Nuance OmniForm 3.0 Windows 95 NT User manual

OmniForm

User’s Manual

For Windows 95 and NT

CAERE CORPORATION

100 Cooper Court

Los Gatos, California

95032-3321 USA

2

Caere GmbH

Innere Wiener Strasse 5

81667 München, Germany

Caere UK Information Centre

Abbey House

4 Abbey Orchard Street

Westminster, London SW1P 2JJ

Centre d’informations Caere

50 rue des Archives

75004 Paris, France

Please Note

To use this program, you should know how to work in the Microsoft Windows environment. Please

refer to Windows documentation if you have questions about how to use menu commands, dialog

boxes, scroll bars, edit boxes, and so on.

OmniForm User’s Manual

for Windows 95 and NT (Version 3.0)

800-1281-030, A

are trademarks of Caere

Corporation.

Many of the designations used by manufacturers and sellers to distinguish their products are claimed

as trademarks. Such designations appearing in this manual have been printed in initial caps.

Introduction 3

Chapter 1

Introduction

OmniForm is the easy way to convert your paper forms to electronic

forms. Use OmniForm to edit, design, and fill forms, manage

information databases, and print and mail forms among other functions.

This chapter gives an overview of the form creation and information

management capabilities OmniForm provides, as well as an explanation

of how to use the documentation.

This chapter contains the following sections:

• OmniForm Features

• Using the Documentation

OmniForm Features

4 Introduction

OmniForm Features

OmniForm, an easy-to-use environment for working with forms, is

more than just form-recognition software. OmniForm includes the

following features:

Form Input

OmniForm uses Logical Form Recognition™ to convert your scanned

paper forms or imported image files into electronic, editable forms.

Design View

Use OmniForm’s

design view

to design your own forms or edit existing

forms. A variety of toolbars make formatting easy and convenient. Use

the scrapbook to store or copy form objects.

Fill View

Use OmniForm’s

fill view

to fill a form with the information you need.

Information entered can easily be searched and sorted. In this view, you

can take advantage of OmniForm’s validation and calculation features.

Save as a Mailable Filler

You can save your form as a mailable filler. This option is useful if you

want your form to be filled out by a user who does not have OmniForm

installed.

OmniForm Database

All information you enter into a form is stored as a part of an OmniForm

database. You can create, duplicate, sort, and search records, and import

and export database information.

Field Validation

You can set up OmniForm to

validate

a fillable field automatically.

OmniForm displays a prompt if you enter incorrect information.

Field Calculations

OmniForm’s built-in operators and functions let you define calculations

that display the correct value as you fill the appropriate field(s) in a

form. This automates data entry and reduces the possibility of errors.

Save to Microsoft Word

You can save your form to Microsoft Word format: either Word 95 or

Word 97.

Using the Documentation

Introduction 5

Form Printing and Mailing

You can print forms from OmniForm. You have a choice of printing just

the form, or just the data entered in a form (useful when you have a

preprinted form in your printer), or both the form and its information.

Use electronic mail to send forms to other users if you have Microsoft

Outlook/Exchange or Lotus cc:Mail/Notes installed. Microsoft Outlook/

Exchange users can also add routing slips to mailed forms.

Using the Documentation

This section explains the various instructional and formatting

conventions used in this manual.

Online Help

OmniForm has both online help and context-sensitive help. There are

also four online tutorials to step you through the basics, especially if you

have never used OmniForm before (the tutorials are located in the Help

menu under

Contents)

. Use the commands in the Help menu to find

information on OmniForm topics.

Click the Help button in the OmniForm standard toolbar to turn your

cursor into a question mark icon. Click any command, button, or portion

of the window to open context-sensitive help for that topic.

Formatting

Two formatting conventions are used throughout the manual.

Italicized Text

• Labeled buttons, menu commands, dialog box text, and any

text in an onscreen form are italicized; for example, “Choose

Open

in the File menu.”

Menu titles, icon names, dialog box names, and unlabeled but-

tons are not italicized.

• A new term may be italicized the first time it is used; for exam-

ple, “This is a

fill text

field.” These terms and others are defined

in the Glossary section of the manual.

• Variable entries are italicized; for example, “The entry

n

must

be between 4 and 18.”

Using the Documentation

6 Introduction

Courier font

• The Courier font indicates text that you are supposed to enter;

for example, “Type Sample1 in the

File Name

text box and click

OK.

”

• The Courier font is also used to distinguish file paths and file

and folder names from the rest of the text; for example, “Locate

the Sample form in the OmniForm folder.”

Symbols

Two symbols are used in this manual to highlight text.

This symbol means Note

.

It introduces a tip or an item of note.

This symbol means Warning

.

It introduces cautionary text.

Installation and Setup 1

Chapter 2

Installation and Setup

This chapter describes how to install OmniForm and begin using it. It

contains the following sections:

• System Requirements

• Installing OmniForm and OmniForm Filler

• Registering OmniForm

• Starting OmniForm

System Requirements

2 Installation and Setup

System Requirements

To install and run OmniForm, you need the following setup:

• Computer with an 80486 or higher processor

• VGA or SVGA monitor

• Windows-compatible mouse

• CD-ROM drive

• A minimum of 10MB hard disk space for OmniForm and up to

a maximum of 36MB

• A minimum of 4MB hard disk space for OmniForm Filler and

up to a maximum of 16MB

• A compatible scanner if you plan to scan documents

Please see

Scanner Setup Notes

, which are included in the Omni-

Form package, for a list of tested scanners

• Total system memory of at least 8MB RAM for Windows 95

(16MB recommended) and 12MB for Windows NT 4.0 (32MB

recommended).

OmniForm 3.0 for Windows 95 and Windows NT 4.0 is a 32-bit

application and will not run on earlier versions of Windows. A 16-Bit

version of OmniForm 2.01C is on your CD.

Installing OmniForm and OmniForm Filler

This section describes how to install OmniForm and OmniForm Filler on

Windows 95 and on Windows NT 4.0.

Close all applications — including screen savers, virus checkers, and

mail applications — to free up memory before installing OmniForm.

Installing on a Windows 95 or Windows NT 4.0 System

1 Start Windows 95 or Windows NT 4.0.

2 Insert OmniForm’s CD-ROM in the CD-ROM drive.

The Setup program should start automatically. If it does not,

click Start in the Taskbar and choose

Settings

Control Panel

.

The Control Panel appears.

• Double-click

Add/Remove Programs.

Registering OmniForm

Installation and Setup 3

The Add/Remove Programs Properties dialog box appears.

• Click

Install...

in the

Install/Uninstall

tab.

• Click

Next>

and then

Finish

.

The OmniForm install screen appears.

3Select

OmniForm

.

4 Follow all the instructions in the dialog boxes that appear. Dur-

ing installation, you will be prompted to enter a serial number.

You can find the serial number on the label of the CD-ROM.

OmniForm installs by default to the location c:\Program

Files. You can select another location if you wish.

5 To install the OmniForm Filler repeat the preceding instruc-

tions, but select

OmniForm Filler

when the install screen

appears instead of

OmniForm

.

Registering OmniForm

Registering your copy of OmniForm entitles you to technical support,

notification of special offers and upgrades, and the lowest price offered

on the next OmniForm upgrade.

You can use OmniForm for 25 sessions without registering it. The

Register dialog box appears the 26th time you launch OmniForm, and

the program exits if you do not register at that time.

If you purchased your product directly from Caere or if you are already

a registered user, you should not be prompted to register again.

Registering OmniForm

4 Installation and Setup

To register OmniForm by telephone:

1 Click the Register menu to open the Register dialog box.

This dialog box appears automatically the first time you start

OmniForm.

2 Locate the phone number for your country in the drop-down

list.

3 Call the phone number and ask for a registration number.

You will be asked to provide your serial and key numbers that

are listed in the Register dialog box.

4 Enter the registration number in the Register Number text box

and click

OK

.

The Registration menu disappears from the menu bar after you

register.

See “Caere Product Support” on page 9-14 for information on technical

support.

You will be asked to provide

your serial and key numbers.

When you get your registration

number, enter it here.

Closes the Register

dialog box without

registering.

Prints out your

registration

information.

Starting OmniForm

Installation and Setup 5

To register OmniForm at Caere’s Web site:

1 Click the Register menu to open the Register dialog box.

2 Open your Web browser and go to the following address:

http://www.caere.com/registration

3 Enter the requested information in the fields provided.

You will need to enter your serial number and key numbers

that are listed in the Register dialog box.

4 Click

Submit Information

when you are finished entering the

information.

You will be given a registration number.

5 Enter the registration number in the Registration Number text

box and click

OK

.

The Register menu disappears from the menu bar after you

register.

Starting OmniForm

This section describes how to launch OmniForm after it is installed.

Install your scanner and test it in Windows

before

using it with

OmniForm. Consult your scanner documentation or the scanner

manufacturer to resolve any scanner problems that may occur.

To start OmniForm:

1 Click

Start

in the taskbar and choose

Programs

Caere Applica-

tions

OmniForm 3.0

.

Starting OmniForm

6 Installation and Setup

The Form Assistant dialog box appears. It contains six options.

Each is a basic OmniForm procedure.

2 Select an option and click

Next>.

Proceed to Chapter 4, OmniForm Procedures, for detailed

information on the basic OmniForm procedures. Or, if you are

new to OmniForm try the online tutorial.

Click

Cancel

to close Form Assistant if you do not want to

choose a particular option.

Form Usage 1

Chapter 3

Form Usage

This chapter describes basic OmniForm concepts you should know

before scanning, importing or designing a new form, including the

following sections:

• Using Form Assistant

• Form Usage Options

• International Settings

Using Form Assistant

2 Form Usage

Using Form Assistant

This section describes Form Assistant and its basic OmniForm functions.

Form Assistant is a dialog box that appears when launching OmniForm.

If you are new to OmniForm, you might prefer to use the Form

Assistant, which makes decision-making easy when processing a form.

Later, you might choose to use the commands in the standard toolbar or

menu. See Chapter 4, “OmniForm Procedures” for more information

about using the commands.

This section contains the following topics:

• Opening Form Assistant

• The Form Assistant Options

• Setting the Form Assistant Startup Option

Opening Form Assistant

There are several ways to open Form Assistant.

• Form Assistant opens automatically the first time you open

OmniForm.

Click

Start

in the Taskbar and choose

Programs

Caere

Applications

OmniForm

.

• If Form Assistant is not open, you can either click the Form

Assistant button in the standard toolbar at the top of the window,

or choose

Form Assistant...

in the File menu.

The Form Assistant dialog box contains six options for basic OmniForm

procedures as described in the next section. You can also select or

deselect the option

Show on StartUp

, which determines whether the

Form Assistant dialog box appears on startup.

Using Form Assistant

Form Usage #

The Form Assistant Options

This section gives a brief description of each option in Form Assistant.

Through a series of dialog boxes, the Form Assistant easily steps you

through the process of converting your form into an electronic form.

Scan a Form or Image File

Select

Scan a form or image file

to scan a paper form or import an image

file and to determine how you will work with the form in OmniForm.

Fill in a Form

Select

Fill in a form

to fill the currently open form or to open a form and

fill it. See Chapter 6, Filling a Form, for more information.

Print a Form

Select

Print a form

to print the currently open form or to open a form and

print it.

Search a Form for Information

Select

Search a form for information

to search the currently open form for

information or to open a form and search it.

Work on a Form’s Design

Select

Work on a form’s design

to redesign the currently open form or to

open a form in design view. See Chapter 5, Designing a Form, for more

information.

Create a New, Blank Form

Select

Create a new, blank form

to open a blank page in design view.

Setting the Form Assistant Startup Option

You can enable or disable Form Assistant at startup. You can deselect

the

Show on StartUp

on the Form Assistant dialog box and click

Close>

.

OmniForm will open a blank form the next time you launch it.

Or, if you want the Form Assistant dialog box to show each time you

launch OmniForm, then make sure that the

Show on StartUp

on the Form

Assistant dialog box is selected.

Form Usage Options

4 Form Usage

Form Usage Options

This section describes form usage: how it affects the forms you scan in

or import as image files, how to select form usage, and how to change it.

This section contains the following topics:

• Choosing a Form Usage Option

• Where to Select Form Usage Options

• Changing Form Usage

Choosing a Form Usage Option

Form usage affects the way you can use a form once it is in OmniForm.

Decide how you will use a form in OmniForm

before

you scan or import

it: as a

designed

form, as an

original

form, or as a

nondesigned

form image

as described below.

OmniForm uses

Logical Form Recognition

(LFR) to identify text,

rectangles, lines, fillable areas, and graphics when it designs a form

during scanning or import. The following table provides the three usage

options — designed, original, and nondesigned form — and

recommendations for your choice.

Choose Designed

Form when you

want:

Choose Original

Form when you

want:

Choose

Nondesigned Form

when you want:

full control over a form’s

design

partial control over a

form’s design

to input a form of such

poor quality that it

would cause recogni-

tion problems

to edit all form elements

in design view

to maintain a form’s

original look

to draw new fillable

objects on the form in

design view

to create new objects in

design view

to create new fillable

objects on the form in

design view

print or mail the form

only

to fill fields in fill view to fill fields in fill view

Form Usage Options

Form Usage #

See Chapter 5, Designing a Form, for information on importing

graphics, creating objects, and using other design techniques.

See Chapter 6, Filling a Form, for information on filling fields in fill view.

Where to Select Form Usage Options

Different form usage options are available depending on whether you

open Form Assistant or choose

Scan Form...

in the File menu.

If you use Form Assistant, you can choose between the designed form

and original form options.

If you use the

Scan Form...

command, you can choose between the

designed form and nondesigned form options.

Form Assistant

You can choose to scan in or import either a designed form or an original

form in Form Assistant.

This dialog box is one of several in Form Assistant; it appears during the

scanning or import process.

Designed form option

Original form option

Form Usage Options

6 Form Usage

Scan Form Dialog Box

You can choose to scan in or import either a designed form or a

nondesigned form in the Scan Form dialog box after choosing

Scan

Form...

in the File menu.

Changing Form Usage

Choose

Form Usage...

in the View menu to change the way you can use a

form. For example:

•If you have an

original

form but decide to change the design, then

you would change the form to a designed form.

•If you have a

designed

form that you have edited but want to mail

the original form to someone, then you would change the form to

an original form.

There is no original view for a form that you design yourself in

OmniForm.

To change form usage:

1 Choose

Form Usage...

in the View menu.

The Form Usage dialog box appears.

Select this option for a

designed form. Deselect it

for a nondesigned form.

International Settings

Form Usage #

2 Select a form usage option.

•Select

Use Designed Form

to view the form as it was designed

by OmniForm on import along with any changes you have

made to the form’s design.

You can edit all text and fields, and add graphics to the form.

•Select

Use Original Form

to view the form as it looked

originally, before you scanned or imported it to OmniForm.

You can create, resize, move, delete, define, or change the

appearance of fillable fields with this option. Changes you

make to text, graphics, and nonfillable objects are not visible

until you select

Use Designed Form.

3 Click

OK.

Your form changes to reflect the selected option.

You can change the form usage from a

nondesigned

form to a designed

form. However, the form will be blank except for any fillable objects you

may have added.

International Settings

OmniForm supports different language and cultural conventions. You

can choose from 45 different

locales

in the

International

tab in the Options

dialog box

.

A locale — as defined for OmniForm usage — is a

combination of a language and a region. The language you select for a

particular region affects how your form displays currency, numbers,

and dates.

Selecting a Language for Your Form(s)

1 If you are in fill view, click the Design button in the standard

toolbar or choose

Design

in the View menu.

2 Choose

Options...

in the Tools menu.

3 Click the

International

tab.

There are two options:

Current Form

and

New Forms.

International Settings

8 Form Usage

4 Click

Current Form.

The

Language

drop-down list displays the language being used

for the currently open form. If you have the International

English or German version of OmniForm or multiple

dictionaries, a dictionary in this language will also be used

during a spell check.

You cannot change the language for this option if you open the

Options dialog box in fill view.

5 Select a language for the current form.

Changing the language of the current form could cause OmniForm

to misinterpret any data already entered in that form. OmniForm

warns you of this if at least one field is filled and you change the

Current Form

selection.

6 Click

New Forms.

The

Language

drop-down list displays the default language that

will be used for the next form you open, scan, or import.

The language selected for a new form will also become the

Current Form

selection when that form opens in OmniForm.

7 Select a language for new forms.

8 Click

OK.

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Nuance OmniForm 3.0 Windows 95 NT User manual

Nuance OmniForm 3.0 Windows 95 NT User manual

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