OCRchie Software/Hardware Requirements

There are several requirements your system must meet to compile and run OCRchie (NOTE: users of less than the complete package may not need to meet all of the following requirements) .

Compiler/Library Requirements

You will need a standard C++ compiler with the usual math, string, stdio, stdlib and stdarg libraries to compile OCRchie. (g++ strongly recommended) X11, Tcl-7.4, Tk-4.0 and TIFF libraries are also required (though Tk and X11 will not be needed if the user interface is not being used).

Memory Requirements

Memory requirements for OCRchie are substantial. For a 2500x3000 pixel TIF image (roughly an 8.5x11 inch page scanned at 300dpi), you will need about 2 megabytes of free memory for the data structures (the image is stored in a bitmap requiring 7.5 megabits, and a run-length-encoded structure with varying space requirements) If your text has a small point size, the required amount of memory can increase significantly. It has yet to be determined how much memory the user interface requires.

Processor Requirements

There are no specific processor requirements, but processing the image can take longer than 15 seconds for some operations, so of course, the faster the processor the better. (I ran it on an HP 715/100 for my test cases). For some processors the fonts that we used for the TCL/TK user interface may not be available. Change the FONT and SMALLFONT variables in new_ui.tcl if you have a problem with our fonts.

Operating System Requirements

OCRchie was written with a UNIX platform in mind. System functions for file manipulation, memory allocation may differ on other platforms and my need to be changed. Since the user interface is in Tcl/Tk and there is currently no easy to use text alternative, UNIX/LINUX is highly recommended

Input Image Requirements

Input Images must be 2-level (black and white) TIFF files. 300dpi resolution is recommended. Images at 600dpi will take very long to display and rotate. (min-is-black and min-is-white formats both supported).