Code & Text

Read Single 1D/2D Code

This node allows you to read a single 1D/2D code from your image. The following formats are supported:

Type	Use cases	Benefits
Codabar	Medicine (blood banks, laboratory samples) Libraries Logistics and courier services	Simple, very robust code that works well even with old or basic printers.
Code 39	Industry (Automotive, Defense, Aerospace) Inventory and Asset Tracking Access Cards	Can display letters, numbers, and some special characters. Commonly used in industrial applications.
Code 93	Extension/Optimization of Code 39 Logistics, Internal System Codes	Higher data density and reliability than Code 39; supports the same character set but requires less space.
Code 128	Shipping labels (e.g., UPS) Logistics & Warehousing GS1-128 for standardized goods and supply chain information	Very compact, supports the full ASCII set. Ideal for storing a lot of information in a small space.
EAN-8	Small-format products (e.g., chewing gum, small cosmetic products)	Same function as EAN-13, but shorter. Used when there isn't enough space for a large label.
EAN-13	European retail, supermarkets	International standard for consumer goods labeling. Scanned everywhere in stores.
ITF	Packaging units / cartons (not individual products!)	Good for printing on corrugated cardboard, very resistant to distortion. Encodes only numbers.
MSI	Price tags Inventory management Library systems (older systems)	Simple integration, but less standardized. Only encodes numbers.
RSS-14	Fresh produce (e.g., fruits, vegetables) Coupons Global supply chains	Can store more information (e.g., batch or expiration dates) in a smaller space than EAN/UPC.
UPC-A	Retail trade in the USA / Canada	North American equivalent of the EAN-13 (12 digits).
UPC-E	Sehr kleine Verpackungen im US-Einzelhandel	Very small packages in US retail

Flow

Our example uses a File Camera component and two String variables to extract the text and format of the code.

For preprocessing, we need the Binary Threshold node. A threshold value, for example, 128, is applied to the input image, converting the pixels to black and white. The result is a region that we can use to extract the code.

Postprocessing requires the Break Code Result node. This structure must be broken down for further processing so that the recognized code content and its format can be extracted.

Parameter set

Parameter	Type	Description
Region	Region	Binary image, which can be generated via preprocessing, e.g. via the Binary Threshold node, and is needed for reading codes.
Return	Code Result	The value embedded in the code is returned as a code result, which includes "Text" and the "Code format". Use a "Break Code Result" node to access the individual parts of the result.

Read Data Matrix Code

This node allows you to read a Data Matrix code from your image. A Data Matrix code is a two-dimensional code consisting of black and white square modules arranged in a grid pattern.

Flow

Our example uses a File Camera component and a variable of type String array to read the text or results. No pre- or post-processing of the reading operation is necessary.

Parameter set

Parameter	Type	Description
Image	Image	The input image, which contains the Data Matrix code.
Return	String (Array)	Return value in the form of a string array containing all values embedded in the code.

Read Text

This node allows you to read text in your image, also known as OCR (optical character recognition).

Flow

Our example uses a File Camera component, a String variable to read the text, and a Single variable to evaluate the quality of the read operation. No pre- or post-processing of the read operation is necessary.

The Read Text node requires a language and a mode to be specified. Currently, German and English are available. The mode is required to improve accuracy based on the text structure.

Parameter set

Parameter	Type	Description
Image	Image	The opening image, which contains the text.
Language	TextLanguage	The language in which the text is stored. This node can currently handle German and English. Therefore, valid values are English and German.
Mode	Mode	Automatic: Fully automatic page segmentation, but no on-screen display (OSD). Automatic Only: Automatically detects the text layout without checking alignment or language. Automatic OSD: Automatically detects the text layout on the page and determines alignment and language. Circle Word: Assumes the image contains a word in a circle. OSD Only: Determines only the text's alignment and language without reading the text. Raw Line: Treats the image as a single line of text and ignores any special processing by the software. Single Block: Useful when the image contains a block of text with a uniform font size and alignment, such as in a book or email. Single Block Vertical Line: Useful when the image contains a vertically aligned block of text. Single Char: Useful when the image contains only a single character. Single Column: Useful when the image contains a single column of text with varying font sizes, such as in a spreadsheet or receipt. Single Line: Useful when the image contains a single line of text, such as a logo, license plate, or label. Single Word: Useful when the image contains only one word, such as a logo or label. Sparse Text: Attempts to find as much text as possible within the image, regardless of order or alignment. Sparse Text OSD: Similar to "Sparse Text," but with OSD functionality.