Capture a Text Image on the Tracing Layer and Passing it to a Main Form (Using OCR MODI)
New drag-and-drop intuitive engine on the OCR MODI base
Introduction
This technology allows you to highlight with a mouse some fragment of the image with a text and insert it at the same moment, there, where you will specify. There is a new, universal drag-and-drop method. Where not important, what you have as a source element (PictureBox, DataGridView, TextBox, ListBox, etc.), because on the top tracing layer, they appear as an image or picture. As for this example, we drag-and-drop from PictureBox to DataGridView, or from DataGridView to DataGridView, or from Button, or from Label ... controls. And the last - it is done intuitively and understandably even for children.
How It Works
At first glance, everything looks simple enough. But there are five main points:
- Create the tracing
Layer1form in a separate thread, above the mainForm1. For this click<Tracing Layer>button. - Capture fragment of the image on the
Layer1form. To do this, draw mouse a closed curve around the needed text . - Extract text from image using OCR MODI. For this click
<Print>buttonLayer1. (Install Microsoft Office Document Imaging. For help, click<MODI Install>button.) - Insert an extracting text into some
dataGridView2cell of theForm1. To do this, draw mouse a line from the selected text to somedataGridView2cell. The last point of this line defines the cell where you will insert a text. Click<Insert>buttonLayer1. - Click
<Close>buttonLayer1form and get the modifieddataGridView2of theForm1. It is the result!
Note: All event handlers work in a transparent Layer1 from above the main Form1. Only insert text raises the event in Form1. It was necessary to create these forms in separate threads.
Using the Code
Firstly, this program uses Microsoft Office Document Imaging. By default, Microsoft Office doesn't install it. You'll need to make sure that it's added by using the Microsoft Office installation program. Just run the installer, click on the Continue button with the "Add or Remove Features" selection made, and ensure that the imaging component is installed. Or, for help click <MODI Install> button Form1. After that, we can add to References>COM>Microsoft Office Document Imaging 12.0 Type Library.
Secondly, when loading Form1, you need to fill out list cell rectangles and point location of the dataGridView2. Why List<List<Rectangle>> construction? The List<Rectangle> is enumeration rows. The List<List<Rectangle>> is enumeration columns.
private void Form1_Load(object sender, EventArgs e)
{ ...
...
...
//Create a 'List<dgv2Rectangles> _dgv2Rect'
_dgv2Rect.dgv2pointLocation = dataGridView2.Location;
//Template List<List<Rectangle>> by the columns
List<List<Rectangle>> tempLR = new List<List<Rectangle>>();
foreach (DataGridViewColumn column in dataGridView2.Columns)
{
int column_ind = dataGridView2.Columns[column.Name].Index;
int row_count = dataGridView2.Rows.Count;
Rectangle rct = new Rectangle();
//Template List<Rectangle> by the rows dgv2
List<Rectangle> tempR = new List<Rectangle>();
for (int i = 0; i < row_count; i++)
{
//Return the displayed portion of the cell only
rct = dataGridView2.GetCellDisplayRectangle(column_ind, i, true);
//All rectangles displayed by the rows in some column dgv2
tempR.Add(rct);
}
//All rectangles displayed in dgv2
tempLR.Add(tempR);
}
//The 'List<List<Rectangle>>'
_dgv2Rect.columnRectangles = tempLR;
}
It is necessary for calculating a location last point of the leading line Layer1 above a dataGridView2 cell Form1. In other words, what is the row/column index cell where a text will be inserted.
Thirdly, create the tracing Layer1 form in a separate thread with event for passing date.
...
//Initialize component 'Layer1' and pass 'dgv2Rect' values
Layer1 layer1 = new Layer1(_dgv2Rect);
//Create handle the event for passing data between
//two open forms 'Layer1' to 'Form1'
layer1.TraceData += new Layer1.TraceDataEventHandler(layer1_TraceData);
//Set position 'Layer1' form
layer1.StartPosition = FormStartPosition.Manual;
layer1.Left += xF;
layer1.Top += yF + 24;
//Set the preferences 'Layer1' form
layer1.Width = this.Width;
layer1.Height = this.Height;
layer1.TopMost = true;
layer1.Opacity = 0.4;
layer1.FormBorderStyle = System.Windows.Forms.FormBorderStyle.None;
layer1.Show();
...
Fourthly, image capture takes place on the rectangle built on the points max / min of the List<Point> ptList1 (closed curve). Please, note : **** VERY IMPORTANT FRAGMENT:***** below.
try
{
//Max/Main value of points
int xMin = ptList1.Min(p => p.X);
if (xMin < 0) { xMin = 0; }
int xMax = ptList1.Max(p => p.X);
if (xMax > this.Width) { xMax = this.Width; }
int yMin = ptList1.Min(p => p.Y);
if (yMin < 0) { yMin = 0; }
int yMax = ptList1.Max(p => p.Y);
if (yMax > this.Height) { yMax = this.Height; }
//Width/Height drawing rectangle
int xWidth = xMax - xMin;
int yHeight = yMax - yMin;
Point locLayer1 = new System.Drawing.Point((int)Left, (int)Top);
Point locRect1 = new System.Drawing.Point(
(int)locLayer1.X + xMin, (int)locLayer1.Y + yMin);
locRec = new Point(locRect1.X - this.Location.X, locRect1.Y - this.Location.Y);
Rectangle Rect1 = new Rectangle(locRect1.X, locRect1.Y, xWidth, yHeight);
this.Hide();
string tempfile;
using (Bitmap bitmap = new Bitmap(Rect1.Width, Rect1.Height))
{
using (Graphics g = Graphics.FromImage(bitmap))
{
g.CopyFromScreen(locRect1, Point.Empty, Rect1.Size);
}
//*****VERY IMPORTANT FRAGMENT: *****
//DO NOT SAVE and REWRITE and DELETE by the const path file
//bitmap.Save(@"C:\Temp\test.jpg", ImageFormat.Jpeg);
//bitmap.Save(@"C:\Temp\test.tiff", ImageFormat.Tiff);
//DO SAVE and DELETE by temp file
tempfile = Path.GetTempFileName();
bitmap.Save(tempfile, ImageFormat.Tiff);
//*****very important fragment *******
//Releases all recourse 'bitmap'
bitmap.Dispose();
}
// Do Optical Character Recognition (OCR) MODI
DoOCR(tempfile);
Thread.Sleep(100);
this.Refresh();
this.Show();
}
catch (Exception exc) ...
Points of Interest
If OCR MODI has recognized a text (after clicking <Print>), you get a visible message like this:
History
- Released on 09-09-2015