Scan Viewer (UI Element)

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(Redirected from Scan Viewer)

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This article was migrated from an older version and has not been updated for the current version of Grooper.

This tag will be removed upon article review and update.

This article is about the current version of Grooper.

Note that some content may still need to be updated.

20252024 2023

The Scan Viewer is a user interface that can be added to the user-attended person_search Review step in a settings Batch Process. It is used to scan documents into inventory_2 Batches from one or more scanning workstations.

About

The Scan Viewer allows Grooper users to scan documents using a scanner connected to a workstation. The Scan Viewer can be executed in a Batch Process from a Review step. In order to operate the Scan Viewer the Grooper Desktop application must be installed and running on the scan user's workstation.

In this article, we will instruct you how to:

  • Install Grooper Desktop
  • Use the Scan Viewer, including:
    • How to select and configure a scanner from the Scan Viewer
    • How to save scan settings to a Scanner Profile from the Scan Viewer
    • How to select a saved Scanner Profile from the Scan Viewer
  • Set up the Scan Viewer, including:
    • How to allow users to save Scanner Profiles
    • How to allow users to select previously saved Scanner Profiles
    • How to define a default Scanner Profile to prevent users from configuring scanner settings from the Scan Viewer

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BE AWARE: Scanner drivers will need to be installed on the user's machine in order to scan.

This article presumes you've already installed scanner drivers on the user's machine.

Installing Grooper Desktop

Grooper Desktop is a lightweight application required to scan paper documents into Grooper using scanner hardware. Furthermore:

  • Grooper supports ISIS and TWAIN scanner drivers.
  • Grooper Desktop must be installed on any desktop computer connected to scanner hardware.
  • Grooper Desktop runs as a service in the background. It can be opened from the Windows system tray to start and stop it.
  • Grooper Desktop must be running (started) in order to scan.
  • Once installed, users will use the Review activity's "Scan Viewer" to scan documents into Grooper.
  • Grooper Desktop drives the scanner from the Scan Viewer. It starts and stops the scanner from the Scan Viewer UI. It "listens" for images being scanned and sends them to the Grooper Repository.

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In some cases, antivirus software will interfere with Grooper's installation, preventing a complete install.

  • You may need to whitelist the Grooper installers/software before installing.
  • This will ensure the antivirus software is not preventing DLL files from installing or executing.


Most commonly, this issue has been demonstrated when installing the Grooper Desktop application.

If Grooper Desktop is installed correctly, and you are able to scan using the scanner's native software (but not with Grooper), you may need to (1) uninstall Grooper Desktop, (2) whitelist the Grooper Desktop installer and GrooperDesktop.exe application and (3) reinstall Grooper Desktop to ensure you can scan from the Grooper web client.

To install Grooper Desktop:

  1. After extracting the installer ZIP package, open the extracted folder "GrooperDesktop_24.00.xxxx" to reveal the installation files.
  2. Open "setup.exe" to start the Grooper Desktop Installer.
  3. When the installer opens, click "Next" to continue.

If this is your first time installing Grooper, you may be prompted to install one or more perquisite applications.

  • If prompted, select "Install" to start installing prereqs.
  • BE AWARE: Certain perquisite installs may require a restart. When prompted, please restart. After restarting, you will need to complete steps 1 through 4 again to continue your installation.

  2. After reading through the End User License Agreement, push the radio button next to "I accept the terms in the license agreement".
  3. Click "Next" to continue.

  2. If desired, you can choose the location where you want Grooper Desktop installed.
    We recommend using the default file path.
  3. Click "Next".

  2. Click the "Install" button to begin installation.

Installation should only take a few minutes. Press the "Finish" button when prompted to exit the installer.

FYI

Users no longer have to register a netsh command after installing Grooper Desktop

Previous versions of Grooper Desktop required an additional next step. Users would need to open the Windows Command Console and register a netsh command. The Grooper Desktop installer now does that step for you as part of its installation.


To open Grooper Desktop:

  • Press the Windows key on your keyboard or click the Windows Start icon and search for "Grooper Desktop"
  • Or, open the GrooperDesktop.exe file in your "Program Files (x86) > BIS > Grooper Desktop" folder



When Grooper Desktop is opened, it automatically starts running. When it starts running, you will see a notification in the right corner of your screen, informing you "Scan Server Started".


Grooper Desktop is a system tray application.

If Grooper Desktop is open but has stopped, you will need to manually start it. You can do so from the system tray by clicking on the "G" icon.


Press the "Start" button to manually start running Grooper Desktop.

Using the Scan Viewer

Managing device selection

Before you can start scanning, Grooper needs to know what scanner is hooked up and what settings you intend to use to scan. Depending on how the Scan Viewer is configured, you may do things in one of the following ways:

  • If the Scan Viewer has a default Scanner Profile, the user will not need to configure anything. The Scan Viewer will use the device and settings defined in the Scanner Profile.
  • If no default Scanner Profile is set, the user can select and configure the scanner from scratch in the Scan Viewer.
  • If a "Scanner Profiles Folder" is defined, the user can select from one of a list of Scanner Profiles in that folder.
    • If allowed to do so, users may optionally edit existing Scanner Profiles or save scanner settings to a new Scanner Profile.

Selecting and configuring a scanner from scratch

If the Scan Viewer is not set up with a default Scanner Profile, users will be able to choose and configure a scan device from the Scan Viewer.

  • This is the default Scan Viewer configuration.
  • For Grooper designers wanting more info on how to set up a Scan Viewer in this way, see below.

1. Select scanner settings

To select a scanner from scratch in the Scan Viewer:

  1. Ensure Grooper Desktop is running.
    • If it is and you are able to select a scanner, you will see the message "Device selection required."
    • If it is not running (or is not installed), you will see the message "Grooper Desktop service not found."
  2. Press the Scanner Settings button.
  3. This will bring up the Scanner Settings window.


  2. Using the Device dropdown, select the device you are using to scan.
    • Most document scanners can use either ISIS or TWAIN drivers. Of those two, using ISIS drivers is more common because they tend to scan at a higher speed.


  2. Expand the Device settings.
  3. Using the Device Name dropdown choose your scanner model.
    • BE AWARE: You will only see devices whose drivers are installed on your workstation. Drivers must be installed before this step.


  2. Configure any remaining Scanner Settings if necessary.
    • These default settings work for most users. Commonly configured settings include Feed Orientation to indicate the orientation in which pages are scanned and Scan Once to dynamically generate black and white images to reviewers.
  3. Select "OK" when finished.


If you do need to configure device settings (color mode, resolution, duplex scanning, or other settings), continue to step 2.

If you do not need to configure your scanners device settings, you can now start scanning. Continue to step 3.

2. Configure device settings (as needed)

After selecting a scanning device, you may need to configure settings that device has. These are specific settings available to the scanner model. For example, many scanner models will allow you to choose if images are scanned in color, their resolution, and if images are scanned single-sided or double-sided. These are configured separately, using the "Device Settings" button.

After selecting a scanner, to configure its device settings:

  1. Press the "Device Settings" button.
    • You will see the Grooper Desktop status change to "not found". That's ok. Grooper Desktop must momentarily stop running to configure the device settings.
  2. Grooper Desktop will open the device settings.
  3. After configuring the scanner's settings as needed, select "OK".


3. Start scanning

With a scanning device selected and device settings configured as needed, you are ready to scan.

  1. The Grooper Desktop status will indicate "Ready".
  2. Press the "Start" button to start scanning.

Selecting a saved Scanner Profile

If the Scan Viewer is configured with a "Scanner Profiles Folder", users will be able to select from a list of preconfigured Scanner Profiles. This allows users to select a pre-saved scanner configuration instead of manually configuring the settings.

  • For Grooper designers wanting more info on how to set up a Scan Viewer in this way, see below.

"Download" a Scanner Profile

To select a scanner from a Scanner Profile in the Scan Viewer:

  1. Ensure Grooper Desktop is running.
    • If it is and you are able to select a scanner, you will see the message "Device selection required."
    • If it is not running (or is not installed), you will see the message "Grooper Desktop service not found."
  2. Press the Download Scanner Profile button.
  3. In the Download Scanner Profile' window, select a Scanner Profile from the list.
  4. Press the "Ok" button when done.
  5. Press the "Scan" button to start scanning.

Saving scan settings to a Scanner Profile

If the Scan Viewer is configured to allow users to do so, users may save scanner settings to a new Scanner Profile. This is how Scanner Profiles get created in Grooper. Scanner Profiles are a convenient way of saving scanner settings for future use.

  • For Grooper designers wanting more info on how to set up a Scan Viewer in this way, see below.

1. Select scanner and configure Scanner Settings

First, you must select a scan device and configure the "Scanner Settings". From the Scan Viewer:

  1. Ensure Grooper Desktop is running.
    • If it is and you are able to select a scanner, you will see the message "Device selection required."
    • If it is not running (or is not installed), you will see the message "Grooper Desktop service not found."
  2. Press the Scanner Settings button.
  3. Select the scanner device you want to use and configure any optional Scanner Settings you choose.
  4. Press "OK" when finished.


2. Configure device settings (if needed)

Device settings are local to the software in your scanner. These provide additional scanner settings you may want to use, such as color mode, duplex scanning, or DPI resolution. If you need to configure these settings, use the "Device Settings" to do so.

  1. Select the "Device Settings" button.
    • You will see the Grooper Desktop status change to "not found". That's ok. Grooper Desktop must momentarily stop running to configure the device settings.
  2. Grooper will open the scanner's device settings. Configure them as needed.
  3. Select "OK" when finished.


3. Save to a new Scanner Profile

With Scanner Settings and Device Settings configured as you need, you can now save these settings to a new Scanner Profile. This will upload the Scanner Profile to the Grooper web server. This allows you or other users to choose this Scanner Profile from the "Scanner Profiles folder".

  1. Select the "Upload" button.
  2. This brings up the "Save Scanner Profile" window.
  3. Name the Scanner Profile
  4. Select "OK" when finished.

Operating the Scan Viewer

Create a new Batch

To start scanning, you will need to create a new Batch in Grooper. New Batches can be created from the Batches Page or the Tasks Page.

  1. Go to the Batches Page or the Tasks Page
  2. Press the "New Batch" button.


From there, use the Create New Batch window to name the Batch and select the Batch Process you want to use.

  2. Using the Name property, name the Batch.
    • The Batch name will default to a date/time stamp.
  3. Using the Process property's dropdown, select a Batch Process.
    • Be sure to select a Batch Process whose first step is a "scan step" (a Review step with a Scan Viewer configured).
  4. Press the "OK" button when finished.


The new Batch is now ready for you to start scanning!

  2. Batches with a "Ready" status are ready for review (in your case, ready to scan).
    • Review is the "Activity" type for all user-driven Batch Process steps in Grooper. Your Grooper designer may name the step something else to make it easier for you to identify (like "Scan"). Look for a custom step name in the "Step" column.
  3. Start reviewing the Batch by either:
    • Double-clicking on the Batch (Must be "Ready" and not "Paused").
    • Right-clicking the Batch and selecting "Review"
    • Or selecting the Batch and pressing "Ctrl + R" on your keyboard.

Start scanning with the Scan Viewer

With the Scan Viewer open, you can start scanning pages into the new Batch.

  1. Be sure your machine is connected to a scanning device and Grooper Desktop is running.
    • Grooper Desktop must be running to scan pages into a Batch. This light will be red if Grooper Desktop is not running. For more information on Grooper Desktop refer to this portion of the article
    • After a scan device has been selected, it will be listed here as well.
  2. If you are not using a default Scanner Profile, configure your device selection.
    • There are many different ways to configure device selection. This will be determined by how your Grooper designer set up the Scan Viewer. For more information on how to configure device selection, refer to this portion of the article.
  3. With paper loaded into the scanner, press the "Scan" button to start scanning.


  2. As pages are scanned, they will be loaded into the Batch. You will see thumbnail previews for each page on the left and the full page in the Document Viewer on the right.
  3. Press the "Complete Task" button when finished scanning and reviewing pages. This will take the Batch to the next step in its Batch Process.
    • The "Stop" button will close the Review' task (in this case the Scan Viewer). You will not lose any work, but it will not move on to the next step in the Batch Process.
    • BE AWARE: The "Delete" button will permanently delete the Batch. There is no undo for this command. Only press this button if you are absolutely sure you want to delete the Batch.

Scan Viewer commands

Scan commands

There are several commands that allow to you continue scanning pages once you've started scanning. These commands are useful for:

  • Loading more pages into the scan feeder that need to be scanned.
  • Rescanning pages with defects, such as bent corners or pages with sticky notes on them.

There are four scan commands in the Scan Viewer. All of these commands can be accessed by right-clicking in the Scan Viewer from the "'Scan" flyout or with keyboard shortcuts.

  • Scan (Alt+Shift+S): Scans all pages in the feeder and adds them to the end of the Batch.
  • Scan Repeat (Alt+Shift+R): Scans all pages in the feeder and adds them to the end of the Batch. Grooper will then poll the scanner waiting for new pages to be added to the feeder. This allows Grooper to continuously scan in new pages while the scan operator keeps loading the feeder. To quit polling the scanner, close the "Feeder Empty" window at the bottom of the screen.
  • Scan Before (Alt+Shift+B): Scans all pages in the feeder and inserts them before the selected page in the Batch.
  • Scan After (Alt+Shift+A): Scans all pages in the feeder and inserts them after the selected page in the Batch.
Rotate commands

Any scanned page can be rotated in Grooper left or right in 90 degree increments. This allows users to correct misaligned pages and pages scanned upside down at scan-time.

There are two rotate commands in the Scan Viewer. These commands can be accessed by right-clicking a page from the "Image" flyout or with keyboard shortcuts.

  • Rotate Left (Ctrl+Left Arrow): Rotates the page left (counter-clockwise) by 90 degrees.
  • Rotate Right (Ctrl+Right Arrow): Rotates the page right (clockwise) by 90 degrees.
The Crop command

Cropping is the process of trimming the edges of an image to improve the image in one way or another. In Grooper, you can use the Crop command to remove unwanted border defects resulting from the scanner.

  • Border defects aren't just unsightly. They can interfere with OCR text recognition downstream during a Recognize step.

To crop an image in the Scan Viewer:

  1. Select the image you want to crop.
  2. In the Document Viewer, press the "Rubberband Select" button.
  3. On the page's image, draw the area you want to cut out with your cursor.
  4. Press the "Crop" button.


  2. Grooper will ask you to confirm your selection. Press "OK" to do so.
    • BE AWARE: This change is permanent once you exit the Scan Viewer. However, you can undo the crop operation by selecting the page and entering Ctrl+Z on your keyboard as long as you do so before exiting the Scan Viewer.


  2. After confirming, the edges will be trimmed, leaving you with the cropped page.

All other image adjustment commands

Several other image adjustment commands can be accessed from the Scan Viewer as well. These include:

  • Invert: Inverts the "polarity" of an image (turns black pixels white and white pixels black).
  • Skew Angle: Adjusts the angle of the image.
  • Brightness: Adjusts the images brightness. Only usable on color and greyscale images.
  • Contrast: Adjusts the image's contrast. Only usable on color and greyscale images.
  • Saturation: Adjusts the image's saturation. Only usable on color images.


To access these commands in the Scan Viewer:

  1. Select the page you want to adjust.
  2. Press the "Adjust Image" button.


This brings up the Adjust Image editor.

  2. Use these sliders to make image adjustments.
  3. Press "OK" when finished.

Keyboard Shortcuts

For a complete list of the keyboard shortcuts ("hotkeys") in the Scan Viewer, refer to the following article:


Setting up the Scan Viewer

Basic setup

These are the most basic Scan Viewer settings. With this configuration, users will be able to select and configure a scanner device from scratch in the Scan Viewer.

  1. Add a Review Step to a Batch Process
  2. Select the Views property and press the ellipsis button at the end.
  3. This brings up the Views editor.
  4. Press the "Add" button.
  5. Select Scan View from the list of Review Views.


That's it! With the default settings, users will select and configure their scanner from the Scan Viewer before scanning.

  2. Press "OK" to finish.
  3. Save changes when finished.

Defining a Scanner Profiles folder

Defining a "Scanner Profiles folder" allows users to select from one or more premade Scanner Profiles. This allows users to quickly select preconfigured device settings before scanning.

Set the "Scanner Profiles folder" in the Scan View configuration panel. From there:

  1. Select the Scanner Profiles Folder property and press the dropdown menu button.
  2. Or from the dropdown, select a folder in your Project.
    • Scan Viewer users will be able select from any Scanner Profiles in this folder.
    • If allowed, Scan Viewer users will be able to save new Scanner Profiles to this folder.


If you do not want your users to edit existing Scanner Profiles or upload new ones to the Grooper Repository, you are done at these point. Press "OK" and save your changes.

If you do want users to edit and upload Scanner Profiles, continue to the next section.

Optional: Allow Edit and Allow Upload

Scan Viewer users may optionally be allowed to edit existing Scanner Profiles and upload new ones to the "Scanner Profiles folder" by enabling the following properties.

  • Allow Edit - Enabling this property allows users to edit existing Scanner Profiles.
    • The Scanner Profiles Folder property must be configured for this property to appear.
  • Allow Upload - Enabling this property allows Scan Viewer users to upload their device settings to a new Scanner Profile. This is how Scanner Profiles are created.
    • The Allow Edit property must be configured for this property to appear.


Setting a default Scanner Profile

Setting a default Scanner Profile allows designers to configure a Scan Viewer's settings for them. The user won't have to do any manual configuration when they open the Scan Viewer. Setting a default Scanner Profile, selects the scan device for the user.

The default Scanner Profile is set in the Scan View configuration panel. From there:

  1. Select the Scanner Profile property and press the dropdown menu button.
  2. Select a Scanner Profile from your Project.
    • Scanner Profiles must be saved from a Scan Viewer (because the Scan Viewer is the only UI that connects to scanner hardware). If you need to know how to create a Scanner Profile, refer to this section of the article.


  2. (Optional) Set a "Scanner Profiles folder", if you wish for your users to be able to switch from a list of premade Scanner Profiles. Users will be able to scan using any Scanner Profile in the selected folder.
    • You can optionally enable the Allow Edit and Allow Upload properties at this point as well. Do this only if you do want users to be able to configure scan settings using the Scanner Settings and Device Settings buttons, edit existing Scanner Profiles and/or upload new Scanner Profiles.
  3. Select "OK" when finished.

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