing the document. Selection templates are used when multiple document form layouts need to be processed for the same DocuPhase application. For instance, form layouts may differ for a purchase order form between 2006 and To access the Selection Template Properties, follow these steps. 1. Create a new selection template or right-click on an existing selection template and select Template Properties. Note: The Template Properties dialog is displayed. Xtractor Advanced User Manual 6.1 Page 31 of 59

32 2. Make the desired changes. 3. Click OK. Selection Template Properties are described in the following table. Element Name Application Template File Associations Selection Template Properties Description The user defined name of the template. Displays the DocuPhase application the template is associated with and where Xtractor locates the images. A template association refers to the relationship between a template type (e.g., Invoices) and its Association Value. When a template is created, users create a unique association value in reference to the template. In the example below, association values for invoice templates begin with INV, followed by three numeric characters. This icon opens the Template Association dialog. From this dialog, the user can enter the template and any of the values that indicate which template to use, as shown in the example below. Split Status The user defined alpha character entered in this field is the temporary status that is assigned to pages that have been separated from the original document during the first pass for subpage processing. By default, this value is S. Xtractor then scans the system for Split Status documents and processes those using the Extract Status defined by the user (default is A ). Xtractor Advanced User Manual 6.1 Page 32 of 59

33 Element Extract Status Unconfident Status Complete Status Selection Template Properties Description The user-defined alpha character (by default this value is A ) that notifies Xtractor that a new document has entered DocuPhase that needs to be scanned and autoindexed. Xtractor assigns the user defined alpha character entered in this field to a document when it encounters a problem with a document that requires human intervention. By default, this value is P. If it is issued to a bad document, Xtractor moves to the next document in DocuPhase with an 'A' Extract Status and begin processing it. Bad documents receive an unconfident status in two basic scenarios. The first scenario is that Xtractor did not find a barcode or machine print in a defined zone. Since Xtractor was expecting data where there is no data to process, the document is flagged with a P to make it visible in DocuPhase in the indexing queue. The second, more common scenario is that the data detected by Xtractor does not meet the confidence threshold for a defined zone in the Xtractor template. If a bad document is flagged with a P, it requires human intervention to complete the indexing process; it becomes viewable in DocuPhase in the indexing queue; a holding bin that allows manual assignment of index values to documents sent to DocuPhase. The user defined alpha character entered in this field is assigned to the recognition document by Xtractor and is used to signal DocuPhase that the file has been processed and has met all of the confidence requirements for each defined zone in the Xtractor template. When the file status is changed to this character, it is searchable as an archived document in DocuPhase. By default this value is E. Xtractor Advanced User Manual 6.1 Page 33 of 59

34 Element Corruption Status Selection Template Properties Description The user defined alpha character entered in this field is assigned to the recognition document by Xtractor and is used to signal DocuPhase that the file has not been processed because it was found to be corrupted or unreadable. An example of an unreadable file would be a word document or text file. Xtractor is designed to read TIFF images only. If Xtractor encounters a non-image file, it is considered corrupt. By default this value is C. Routing Template A Routing template is a special template that reads a value from a recognition zone on the first page of the image, then routes the document to a different DocuPhase application based on this value read. After routing, Xtractor uses the appropriate recognition template to update the index values for that document in the proper application. To access the Routing Template Properties, follow these steps. 1. Create a new routing template or right-click on an existing routing template and select Template Properties. Note: The Template Properties dialog is displayed. 2. Make the desired changes. 3. Select OK. Xtractor Advanced User Manual 6.1 Page 34 of 59

35 Routing Template Properties are described in the following table. Element Name Application Template File Route by Application Name Split Status Extract Status Routing Template Properties Description The user defined name of the Template. The DocuPhase application the template is associated with and where Xtractor locates the images. The name of the file used as the template. A check in the Route by Application Name checkbox configures the routing template to read the text value of the application and route the image accordingly. The text value of the application must exist on the image in order to use this feature. Remove the check from the Route by Application Name checkbox to disable this feature. The user defined alpha character entered in this field is the temporary status that is assigned to pages that have been separated from the original document during the first pass for sub-page processing. By default, this value is S. Xtractor then scans the system for Split Status documents and process those using the Extract Status defined by the user. The user-defined alpha character (by default this value is A ) that notifies Xtractor that a new document has entered DocuPhase which needs to be scanned and auto-indexed. Xtractor Advanced User Manual 6.1 Page 35 of 59

36 Element Unconfident Status Routing Template Properties Description Xtractor assigns the user defined alpha character entered in this field to a document when it encounters a problem with a document that requires human intervention. By default, this value is P. When issued to a bad document, Xtractor moves to the next document in DocuPhase with an A Extract Status and begins processing. There are two basic scenarios in which bad documents receive an unconfident status: The first scenario is that Xtractor did not find a barcode or machine print in a defined zone. Since Xtractor was expecting data where there is no data to process, the document is flagged with a P to make it visible in DocuPhase in the indexing queue. The second, more common scenario is that the data detected by Xtractor does not meet the confidence threshold for a defined zone in the Xtractor template. If a bad document is flagged with a P, it requires human intervention to complete the indexing process; it becomes viewable in DocuPhase in the indexing queue; a holding bin that allows manual assignment of index values to documents sent to DocuPhase. Complete Status The user defined alpha character entered in this field is assigned to the recognition document by Xtractor and is used to signal DocuPhase that the file has been processed and has met all of the confidence requirements for each defined zone in the Xtractor template. When the file status is changed to this character, it is searchable as an archived document in DocuPhase. By default, this value is E. Corruption Status The user defined alpha character entered in this field is assigned to the recognition document by Xtractor and is used to signal DocuPhase that the file has not been processed because it was found to be corrupted or unreadable. An example of an unreadable file would be a word document or text file. Xtractor is designed to read TIFF images only. If Xtractor encounters a non-image file, it is considered corrupt. By default this value is C. Xtractor Advanced User Manual 6.1 Page 36 of 59

37 Zone Properties Zone Properties configuration takes place in the Zone Properties dialog box. A slightly different initial dialog box is associated with each of the three types of possible recognition zones: Barcode, OCR Machine, and OCR Checkbox Zones. Use this dialog box to access the zone properties dialog, create a new Barcode, OCR Machine or OCR Checkbox zone or right-click on an existing zone from the workspace viewer. Date Properties The Date Properties dialogue allows you to reformat the date found in the document before inserting it into the database. Select Date from the Data Transformation drop-down box and select Properties. Xtractor Advanced User Manual 6.1 Page 37 of 59

38 . Element Date Properties Dialog Description Input Mask This mask tells Xtractor what order the date is in and allows Xtractor to reorder the date so it can be inserted into the database. The Input Mask may be either a fixed length mask (MMDDYY) or discriminated length mask (m/d/y). Note: Date masks can be concatenated using the ^ character but only date masks of the same type. For instance, if the mask in the Data Modifications mask edit box were to have the string ##/##/##^##/##/#### the input mask could read mm/dd/yy^mm/dd/yyyy. Add to Century Select the desired century to apply to YY values. Xtractor Advanced User Manual 6.1 Page 38 of 59

39 . Element Date Properties Dialog Description Pivot Year By default, Xtractor will assume the current century when determining MMDDYY dates (2000). However, you may want to process dates from the last century (1900). Enter a Pivot Year value to determine which Add to Century value is applied. If the YY value is greater than or equal to the Pivot Year value, the Add to Century value is used. Barcode Zone Properties Barcode zone properties display three tab selections: Definition, Document Separator, and Modification. Barcode Zone Definitions The Barcode Zone Definitions elements are described below. Xtractor Advanced User Manual 6.1 Page 39 of 59

40 Element Identity Required Document Separator Code 39 Code 128 Index Name Zone Specifications Barcode Zone Properties Description This option is unavailable to the user. A check in the Required checkbox sets the zone as mandatory. Remove the check if the zone is not mandatory. A check in this box specifies this zone as the document separator. Only one document separator can exist per template. A check in this box enables Xtractor to read Code 39 Barcodes. A check in this box enables Xtractor to read Code 128 Barcodes. Associate the zone to an index by selecting the name of the index from the drop-down menu. The index name normally auto-populates the zone name. This is the name applied to the zone. Normally the name of the zone auto-populates and is the same as the selected application. The values for zone specification are automatically populated when the user defines the zone area on the image. These values set the Top, Left, Height, Width and Justification of the zone area. Xtractor Advanced User Manual 6.1 Page 40 of 59

41 Document Separator Tab The Document Separator tab has one primary input field defined below: Element Document Separator Tab Description Mask This mask instructs Xtractor to recognize a specific pattern within the zone. If this pattern is recognized, only then does it cause a separation. Mask values (symbols) Represents a single alpha character. # Represents a single Represents n number of characters. #(n) Represents n number of Represents a continuous series of alpha characters until the first non-alpha character. #* Represents a continuous series of numbers until the first non-numeric character. ^ is used to separate multiple masks. For example ##/##/##^##/##/#### These mask formats also apply to the mask field under the Modification tab for post results modification. The Modification tab only applies to the results after the recognition. Xtractor Advanced User Manual 6.1 Page 41 of 59

42 Modifications Tab The Modification tab has two main sections, outlined and defined below: Element Line Number Tag Ending Delimiter(s) To First Space Mask Modification Tab Description The numeric value that designates which line Xtractor recognizes when a zone covers multiple lines of data. This user definable field contains alpha/numeric character(s) that indicate where Xtractor begins to extract data. This user definable field contains alpha/numeric character(s) that indicate where Xtractor stops extracting data. Three supported switches are: \t (Tab) \r (Carriage Return) \n (Line Feed) Place a check in the To First Space checkbox to instruct Xtractor to continue recognition until it encounters the first space. This mask instructs Xtractor to recognize a specific pattern within the one. If this pattern is recognized, only then does it cause a separation. Xtractor Advanced User Manual 6.1 Page 42 of 59

43 Element Default Value Find Replace With Prepend Append None To Upper To Lower To Proper Strip All Punctuation Remove Embedded Spaces Translation Type Index Modification Tab Description Populate the default value field and select the If Empty radio button to allow Xtractor to substitute the default value to an index when a recognition zone is seen as empty. Populate the default value field and select the If Unconfident option to allow Xtractor to substitute the default value to an index when a recognition zone is seen as questionable. The value that Xtractor searches for within the results of recognized data. The value that Xtractor uses to replace the value specified in the Find field. The value that Xtractor inserts before recognized data. The value that Xtractor inserts after recognized data. Use this radio button if a modification to the text is not necessary. Use this option to convert all text to upper case. Use this option to convert all text to lower case. Use this option to convert all text to title case (only the first letter of each word is capitalized). A check in this checkbox removes all punctuation from the result of recognized data. A check in this checkbox removes all spaces from the result of recognized data. Provides the ability to select a Translation Type and/or Index. Provides a list of index values to be populated. Provides a drop down menu containing a set of values to populate DocuPhase index fields with text other than what has been actually read from the document. Xtractor Advanced User Manual 6.1 Page 43 of 59

44 OCR Machine Zone Properties OCR Machine zone properties display five tab selections: Definition, OCR Character Set, Document Separator, Modification, and Validation. OCR Machine Definitions The Definition tab has three main sections, outlined and defined below: Element OCR Machine Zone Definition Tab Description Identity Required Document Separator Index This option is unavailable to the user. A check in the Required checkbox sets the zone as mandatory. Remove the check if the zone is not mandatory. A check in this box specifies this zone as the document separator. Only one document separator can exist per template. Associate the zone to an index by selecting the name of the index from the drop-down menu. The index name normally auto-populates the zone name. Name Zone Specifications This is the name applied to the zone. Normally the name of the zone auto-populates and is the same as the selected application. The values for zone specification are automatically populated when the user defines the zone area on the image. These values set the Top, Left, Height, Width and Justification of the zone area. Xtractor Advanced User Manual 6.1 Page 44 of 59

45 OCR Character Set The OCR Filter mask instructs Xtractor to recognize a specific pattern within the zone. OCR Character properties are described in the following table. Element OCR Character Set Description Letters Numbers Punctuation Misc. Characters Xtractor will use a letter character comparison. Be sure to specify either All, Upper-case, or Lower-case character sets. Xtractor will use a number character comparison. Xtractor will use a punctuation character comparison. Xtractor will use a miscellaneous character comparison. Document Separator Tab Element Document Separator Tab Description Mask This mask instructs Xtractor to recognize a specific pattern within the one. If this pattern is recognized, only then does it cause a separation. Modifications Tab Element Modifications Tab Description Line Number Tag Ending Delimiter(s) To First Space The numeric value that designates which line Xtractor recognizes when a zone covers multiple lines of data. This user definable field contains alpha/numeric character(s) that indicate where Xtractor begins to extract data. This user definable field contains alpha/numeric character(s) that indicate where Xtractor stops extracting data. Three supported switches are: \t (Tab) \r (Carriage Return) \n (Line Feed) Place a check in the To First Space checkbox to instruct Xtractor to continue recognition until it encounters the first space. Xtractor Advanced User Manual 6.1 Page 45 of 59

46 Element Modifications Tab Description Mask Default Value Find Replace With Prepend Append None To Upper To Lower To Proper Strip All Punctuation Remove Embedded Spaces Type Index This mask instructs Xtractor to recognize a specific pattern within the one. If this pattern is recognized, only then does it cause a separation. Populate the default value field and select the If Empty radio button to allow Xtractor to substitute the default value to an index when a recognition zone is seen as empty. Populate the default value field and select the If Unconfident option to allow Xtractor to substitute the default value to an index when a recognition zone is seen as questionable. The value that Xtractor searches for within the results of recognized data. The value that Xtractor uses to replace the value specified in the Find field. The value that Xtractor inserts before recognized data. The value that Xtractor inserts after recognized data. Use this radio button if a modification to the text is not necessary. Use this option to convert all text to upper case. Use this option to convert all text to lower case. Use this option to convert all text to title case (only the first letter of each word is capitalized). A check in this checkbox removes all punctuation from the result of recognized data. A check in this checkbox removes all spaces from the result of recognized data. The numeric value that designates which line Xtractor recognizes when a zone covers multiple lines of data. This user definable field contains alpha/numeric character(s) that indicate where Xtractor begins recognizing data. Xtractor Advanced User Manual 6.1 Page 46 of 59

47 Validation Tab Element Validation Tab Description Post Recognition Validation This selection allows the user to compare the captured data to an external reference table to ensure data integrity. Xtractor Advanced User Manual 6.1 Page 47 of 59

48 Working with Xtractor Creating an Image Template Xtractor uses recognition zones to store information about how it should process documents. The collection of recognition zones and associated attributes for a specific processing task represents an image template. An image template requires an associated sample TIFF image file. The steps needed to create your first recognition template in Xtractor are outlined below: 1. Create a sample TIFF image file 2. Open the Sample TIFF image in Xtractor. 3. Define recognition zones. 4. Configure recognition zones. 5. Test template. 6. Save new Image Template. Open the sample TIFF image using Xtractor To open a TIFF image in Xtractor to be used as an image template, follow these steps in a newly created project (the example project is named Practice ): 1. In Xtractor, right-click on the project Practice. 2. Select New Template. 3. Highlight the target TIFF. 4. Select Open. The first page of the TIFF file appears in the image viewer. Notice we now have an image template named New Template. 5. Let s change the name of New Template to Invoices Template. To do this, right click on New Template and select Template Properties. 6. Type Invoices Template in the Name Field. 7. Click OK. Defining Recognition Zones To define a recognition zone, follow these steps: 1. Click on the Barcode Zone or the OCR Zone option in the Control Panel. Note: In this example, we selected the OCR Zone. 2. On the image loaded into the image viewer, click and drag your mouse to make a rectangle containing the information you wish to capture. As you drag the cursor, it changes appearance to crosshairs. Xtractor Advanced User Manual 6.1 Page 48 of 59

49 3. After you have dragged your cursor to enclose the data you wish to capture, release the mouse button. The Zone Properties immediately appears. Select the desired index from the drop-down menu listed in the Application section and then click OK. 4. After you click OK to return to the image viewer in Xtractor, the new recognition zone is delineated with a red rectangle. Notice that the name given to the zone in Step 4 appears in the workspace viewer as a new zone definition key with the name Name. Testing the recognition zones To test the newly defined recognition zone, follow these steps: 1. Select the template you want to test. 2. Right-click on the selected template and choose the Test option. A Test Results summary appears. It lists the Zone(s) tested as well as the Confidence of that test and the Results. Saving the image template To save the image template, follow this step: 1. Select File > Save to save the template and all of the associated zones. Xtractor saves the entire workspace. By default, workspaces are saved in the C:\Program Files\iDatix\Xtractor\workspaces directory. Using Xtractor to Process DocuPhase Documents We are now ready to process documents sent to DocuPhase that match the template we just designed. ScanDox or other previous module in its step-by-step flow must have set the target file s with their Object-Status set to code A. Recall that an A status is the code that typically notifies Xtractor of existing documents in DocuPhase that require processing; However, this convention can be reconfigured for your site. To process documents: 1. Highlight the project you want to test. 2. Right-click on the project and select the Run Continuously option. 3. The Processing Status monitor appears indicating that Xtractor is continually scanning DocuPhase for A status documents that have been scanned in by ScanSpeed. Note: To stop the process, select Stop Repeatedly until the Processing Status monitor closes. For additional information on how documents are captured and routed to Xtractor, see Appendix F: Routing Documents to Xtractor. Xtractor Advanced User Manual 6.1 Page 49 of 59

50 Appendix A: Xtractor Installation Prerequisites & Minimum Requirements The following Xtractor installation consideration topics are documented in the following locations: Minimum Requirements: See DocuPhase Prerequisites Guide Prerequisites: See DocuPhase Prerequisites Guide Xtractor Installation from.msi: Xtractor Designer Xtractor Service See: DocuPhase Installation & Upgrade Guide, Topic: Installing the Optional Components. After installation, the Xtractor shortcut icon is placed on the desktop of the installed unit for convenient access to the Xtractor Designer. Xtractor Login To log in to Xtractor, follow these steps. 1. Navigate to and select the Xtractor desktop shortcut icon. Note: Optionally, you may select Start>All Programs>iDatix>Xtractor. Note: The Xtractor log in dialog displays. Xtractor Advanced User Manual 6.1 Page 50 of 59

51 Logon to Xtractor 2. Enter your User Name. 3. Enter your Password. 4. Click the Server button, then Select your Server using the drop-down list. 5. Define the Server name and select Load. 6. Select OK. Note: The Alias Manager dialog displays the appropriate Server Name. 7. Click the Login button and Xtractor launches. Xtractor Advanced User Manual 6.1 Page 51 of 59

52 Appendix B Routing Template Routing Templates are special purpose templates which read a value from a zone on the first page of the image, then Routes the document to a different DocuPhase Application based on the value read. After Routing, Xtractor calls the appropriate Recognition Template to update the Index Values for that document in the new application. Xtractor Advanced User Manual 6.1 Page 52 of 59