ScanTools lets you use a personal
computer to control a Scantron scanner. You use the computer to process,
store, and retrieve the data collected by the scanner.
With ScanTools software, you can:
Create unique scanning
applications - sets of rules for collecting data from forms and storing
it on disk (Application Definition).
Tell the scanner what
to do in the event of errors (Edit Profiles).
Define standards for
validating scanned data (Edit Profiles).
Modify the data collected
from scanning (Editing).
Convert the format
of data files so that they can be used by other software packages (Conversion
Profiles).
Scan key sheets for
scoring.
Score tests during
scanning or after test data is in a file on disk (Score Profiles).
Archive images (with
image technology scanners only) of scanned forms for later processing
or other purposes.
Decode bar codes (with
image technology scanners only) and collect data from scanner-mounted
bar code readers.
Scan plain paper, laser-printed
forms that contain form ID marks and timing marks (with image technology
scanners only and an optional ScanFlex module).
Scan and recognize
machine printed and hand printed text (with image technology scanners
only and an optional RealTime Character Recognition module).
Capture image clips
(with image technology scanners only) from scanned forms for use during
editing or key from image (KFI)
processes.
Download applications
to selected OpScan and OpScan iNSIGHT 2/4 (OMR only) scanners to perform
data collection operations at the scanner rather than at the personal
computer (Download Plus Utility).
Apply User Exits to
perform custom operations during the scanning, editing, or scoring operations.
By using ScanTools software, you benefit from the efficiency
of collecting data with a scanner and the flexibility and power of processing
data with a computer.
Scanner Read Technology
Both OMR and Image scanners are supported by ScanTools
software:
Optical
Mark Recognition (OMR only) scanners, including OpScan and EZData
models, capture mark information from forms by means of read heads that
contains light sources and sensors exactly matched to the spacing and
shape of the mark positions on the forms.
Image
scanners, including the OpScan iNSIGHT, 5000i, iNSIGHT 20/20 Plus, and iNSIGHT
30 models, capture mark and other types of information from forms by two
means:
OpScan iNSIGHT
2/4 scanners use Contact Image Sensor (CIS)
Array read head technology to record the image of the form as it passes
through the read head.
The OpScan
iNSIGHT 70/150, 5000i, iNSIGHT 20/20 Plus, and iNSIGHT 30 scanners use two cameras
to record the image of the form as it passes through the read head.
For details about computer and scanner requirements,
see System Requirements.
For each scanner read technology, ScanTools software
then interprets the data from the form. Information is collected from
the data and stored in a file on disk. After it is stored on disk, the
information can be displayed on the computer screen, printed out, or used
by an application software program (other than ScanTools).
Using ScanTools, you provide the computer with certain
information needed to compile information from scanned forms successfully,
including:
Where the response
positions (the "bubbles" or "ovals" or "check
boxes" that can be marked) are located on a form.
What information the
response positions on a form represent.
What constitutes a
valid mark on a form.
What format to put
the collected data in.
Where to send the data.
Where image clips are
located.
ScanTools Functions
ScanTools software uses application definitions, edit
profiles, conversion profiles, and score profiles to provide the scanner
and the computer with the information they need to know to successfully
collect data from forms.
An application definition is a set of rules governing
how forms are scanned and how data from them is collected and stored.
Among other things, an application specifies where to find data on a form
including OMR response positions and what constitutes a valid mark on
a form. It tells the computer what the response positions on a form represent
and what format data from scanning should be stored on disk. It also defines
bar code data capture and, for image scanners, image clip areas.
You create application definitions using the ScanTools Application Designer.
If background form images are available for your form, they can be displayed
in the Application Designer grid definition area so that you can more easily
and accurately locate and define the grids on your form.
Another way of controlling how data is collected
is using edit profiles. An edit profile is a set of rules for determining
whether data collected from scanning is valid or not, and what to do if
it isn't. An edit profile can also be
used to modify data after it has been written to a file.
A score profile is a set of rules for scoring test
data that is scanned from forms and for printing and storing data from
scoring. Score profiles can
be used to score tests during scanning or to score test data that is in
a file on disk. After they are created, score profiles (including
key sheets) can be stored on disk and modified.
The data scanned from forms is stored in a data
file in a format established by Scantron. The data can be reformatted
to be able to imported into another software program. A conversion
profile is a set of rules for converting data that is scanned from
forms into a different format.
ScanTools Capabilities
Whether an OMR or image technology scanner is used,
ScanTools software includes a variety of functions and capabilities that
enable the user to capture data completely, accurately, and efficiently.
ScanTools capabilities include:
If an image scanner such as the OpScan iNSIGHT,
5000i, or iNSIGHT is used, ScanTools software is based on the clipping
of images; that is, rather than saving the entire image from every piece
of paper passed through the scanner, ScanTools saves only those portions
of the image, the image
clip, that you will need later for Key From Image (KFI),
edit correction, or archiving. ScanTools software supports a clip region
for each grid, bar code, and graybox. This is the area that will be clipped
on edit failure or for archive.
Because the Scantron image scanning system is based
on forms printed in dropout ink colors, attempting to perform OMR editing,
KFI from a
clip, or viewing an archived clip would simply show bubbles suspended
in space with no context information. Therefore, ScanTools software supports
a background image form, which is merged with the clips at edit or archive
time, resulting in clips positioned over a picture of the form.
Image
archiving is the process of extracting individual image clips and
associated items from the master clip file created during or after scanning,
and writing the archival clips as separate entities into a user-defined
directory. It is a process of rearranging clips and fields from the data
record into a format more comprehensible to some other archiving software.
User Exits
give you an easy way to add custom capabilities to ScanTools software.
You can initiate actions during scanning, editing, and scoring that cannot
be caused using ScanTools software alone. This gives you greater flexibility
to tailor ScanTools software to your applications.
ScanFlex,
in combination with an OpScan iNSIGHT 70/150, 5000i, iNSIGHT 20/20 Plus, iNSIGHT
30, or OpScan iNSIGHT 2/4 with Imaging scanner, gives you the ability
to scan "plain paper" data collection forms with the same performance and
data integrity as traditional OMR scanners and forms. ScanFlex takes advantage
of image technology scanning by adapting to variations in printed forms
during scanning. This makes it possible to reliably scan forms printed
to more less tightly defined tolerances, including PostScript laser printing.
ScanFlex is an optional module.
The Download
Plus Utility allows you to program OpScan and OpScan iNSIGHT 2/4 (OMR
Only) scanners using a download command file that is sent from a host
computer. The commands in this file control how the scanner collects data
from forms during scanning. Download uses the information in a ScanToolsApplication file to create
the command file. Using Download Plus Utility the scanner returns data
to the host in the form of ASCII coded records rather than the image of
the form.
RealTime Character Recognition, in combination with
an OpScan iNSIGHT 70/150, 5000i, iNSIGHT 20/20 Plus, iNSIGHT 30, or OpScan iNSIGHT
2/4 with Imaging scanner, gives you the ability to scan and recognize
machine printed and hand printed text. RealTime Character Recognition
is an optional module.
ScanTools is a suite of products; the specific information you want may appear in the help for a different module. If you don't find what you're looking for here, try one of the following:
This help system may contain links to third party websites ("Linked Sites"). The Linked Sites are not under the control of Scantron and Scantron is not responsible for the content of any Linked Site, including without limitation any link contained in a Linked Site or any changes or modifications to a Linked Site. Scantron is not responsible for web casting or any other form of transmission received from any Linked Site. Scantron provides Users with the ability to link the Assessment System to the Linked Sites as a convenience to you, and the inclusion of any link does not imply endorsement by Scantron of the Linked Site or any association with its operators.
Application Definition