Template design overview

Once you have created a form template (see Creating a Template Library), the Template Creation window is displayed allowing you to design a template.

The Template Creation window consists of the following areas:

• Menu area (on the top). The following menu options are available:
• Save: Saves the current state.
• Template properties: Displays the Template properties window, allowing you to modify the background image and set the barcode engine to be used.
• Template manager: Displays the Template library manager, allowing to select a new template for editing.
• Test template: Displays the Template tester window.
• Image viewing area (on the left): To view the sample document with zooming support.
• Zone controls area (on the right). This contains the following areas:
• "Zones": Add new zones, delete existing ones, or select one to change its properties.
• "Zone Types": Legend for zone coloring on the image.
• "Zone Properties": Set or modify all properties for the selected zone. 

How to design a form template:

1. Create a Static field: either a Static Text or a Static Barcode field. This Static field is used to identify which form template in the template library that is used to process the document.
2. Define additional zones for recognition and data extraction. Make sure to select Add Zone prior to identifying a new zone area in the template to prevent inadvertent changes to existing Zone Properties.Note that zones should not overlap each other, as that may lead to recognition errors.
3. Label each extracted value so it can be used by an eCopy Connector.
4. Set properties for each zone. Make sure to select the zone on the template prior to setting the values in the Zone Properties. Values in Coordinates and Advanced may not be retained if they are changed before the zone area selection is identified.
5. Apply data filter on extracted values (optional):
   • Regular Expression filterNote that you can enter multiple regular expressions, with each one displayed in a separate line. In these cases, the system accepts the zone as valid if the value meets the criterion of at least one regular expression.
   • ODBC Database lookup filter

Template Creation Settings:

The Template Creation window displays the zones and properties. Each zone must have a zone type and a specific set of properties. As the zone type is changed during configuration the property panel displays the appropriate fields for the zone type:

• Zones: Lists all configured zones.  Highlight any existing zone to view or change the Properties and add or delete a zone.
• Zone Types: The "Zone Types” area is a definition for the color coding of the zones that are drawn on the form.

Zone Type Definitions:

• Static: Static values are used to identify the template in the template library: it is recommended to use a text block that is always present on the page (if you do not use a filter). A drift parameter (a tolerance margin - can be increased or decreased) is automatically set to search for the static value in a larger area on the form. If you define multiple static field types (static text and static barcode), all fields and the exact data values need to be present on the form to match the template. In case of mismatch, the software will attempt to match the next template. If you use a filter in connection with a Static zone, the value is only accepted if it meets the set Regular Expression or ODBC criterion.
• Text: Use this zone type to have its contents recognized as text. The location of the field can move as long as it stays the same relative location to a Static or Static barcode zone that is referenced as the reference zone in the Text zone properties. Using a reference zone increases accuracy to compensate for feeder slip and drift of the fields when scanning.
• Check: The Check zone contains an area that is either marked or not marked on the form. It uses the “Threshold” property to determine what constitutes a marked area based on “Threshold” and “Shaded ratio” zone properties. If the ”Shaded ratio” of the zone is lower than the "Threshold", the zone is not marked (Value is false) otherwise marked (the Value is true).
• Barcode: This zone type must contain a barcode. During the configuration of a form template the processing engine will attempt to auto detect the barcode encoding and set the BarCodeType property. Advanced properties give you the option to set it manually. Depending on the selected barcode recognition engine, you can set different barcode types for Barcode and Static Barcode zones.
• Static Barcode: Static Barcode values are used to identify the template in the template library. The zone's content should be a barcode value that is always present on the page (if you do not use a filter). A drift parameter (a tolerance margin - can be increased or decreased) is automatically set to search for the static barcode value in a larger area on the form. If you define multiple static field types (static text and static barcode), all fields and the exact data values need to be present on the form to match the template. In case of mismatch, the software will attempt to match the next template.If you use a filter in connection with a Static Barcode, the value is only accepted if it meets the set Regular Expression or ODBC criterion. Depending on the selected barcode recognition engine, you can set different barcode types for Barcode and Static Barcode zones.
• Search: A Search zone will search the selected area for the first instance of text that matches the filter (either RegEx or Datasource) defined for the zone. It will then return this text as the zone’s value.

Barcode recognition engine

You can select the barcode recognition engine in the following ways:

• Using the relevant option of the Properties window of the Template Editor. This option allows you to set the recognition engine on a template basis; allowing you to customize templates for different barcode or document types.
• Using the relevant option of the Forms Processing Extender tab, available from the Document Services pane of the ShareScan Administration Console.This option allows you to quickly switch between the recognition engines using the Administration Console itself, without needing to modify created templates.
• Using the relevant option of the Edit pane of the Page Templates tab of the Image Control service, available from the Document Services pane of the ShareScan Administration Console. This option allows you to customize the recognition engine for each template separately, similar to the Template Editor of the Extender. You can set Layout Search Order and Barcode Restrictions for both engines, with additional options for Barcode Indexing (Aspose) or Barcode Enhancements and Barcode Confidence (Softek).

The available barcode recognition engines are the Aspose Barcode for .NET, the Softek Barcode Reader Toolkit and OmniPage CSDK. By default, the Softek engine is offered as the barcode recognition engine.

The Aspose engine is optimized to support a wide variety of barcode types (including, for example, Databar, ITF-14, Patch codes, Planet, and QR). Kofax recommends using the Aspose engine if you have to work with a variety of common and rare barcode types, and speed of recognition is not the crucial issue. The Softek engine is optimized for speed, and support a number of common barcodes (including, for example, Codabar, Code 128, EAN8, and PatchCodes). Kofax recommends using the Softek engine if you work with a limited number of common barcodes, or if recognition speed is an important factor.

If you change the barcode engine for a document, check that all barcodes in the various zones are supported by the selected engine. If a barcode is not supported, the recognition will fail.