Read Challenging Barcodes with Custom Scan Parameters

Issue: Vehicle Identification Number (VIN) is sometimes accompanied with a code 39 extended barcode underneath. The placement is usually very tight and close to the series of digits resulting in a barcode with zero upper and lower margin. Many barcode scanners fail to read such barcodes. Solution: Dynamsoft offers many barcode localization methods catering to different usage scenarios. The Lines localization method localizes barcodes by searching for groups of lines. This is optimized for 1D and PDF417 barcodes which is suitable for identifying barcodes with little margin. JSON Template: { "ImageParameter": { "LocalizationModes": [ { "LibraryFileName": "", "LibraryParameters": "", "Mode": "LM_LINES" } ], "Description": "", "Name": "Settings", "Timeout": 99999 }, "Version": "3.0" } Test Decoding × Upload Local File Decode Binarized image produced by Dynamsoft Barcode Reader: Template for Dynamsoft Barcode Reader: JavaScript Code Snippet to Use the Template: barcodeReader.initRuntimeSettingsWithString(template); Image Source: https://universe.roboflow.com/kirill-sergeev/vin-detection/

Issue: It’s very common that an image taken may present some shadows. The barcode area with uneven lighting is a very challenging decoding situation that many scanners fail to read. Solution: Dynamsoft Barcode Reader provides an adaptive binarization mode BM_LOCAL_BLOCK which caters to different lighting areas in the image in order to successfully decode these challenging barcodes. JSON Template: { "ImageParameter" : { "BinarizationModes": [ { "BlockSizeX": 0, "BlockSizeY": 0, "EnableFillBinaryVacancy": 1, "ImagePreprocessingModesIndex": -1, "LibraryFileName": "", "LibraryParameters": "", "Mode": "BM_LOCAL_BLOCK", "ThresholdCompensation": 10 } ], "Name": "Settings" }, "Version" : "3.0" } Test Decoding × Upload Local File Decode Binarized image produced by Dynamsoft Barcode Reader: Template for Dynamsoft Barcode Reader: JavaScript Code Snippet to Use the Template: barcodeReader.initRuntimeSettingsWithString(template);

Issue: When it comes to scanning hundreds of barcodes in an image, Dynamsoft offers many optimization settings to effectively and quickly batch scan QR Codes. Solution: First, set the barcode type to QR code if your image only contains this type of code to reduce decoding time. Next, set the ImagePreprocessingModes to eliminate blurriness and set the ThresholdCompensation in BinarizationModes higher to improve the binary image with a dark background. Then, try different localization methods to accurately pinpoint the barcode locations. At last, set the ExpectedBarcodesCount to a large number such as 999 to make sure that the algorithm works really hard to decode as many barcodes as possible. JSON Template: { "ImageParameter" : { "BinarizationModes": [ { "BlockSizeX": 0, "BlockSizeY": 0, "EnableFillBinaryVacancy": 1, "ImagePreprocessingModesIndex": -1, "LibraryFileName": "", "LibraryParameters": "", "Mode": "BM_LOCAL_BLOCK", "ThresholdCompensation": 20 } ], "LocalizationModes": [ { "LibraryFileName": "", "LibraryParameters": "", "Mode": "LM_CONNECTED_BLOCKS" }, { "IsOneDStacked": 0, "LibraryFileName": "", "LibraryParameters": "", "Mode": "LM_SCAN_DIRECTLY", "ScanDirection": 0, "ScanStride": 0 }, { "LibraryFileName": "", "LibraryParameters": "", "Mode": "LM_STATISTICS" }, { "LibraryFileName": "", "LibraryParameters": "", "Mode": "LM_LINES" } ], "BarcodeFormatIds": [ "BF_QR_CODE", "BF_MICRO_QR" ], "ExpectedBarcodesCount": 999, "ImagePreprocessingModes": [ { "LibraryFileName": "", "LibraryParameters": "", "Mode": "IPM_GENERAL" }, { "LibraryFileName": "", "LibraryParameters": "", "Mode": "IPM_GRAY_EQUALIZE", "Sensitivity": 5 }, { "LibraryFileName": "", "LibraryParameters": "", "Mode": "IPM_GRAY_SMOOTH", "SmoothBlockSizeX": 3, "SmoothBlockSizeY": 3 } ], "Name": "Settings" }, "Version" : "3.0" } Test Decoding × Upload Local File Decode Binarized image produced by Dynamsoft Barcode Reader: Template for Dynamsoft Barcode Reader: JavaScript Code Snippet to Use the Template: barcodeReader.initRuntimeSettingsWithString(template);

Issue: The barcodes are blurry. The image might be taken in motion or low resolution. Solution: There are some parameters we can adjust to improve the reading rate. Set the deblurLevel to 9 (0 - 9) so that it will try to spend extra effort to read blurred barcodes. Set the ExpectedBarcodesCount to a higher value like 999 so that it will try all the available image processing methods. Set ImagePreprocessingModes to preprocess the image. Set ScaleUpModes to scale up modules if their size is too small. JSON Template: { "ImageParameter": { "BarcodeFormatIds": [ "BF_ITF" ], "BarcodeFormatIds_2": [ "BF2_NULL" ], "DeblurLevel": 9, "Description": "", "ExpectedBarcodesCount": 999, "ImagePreprocessingModes": [ { "LibraryFileName": "", "LibraryParameters": "", "Mode": "IPM_GENERAL" }, { "LibraryFileName": "", "LibraryParameters": "", "Mode": "IPM_GRAY_EQUALIZE", "Sensitivity": 5 }, { "LibraryFileName": "", "LibraryParameters": "", "Mode": "IPM_GRAY_SMOOTH", "SmoothBlockSizeX": 3, "SmoothBlockSizeY": 3 } ], "ScaleUpModes":["SUM_LINEAR_INTERPOLATION(0,4,6)"], "Name": "Settings", "Timeout": 99999 }, "Version": "3.0" } Test Decoding × Upload Local File Decode Binarized image produced by Dynamsoft Barcode Reader: Template for Dynamsoft Barcode Reader: JavaScript Code Snippet to Use the Template: barcodeReader.initRuntimeSettingsWithString(template);

Issue: When a barcode is wrapped on a cylindrical object such as a pop can, the resulting barcode image is curved. The deformed barcode is very challenging to scan correctly. Solution: Dynamsoft Barcode Reader SDK provides several image processing methods to combat deformation. These helps to scan curved, crumpled, distorted and other types of challenging barcodes. JSON Template: { "ImageParameter": { "BarcodeFormatIds": [ "BF_QR_CODE", "BF_MICRO_QR" ], "BarcodeFormatIds_2": [ "BF2_NULL" ], "DeformationResistingModes": [ { "Level": 5, "LibraryFileName": "", "LibraryParameters": "", "Mode": "DRM_GENERAL" }, { "Level": 5, "LibraryFileName": "", "LibraryParameters": "", "Mode": "DRM_BROAD_WARP" }, { "Level": 5, "LibraryFileName": "", "LibraryParameters": "", "Mode": "DRM_DEWRINKLE" } ], "Description": "", "Name": "Settings", "Timeout": 99999 }, "Version": "3.0" } Test Decoding × Upload Local File Decode Binarized image produced by Dynamsoft Barcode Reader: Template for Dynamsoft Barcode Reader: JavaScript Code Snippet to Use the Template: barcodeReader.initRuntimeSettingsWithString(template);

Issue: Often you might find that a barcode is damaged, for example, scratched, marked up, or incomplete with missing corners, etc. Solution: We can try different localization methods to identify the location of the barcode that is severely damaged and then use our proprietary algorithm to complete the QR Code to improve the decoding rate. JSON Template: { "ImageParameter" : { "BarcodeFormatIds": [ "BF_QR_CODE", "BF_MICRO_QR" ], "LocalizationModes" : [ { "LibraryFileName" : "", "LibraryParameters" : "", "Mode" : "LM_CONNECTED_BLOCKS" }, { "LibraryFileName" : "", "LibraryParameters" : "", "Mode" : "LM_SCAN_DIRECTLY", "ScanDirection" : 0, "ScanStride" : 0 }, { "LibraryFileName" : "", "LibraryParameters" : "", "Mode" : "LM_STATISTICS" }, { "LibraryFileName" : "", "LibraryParameters" : "", "Mode" : "LM_LINES" } ], "ImagePreprocessingModes": [ { "LibraryFileName": "", "LibraryParameters": "", "Mode": "IPM_GENERAL" }, { "LibraryFileName": "", "LibraryParameters": "", "Mode": "IPM_GRAY_EQUALIZE", "Sensitivity": 5 }, { "LibraryFileName": "", "LibraryParameters": "", "Mode": "IPM_GRAY_SMOOTH", "SmoothBlockSizeX": 3, "SmoothBlockSizeY": 3 } ], "BarcodeComplementModes": [ { "Mode": "BCM_AUTO" } ], "Name": "Settings", "Timeout" : 100000 }, "Version" : "3.0" } Test Decoding × Upload Local File Decode Binarized image produced by Dynamsoft Barcode Reader: Template for Dynamsoft Barcode Reader: JavaScript Code Snippet: barcodeReader.initRuntimeSettingsWithString(template);

Issue: Barcodes printed on a textured background are more difficult to decode. For example, the barcodes in the sample image are printed on a red-striped backgroud, which affects the binarization result. Solution: We can increase the weight of the red channel during the binarization process to reduce the impact of the red stripes. JSON Template: { "ImageParameter": { "ExpectedBarcodesCount": 2, "ColourConversionModes": [ { "BlueChannelWeight": 0, "GreenChannelWeight": 0, "LibraryFileName": "", "LibraryParameters": "", "Mode": "CICM_GENERAL", "RedChannelWeight": 1000 } ], "Description": "", "Name": "Settings", "Timeout": 3500 }, "Version": "3.0" } Test Decoding × Upload Local File Decode Binarized image produced by Dynamsoft Barcode Reader: Template for Dynamsoft Barcode Reader: JavaScript Code Snippet: barcodeReader.initRuntimeSettingsWithString(template);

Issue: The higher the QR code version, the more data modules there are and the more challenging it is to read such dense QR codes. Solution: Dynamsoft Barcode Reader uses a special algorithm optimized for reading a dense QR code. Set the appropriate ScaleUpModes, which determines the process for scaling up an image for detecting barcodes with a small module size. JSON Template: { "ImageParameter" : { "BarcodeFormatIds" : ["BF_QR_CODE"], "ScaleUpModes":["SUM_LINEAR_INTERPOLATION(0,4,6)"], "Name" : "Settings", "ScaleDownThreshold" : 99999, "Timeout":5000 }, "Version" : "3.0" } Test Decoding × Upload Local File Decode Binarized image produced by Dynamsoft Barcode Reader: Template for Dynamsoft Barcode Reader: JavaScript Code Snippet: barcodeReader.initRuntimeSettingsWithString(template);

Issue: Direct Part Marks (DPM) are codes, symbols, and texts that are etched or printed directly onto the surface of a part, which has a different texture from marks printed on paper. They are often inverted on a dark surface. Solution: Enable the DPM reading mode and invert the color of the image using GrayscaleTransformationModes. JSON Template: { "Version": "3.0", "ImageParameter": { "Name": "Test1", "GrayscaleTransformationModes":[ { "Mode":"GTM_INVERTED" } ], "DPMCodeReadingModes":[ { "Mode":"DPMCRM_GENERAL" } ], "DeblurLevel": 9, "Timeout": 99999 } } Test Decoding × Upload Local File Decode Binarized image produced by Dynamsoft Barcode Reader: Template for Dynamsoft Barcode Reader: JavaScript Code Snippet to Use the Template: barcodeReader.initRuntimeSettingsWithString(template);

Issue: When you scan a barcode displayed on a flat-screen TV, a mobile phone, LCD or LED screens, the image contains roughly parallel dark and light bands superimposed, called the moiré pattern. The interfering pattern makes decoding the barcode very challenging. Solution: Dynamsoft Barcode Reader SDK provides an image processing step to remove the moiré texture and would quickly decode the barcode. JSON Template: { "ImageParameter" : { "TextureDetectionModes": [ { "LibraryFileName": "", "LibraryParameters": "", "Mode": "TDM_GENERAL_WIDTH_CONCENTRATION", "Sensitivity": 5 } ], "Name": "Settings" }, "Version" : "3.0" } Test Decoding × Upload Local File Decode Binarized image produced by Dynamsoft Barcode Reader: Template for Dynamsoft Barcode Reader: JavaScript Code Snippet to Use the Template: barcodeReader.initRuntimeSettingsWithString(template);