This tool performs document layout analysis (segmentation) from image data and returns the results as [PAGE-XML](https://github.com/PRImA-Research-Lab/PAGE-XML).
It can currently detect the following layout classes/elements:
In addition, the tool can be used to detect the _[ReadingOrder](https://ocr-d.de/en/gt-guidelines/trans/lyLeserichtung.html)_ of regions. The final goal is to feed the output to an OCR model.
For the purpose of text recognition (OCR) and in order to avoid noise being introduced from texts outside the printspace, one first needs to detect the border of the printed frame. This is done by a binary pixel-wise-segmentation model trained on a dataset of 2,000 documents where about 1,200 of them come from the [dhSegment](https://github.com/dhlab-epfl/dhSegment/) project (you can download the dataset from [here](https://github.com/dhlab-epfl/dhSegment/releases/download/v0.2/pages.zip)) and the remainder having been annotated in SBB. For border detection, the model needs to be fed with the whole image at once rather than separated in patches.
As a next step, text regions need to be identified by means of layout detection. Again a pixel-wise segmentation model was trained on 131 labeled images from the SBB digital collections, including some data augmentation. Since the target of this tool are historical documents, we consider as main region types text regions, separators, images, tables and background - each with their own subclasses, e.g. in the case of text regions, subclasses like header/heading, drop capital, main body text etc. While it would be desirable to detect and classify each of these classes in a granular way, there are also limitations due to having a suitably large and balanced training set. Accordingly, the current version of this tool is focussed on the main region types background, text region, image and separator.
In a subsequent step, binary pixel-wise segmentation is used again to classify pixels in a document that constitute textlines. For textline segmentation, a model was initially trained on documents with only one column/block of text and some augmentation with regard to scaling. By fine-tuning the parameters also for multi-column documents, additional training data was produced that resulted in a much more robust textline detection model.
This is an image to image model which input was low quality of an image and label was actually the original image. For this one we did not have any GT, so we decreased the quality of documents in SBB and then feed them into model.
* A minimum area is defined for text regions in relation to the overall image dimensions, so that very small regions that are noise can be filtered out.
* Deskewing is applied on the text region level (due to regions having different degrees of skew) in order to improve the textline segmentation result.
* After deskewing, a calculation of the pixel distribution on the X-axis allows the separation of textlines (foreground) and background pixels.
* Finally, using the derived coordinates, bounding boxes are determined for each textline.
In order to run this tool you also need trained models. You can download our pretrained models from [qurator-data.de](https://qurator-data.de/eynollah/).
First, this model makes use of up to 9 trained models which are responsible for different operations like size detection, column classification, image enhancement, page extraction, main layout detection, full layout detection and textline detection.That does not mean that all 9 models are always required for every document. Based on the document characteristics and parameters specified, different scenarios can be applied.
* If none of the parameters is set to `true`, the tool will perform a layout detection of main regions (background, text, images, separators and marginals). An advantage of this tool is that it tries to extract main text regions separately as much as possible.
* If you set `-ae` (**a**llow image **e**nhancement) parameter to `true`, the tool will first check the ppi (pixel-per-inch) of the image and when it is less than 300, the tool will resize it and only then image enhancement will occur. Image enhancement can also take place without this option, but by setting this option to `true`, the layout xml data (e.g. coordinates) will be based on the resized and enhanced image instead of the original image.
* For some documents, while the quality is good, their scale is very large, and the performance of tool decreases. In such cases you can set `-as` (**a**llow **s**caling) to `true`. With this option enabled, the tool will try to rescale the image and only then the layout detection process will begin.
* If you care about drop capitals (initials) and headings, you can set `-fl` (**f**ull **l**ayout) to `true`. With this setting, the tool can currently distinguish 7 document layout classes/elements.
* In cases where the document includes curved headers or curved lines, rectangular bounding boxes for textlines will not be a great option. In such cases it is strongly recommended setting the flag `-cl` (**c**urved **l**ines) to `true` to find contours of curved lines instead of rectangular bounding boxes. Be advised that enabling this option increases the processing time of the tool.
* To crop and save image regions inside the document, set the parameter `-si` (**s**ave **i**mages) to true and provide a directory path to store the extracted images.
* This tool is actively being developed. If problems occur, or the performance does not meet your expectations, we welcome your feedback via [issues](https://github.com/qurator-spk/eynollah/issues).
