ISO freeware like Transcript but will accept / open PDF files

[Ferguson]

Transcript v2.1 is a nice program by Jacob Boerema. It helps when
transcribing text from original digital images (e.g., JPG, BMP, GIF)
of documents by having two separate windows (or viewers) displayed on
the screen at the same time. The original image is shown in the
"picture viewer" and your text file of the image's content is opened in
the "editor." It is not an OCR program (i.e., it does not convert the
image to text). Transcript is intended to help when transcribing by
enabling a person to see both the image file and the text transcription
file at the same time.)

My problem is that I would like to open PDF files in the "picture
viewer," which the program is unable to do, and then to visually
compare and then edit the transcribed or OCR content in the editor
window.

The program's author advised that this is not a feature of Transcribe,
and I wondered whether anyone knows of a similar program that would
allow me to view a PDF file in one window and the text version in a
separate window - both windows being on the screen at the same time.
But not an OCR program.

I am using Win98SE and Win XP Pro.

Transcript (Version 2.1.1 build 28 - October 14, 2005) can be found at:
http://home.wanadoo.nl/jgboerema/en/Freeware.htm

Many thanks.

Ferguson

 

[Roger Johansson]

Transcript v2.1 is a nice program by Jacob Boerema. It helps when
transcribing text from original digital images (e.g., JPG, BMP, GIF)
of documents by having two separate windows (or viewers) displayed on
the screen at the same time.

My problem is that I would like to open PDF files in the "picture
viewer," which the program is unable to do, and then to visually
compare and then edit the transcribed or OCR content in the editor
window.

I see very little need for this program, transscribe, for people who
know how to handle windows built-in functions.

You can set a picture viewer to open in the top half of the screen,
showing the picture, and set a text editor, like metapad, to open in
the lower part of the screen so you can write down the text you see in
the picture.

If you configure your pdf viewer to open in the upper half of the
screen you have the problem solved.

This process can be automated with a batch file which first looks at
the file type, a picture or pdf, start the appropriate program to show
the picture/pdf file,
start the text editor with a file name based on the picture/pdf file,
in the lower half of the screen.

If you do not like this solution you may be able to find a converter
between pdf and picture format so you can view pdf as picture inside
transscribe.

 

[Jacob Boerema]

Hi Roger,

I see very little need for this program, transscribe, for people who
know how to handle windows built-in functions.

If you only occasionally do something like this you may be right.

You can set a picture viewer to open in the top half of the screen,
showing the picture, and set a text editor, like metapad, to open in
the lower part of the screen so you can write down the text you see in
the picture.

But if you're transcribing large amounts of images you wouldn't want
to have swith all the time between both programs to move the visible
part of the image or load another image. I have just done about 3000
pages of court information of about 1660.
I can just use the keyboard from within the editor to move the image
or load another image. Both editor an image position are remembered,
just to name a few of the things that make it a lot easier transcring.

 

[Roger Johansson]

But if you're transcribing large amounts of images you wouldn't want
to have swith all the time between both programs to move the visible
part of the image or load another image.

Don't you have a mouse?
Moving the cursor to another program activates that program and you can
drag or scroll with your mouse.

I can just use the keyboard from within the editor to move the image
or load another image. Both editor an image position are remembered,
just to name a few of the things that make it a lot easier transcring.

Programs like image viewers and text editors normally remember the
position and size so they open in the same place and shape every time,
if you set them to do that.
That's why the operating system is called Windows, it can handle
simultaneous programs in separate windows.

But I understand that there are advantages of using a special program
too, especially if you do not know how to write a script to handle this
automatically.

The best solution is probably to get some freeware writer to create a
plugin or add-on for pdf files for Transscribe. Or make transscribe
allow other programs to open inside its upper area.

 

[Jacob Boerema]

Don't you have a mouse?
Moving the cursor to another program activates that program and you can
drag or scroll with your mouse.

Well not having to use the mouse is just one of the advantages: to
avoid RSI it's better not to have to use the mouse all the time,
second your hands don't need to leave the keyboard to move the image,
which means it's also faster.
Even if you do want to use the mouse it's faster from within
Transcript because as soon as you release the mouse button the focus
is returned to the editor, so no need to focus the editor window by
using the mouse. (Of course this can optionally be turned off.)
There are also options to automatically move the image window a user
definable amount every time you press enter or when the paragraph
wraps to the next line.

Programs like image viewers and text editors normally remember the
position and size so they open in the same place and shape every time,
if you set them to do that.

Well Irfanfiew certainly does not do that (only partially with Shift+L
in fullscreen mode) but you may be right that some other image
programs have some options for this but probably not all that I have
and that are specifically useful for transcribing.

That's why the operating system is called Windows, it can handle
simultaneous programs in separate windows.

Indeed but all windows programs consist of many windows to handle
tasks pertaining the use of that program.

But I understand that there are advantages of using a special program
too, especially if you do not know how to write a script to handle this
automatically.

I do know how to write scripts and it's true that some tasks could be
done using that, but I don't think you could do everything as
efficiently as from within one program.

The best solution is probably to get some freeware writer to create a
plugin or add-on for pdf files for Transscribe. Or make transscribe
allow other programs to open inside its upper area.

If someone knew an api to extract images from a pdf I would be happpy
to try to integrate that, but by far the majority of users take their
own photo's and use jpg's, besides that it shouldn't be too difficult
to take a snapshot either using the inbuilt windows capabilities or an
external program.