VRS
4.1 Frequently Asked QuestionsVRS 4.2 is the most recent release of the VirtualReScan (VRS) product.
2. What additional languages is VRS 4.1 translated into?
3. Is VRS 4.1 a hardware or software product?
4. How has the VRS 4.1 licnse terminology change?
7. What features are found with a VRS Professional license?
8. What are the available VRS license categories?
9. How fast will VRS run my scanner? Will VRS slow down my scanner?
10. Are there any optional hardware components needed for VRS to work?
11. There are so many scanners
now certified with version 4.1. Can Kofax help me make
the right choice?
14. Can I install VRS 4.1 with other versions of VRS?
15. Is VRS 4.1 certified with my existing hardware-assisted VRS installation?
18. Does VRS support grayscale and color scanning?
19. Does VRS do any image processing when scanning in grayscale or color?
20. What is the difference between VRS with and without AIPE?
22. What types of applications are supported by VRS 4.1?
23. Is there a demo version of VRS?
1. How do I upgrade to VRS 4.1?
2. How do I upgrade to VRS 4.1 if VRS 4.0 was included with my scanner?
3. How do I upgrade from VRS 4.0 Standard or VRS 4.1 Basic to VRS 4.1 Professional?
1. What are the VRS 4.1 system requirements?
2. What Operating Systems are supported by VRS 4.1?
3. What scanners are supported in VRS version 4.1?
4. Will Kofax add more scanner models to the list of certified scanners?
5. VRS 4.1 Certified vs. Non-Certified Scanners
6. What interfaces are certified with VRS 4.1?
7. Does VRS version 4.1 require an Adrenaline SCSI controller?
8. What SCSI scanner controllers does VRS 4.1 support?
9. Can I use VRS 4.1 with an Adrenaline 850S board?
10. Does VRS version 4.1 support non-Kofax SCSI controllers?
11. Does VRS version 4.1 support USB and Firewire Scanners?
12. VRS 4.1 and USB or FireWire interface installations.
13. What components are installed with VRS 4.1?
14. What components are removed or uninstalled with VRS 4.1?
15. Installation sequence for VRS 4.1.
1. How does Check for Updates work?
2. What is the Scanner Configuration Utility?
3. Where is the Restore Default Values (RDV) utility program?
4. Where is the Scan Demo program that used to be installed with VRS?
5. Does my scanning application need to be updated to work with VRS?
6. How do I get VRS to work with my scanning application?
7. Why doesn't VRS work with B/W only scanners?
8. How can I get programmatic control of VRS in my application?
10. When should I use Advanced Clarity?
12. My application does not work with VRS. What do I do?
If the FAQs below do not provide you with the information you need, please visit our Knowledgebase to search for the information.
1. What are the new features in VRS 4.1?
2. What additional languages is VRS 4.1 translated into?
Including the default language of English, VRS 4.1 will automatically switch to one of the following languages based upon the language of the Windows Operating System used while the VRS 4.1 installation is run:
3. Is VRS 4.1 a hardware or software product?
Both … whether VRS hardware or software VRS is recommended depends on the specific scanner. Please use one of the links below to review the VRS 4.1 certified scanners. Hardware VRS scanners contain “Kofax” in the driver column. If the driver listed is ISIS or TWAIN, the scanner is supported by software VRS.
Version 4.1 supports both hardware and software scanner configurations.
Except for the Böwe Bell+Howell 8000 series scanners and the Fujitsu fi-5900 scanner, the new VRS 4.10 Professional features are software-based and are not assisted by any pre-existing VRS hardware installations.
4. How has the VRS 4.1 license terminology changed?
If you are upgrading to VRS 4.1 from VRS 4.0, you will notice a change in licensing terminology. The class of features licensed as “VRS Plus” in VRS 4.0 has been renamed to “VRS Professional.” Likewise, the class of features licensed as “VRS Standard” has been renamed to “VRS Basic.” In keeping with this change, one item has changed on the Tools menu in the VirtualReScan Interactive Viewer: the “Enable Plus Features Demo” option has been renamed to “Enable Professional Features Demo.” Also, some items that displayed on the Help menu in VRS 4.0 have been relocated to the Kofax VRS program folder: Check for Updates and Activate VRS.
VRS 4.1 Basic was previously referred to as VRS Standard. VRS Basic includes Kofax’s traditional crop/deskew and automatic brightness and contrast adjustment, with the VRS user interface, profiles, and trapping functionality. For more information on the VRS Basic functionality, please refer to our complete VRS documents available on the VRS 4.1 Technical Documentation Web page.
VRS Professional was previously referred to as VRS Plus. VRS Professional is the complete feature set of VRS 4.1, including the traditional crop/deskew and automatic brightness and contrast adjustment from the VRS user interface, profiles, and trapping functionality, as well as:
7. What features are found with a VRS Professional license?
In addition to the basic features that are available with every VRS installation, an extended set of VRS “Professional” features is available to users who have the appropriate license.
Users who have a Desktop, Workgroup, or Production class license have access to VRS Professional features; users with a Basic license have the option of previewing VRS Professional features by selecting Tools | Enable Professional Features Demo from the VirtualReScan Interactive Viewer. While the VRS Professional Features Demo is enabled, users can take advantage of the Professional features and a Kofax logo is stamped on all scanned images. For more information about the VRS Basic and VRS Professional feature sets, refer to the VRS User’s Guide or the VRS online Help.
8. What are the available VRS license categories?
The VRS license categories are based on support for feature sets (VRS Basic and VRS Professional), as well as scanner throughput (pages per minute or ppm). VRS can be used with a wide range of certified scanners that accommodate different levels of throughput.
| License |
Description |
|---|---|
VRS
Basic |
Supports basic VRS features; used primarily with certified scanners with throughput up to 40 ppm. |
| VRS
Professional for Desktop Scanners |
Supports basic VRS features, VRS Professional features, and certified scanners with throughput up to 25 ppm. |
VRS
Professional for Workgroup Scanners |
Supports basic VRS features, VRS Professional features, and certified scanners with throughput from 25 to 50 ppm. Also supports the Adrenaline Image Processing Engine (AIPE) with Enhanced Bar Code features (for details, refer to Using VRS with the Adrenaline Image Processing Engine on page 6). |
| VRS
Professional for Production Scanners |
Same as VRS for Workgroup Scanners, with additional support for scanner throughput that exceeds 50 ppm. |
9. How fast will VRS run my scanner? Will VRS slow down my scanner?
When scanning black and white images, VRS switches the scanner
to grayscale mode. VRS then analyzes and processes the grayscale
image before it is converted to a black and white image. Some
scanners slow down when used in grayscale mode.
For scanning in color, VRS requires uncompressed color images.
Some scanners speeds are rated for compressed image scanning.
Some scanners slow down when delivering uncompressed images.
Since a Software VRS configuration uses the computer to perform
image processing, the speed of the computer’s processor
and the amount of memory also influence the throughput. All
certified VRS scanners are tested for maximum speed. Use one
of the links below to determine the speed of the VRS 4.1 certified
scanners.
10. Are there any optional hardware components needed for VRS to work?
Any of the required image processing hardware for the scanner is already incorporated in the scanner. VRS 4.1 is available with and without Adrenaline hardware. It is highly recommended that you use a VRS-certified Adrenaline 450, 650, or 650i board for your VRS document imaging solution.
11. There are so many scanners now certified with version 4.1. Can Kofax help me make the right choice?
VRS dramatically improves productivity of any document or data capture solution and optimizes the image quality of all certified scanners and makes it possible to scan a wider range of documents without tuning any settings. Which VRS-certified scanner is appropriate is influenced by a number of factors, such as speed of the scanner, need for simplex or duplex, dimensions of the scanner, flatbed or ADF, price range, etc. Please use one of the links below to review the VRS 4.1 certified scanners.
In addition, you can check out www.kofax.com/partners for links to scanner manufacturers’ Web sites to help you make your choice.
12. I can purchase VRS Professional for Workgroup Scanning or VRS Professional for Production Scanning for SCSI or USB. When should I select one over the other?
When you purchase a new VRS Professional part number for SCSI scanning, an Adrenaline board is included. When you purchase a new VRS Professional part number for USB or Firewire scanning, the AIPE and EBC features are included.
13. I have a scanner certified by Kofax and recommended as a VRS Professional for Desktop Scanning, but I would like an Adrenaline 650i or I require AIPE or EBC. What should I do?
To get this functionality, purchase a VRS Professional for Workgroup scanning license. The highest category assumes the functionality and certification of all lower categories.
14. Can I install VRS 4.1 with other versions of VRS?
It depends. You can install 4.1 over previous version of Software VRS 3.5, 3.5a, or VRS 4.0. If you are upgrading from older versions of VRS (2.0, 2.1, or 3.0) you should uninstall the current version before installing VRS 3.5. Refer to the VirtualReScan (VRS) 4.1 Installation Guide for information on uninstalling VRS, or contact Kofax Technical Support by using the Kofax Web Incident Management System or calling 949-727-1733).
If you would like to upgrade please click here to download VRS 4.1, or you can contact your reseller for an upgrade to VRS Professional. An upgrade kit can be purchased by ordering part number UP-2000-0000. Unfortunately, VRS 4.10 cannot be installed on the same computer that has earlier VRS 1.0 versions installed.
15. Is VRS 4.1 certified with my existing hardware-assisted VRS installation?
Yes, the upgrade will work on any VRS 3.0 or better, hardware-assisted VRS installation. The Professional features, however, are not hardware-assisted and will use computer processing (with the exception of the Bell+Howell Spectrum scanners and the Fujitsu fi-5900 scanner with Color processing features that are hardware-assisted).
16. Does my scanner need to produce a black background for the VRS deskew function to work? How do I know if my scanner is white or black background?
No. VRS does not require a black background in order to deskew an image. VRS is capable of deskewing an image based on content, regardless of the scanner background.
You can check the VRS product pages at www.kofax.com for information on the background of your scanner. If you are using a VRS-certified scanner, Kofax has created specific settings for each scanner that match the background of the scanner and create the best possible image from the scanner. These settings are in use automatically when you select a VRS-certified scanner during installation.
17. Does my scanner need to produce a black background for the VRS autocrop and border removal functions to work?
VRS 4.1 crops, deskews, and removes boarders from images created with black or white background scanners. Sometimes a white background scanner creates an image for which the color of the image is the same as the background of the scanner. When this occurs, VRS 4.1 can determine the edge of the document by assessing the content.
18. Does VRS support grayscale and color scanning?
Yes. VRS does support grayscale and color scanning. The throughput speed depends on the speed of the scanner you use and the type of image it outputs.VRS requires uncompressed images. If your scanner creates JPG compressed images by default, VRS will ask for uncompressed images, which may not match the color rated speed of the scanner.
19. Does VRS do any image processing when scanning in grayscale or color?
Yes. VRS can perform color and grayscale deskew and crop. You can also use the unique VRS interactive interface to adjust color and grayscale brightness and contrast. Just as in Black and White mode, VRS updates the color and grayscale image in real time, while adjusting the brightness and contrast sliders. However, any filters or sliders in the Noise panel are inactive when scanning in color or grayscale. These filters are reserved for black and white scanning only. VRS 4.1 Professional can automatically detect color images or black and white images in a mixed batch and output the correct image type. VRS 4.1 Background Smoothing (or Color Saturation) detects the uniform or true color background of a color image and saturates to it, providing a higher quality image visually with a smaller file size. VRS 4.1 Auto Orientation and Blank Page Deletion are also available for color scanning.
20. What is the difference between VRS with and without AIPE?
While VRS provides world-class thresholding, cropping, and deskew, AIPE (or the Adrenaline Image Processing Engine) is a Kofax software product that adds a range of functions to your ImageControls scan application. AIPE software includes the Enhanced Bar Code engine and Patch Code detection, which support any image type (bitonal, grayscale or color). For bitonal image processing, AIPE provides Forms Recognition, On-the-Fly Rotation, Line Removal, and a range of Image Enhancement Filters. AIPE is also a solution for stored images of any format: color, grayscale or bitonal. VRS is scan time productivity tool.
21. I have VRS with AIPE. I have noticed that the Adrenaline Image Processing Engine also has crop and deskew functions. Should I use crop and deskew in VRS, or in the Adrenaline Image Processing Engine?
Always use crop and deskew in VRS and disable crop and deskew in the Adrenaline Image Processing Engine. VRS performs crop and deskew on the grayscale image; the Adrenaline Image Processing Engine performs these functions on the binary black and white image. VRS grayscale image processing is far superior and produces sharper, more accurate, and more compact images than any binary image processing.
22. What types of applications are supported by VRS 4.1?
VRS 4.1 is designed to work with any application based on the Kofax ImageControls toolkit, an ISIS programming interface, or a TWAIN programming interface. VRS 4.1 is certified for use with a wide range of ImageControls-developed applications including Kofax Ascent Capture 6.1, 7.0, and 7.5, and Capio 1.5.
23. Is there a demo version of VRS?
Yes, you can run a demo version of VRS Desktop and Workgroup category scanners. In demo mode, VRS randomly stamps a Kofax logo on your scanned images.
24. I have comments on the VRS product, or I’d like to ask some questions about future releases of VRS, share ideas, or talk about a good reference site. Who should I talk to?
Please send your comments and questions to info@kofax.com
1. How do I upgrade to VRS 4.1?
VRS 4.1 is a free upgrade available from www.kofax.com.
A current VRS 3.5 or VRS 4.0 Standard user would download VRS 4.1 from our Web site and install on top of the existing installation. This installation provides VRS Basic features support.
A current VRS 4.0 Plus user would download and install VRS 4.1 from our Web site and install on top the existing installation This installation provides VRS Professional features support.
2. How do I upgrade to VRS 4.1 if VRS 4.0 was included with my scanner?
VRS 4.1 is a free upgrade available from www.kofax.com. Current VRS OEM users can download VRS 4.1 from the Kofax Web site and install it to update their existing installation. In the near future, our scanner manufacturer/OEM partners will include VRS 4.1 in the box with their scanners.
3. How do I upgrade from VRS 4.0 Standard or VRS 4.1 Basic to VRS 4.1 Professional?
Please use our Scanner Configurator on the Kofax Web site at www.kofax.com to determine the correct VRS Professional license for your scanner and feature requirements. The upgrade should be purchased from your VAR or VAD. Alternatively, the upgrade can be purchased online in North and Central America via our Scanner Configurator or via the “Buy Now” option in your VRS Basic installation.
If you currently have VRS 3.5 (or higher) installed, you can successfully upgrade to VRS 4.1 without removing your existing installation. If your current VRS installation is a version released prior to VRS 3.5, you must upgrade to VRS 3.5 before upgrading to VRS 4.1. If necessary, do one of the following to verify your existing VRS version:
For more information about removing VRS, refer to the Removing VRS section in the VirtualReScan (VRS) 4.1 Installation Guide beginning on page 69.
For details about upgrading your VRS 3.5 or VRS 4.0 installation, refer to the VirtualReScan (VRS) 4.1 Release Notes.
Minimum Requirements
Recommended Requirements
2. What Operating Systems are supported by VRS 4.1?
VRS 4.1 supports the following operating systems.
3. What scanners are supported in VRS version 4.1?
VRS 4.1 supports over 60 certified scanners. Use one of the links below to locate the VRS 4.1 certified scanners.
4. Will Kofax add more scanner models to the list of certified scanners?
Yes. However, be aware that VRS can only function with scanners that output color or gray images. If a scanner can only output black and white images, it will never work with VRS. We are continuously working on expanding the number of VRS-certified scanners by monitoring this segment of the market. Please use one of the links below to locate the VRS 4.1 certified scanners.
5. VRS 4.1 Certified vs. Non-Certified Scanners
When a scanner is certified for VRS, it goes through a rigorous testing process during which the best default settings are identified and selected. For this reason, we recommend that you use VRS only with certified scanners. Also, Kofax Technical Support is available only for VRS-certified scanners. You can use the links on the VRS product pages on the Kofax Web site at www.kofax.com to view the list of VRS certified scanners. In addition to listing the scanner name and manufacturer, the VRS product pages include the following information:
VRS is capable of working with some non-certified or “compatible” scanners, if they have been configured with the new Scanner Configuration Utility (SCU). It is important to be aware that you may experience less than optimal image quality when using a non-certified scanner with VRS. Not every scanner can be used with VRS. To be compatible with VRS, a non-certified scanner must meet the following requirements:
For more information about using non-certified scanners with VRS, refer to the VirtualReScan (VRS) 4.1 Installation Guide.
6.What interfaces are certified with VRS 4.1?
USB, SCSI, and FireWire interfaces are certified with VRS 4.1.
7. Does VRS version 4.1 require an Adrenaline SCSI controller?
That depends. For any SCSI scanner which uses a hardware-assisted VRS solution, an Adrenaline board is required and included in the bundle. For all other categories of VRS, the Adrenaline board is optional, but highly recommended for the best overall VRS experience. For additional information on performance and configurations, please check the VRS product pages at www.kofax.com.
8. What SCSI scanner controllers does VRS 4.1 support?
9. Can I use VRS 4.1 with
an Adrenaline 850S board?
No, we do not support the Adrenaline 850s, 850v, 1700s, or
1700v with VRS 4.1.
Yes. For a list of the current generic SCSI controllers Kofax has certified, please see the VRS product pages at www.kofax.com. However, using an Adrenaline board will often improve scanning throughput because it is designed for scanning, while Adaptec or other non-Kofax SCSI boards are not. Because other SCSI boards are intended to be used with CD-ROMs, DVDs, and hard disk drives, they use small blocks of memory to transfer the data from the device to the host. When the larger image data generated by scanners is transferred through non-Kofax SCSI boards, it takes longer and, as a result, the scanner’s throughput is reduced. Adrenaline boards are designed to handle this larger amount of data and can, therefore, allow scanners to run at their rated speed.
Yes. Refer to one of the locations below to determine which USB and Firewire scanners are VRS 4.1 supported.
12. VRS 4.1 and USB or FireWire interface installations.
Some VRS scanners are supported by a USB or FireWire interface. If your scanner requires a USB or FireWire interface, there are specific installation instructions that apply to your scanner. Refer to the USB and FireWire Installations section in the VirtualReScan (VRS) 4.1 Installation Guide beginning on page 46 for more information.
For the majority of certified scanners, VRS will also install the scanner drivers.
14. What components are removed or uninstalled with VRS 4.1?
The KSM (Kofax Source Manager) is removed with the installation of VRS 4.1. A KSM entry is placed in the Control Panel, but if you select it, you are redirected to the Scanner Configuration Utility.
RDV (Restore Default Values Utility) is removed with the installation of VRS 4.1. This functionality is replaced by the Scanner Configuration Utility.
The Scan Demo 2.0 demonstration application is removed with the installation of VRS 4.1. Unfortunately, runtimes previously installed with Scan Demo are no longer compatible with VRS. Simply reinstall Scan Demo 4.1 from the VRS 4.1 CD or download it from our Web site and reinstall it.
15. Installation sequence for VRS 4.1.
You should complete the VRS 4.1 installation sequence in this order:
*VirtualReScan (VRS) 4.1 Installation Guide
What should I know about VRS 4.x and AC 7.x?
You can install VRS 4.1 successfully over an existing Ascent Capture 7.0 or Ascent Capture 7.5 installation.
VRS 4.x is installed “silently” as part of all Kofax Ascent Capture 7.x installations. Therefore, it is not necessary to install VRS separately if you have an Ascent Capture 7.x installation already in place. When installed silently with Ascent Capture, VRS does not appear as a separate entry on the “Currently installed programs” list in the Add or Remove Programs utility.
VRS 4.0 is installed silently with Ascent Capture 7.0.
VRS 4.1 is installed silently with Ascent Capture 7.5.
In an Ascent Capture installation, the availability of VRS functionality is dependent upon the terms of the Ascent Capture license.
For additional details, refer to your Ascent Capture documentation found on the appropriate Ascent Capture Technical Documentation Web page and the VirtualReScan (VRS) 4.1 Release Notes.
1. How does Check for Updates work?
If you have a VRS Professional license, Check for Updates will launch at the end of an installation to see if there are service packs, update or patches available and present them for installation. Check for Updates will run periodically on its own, or it can be either rescheduled or suppressed by a user.
If you have a VRS Basic license, Check for Updates will launch at the end of an installation and provide information regarding upgrading their VRS license from Basic to Professional. VRS Basic users must check the VRS 4.1 Patch Downloads Library Web page to see if any updates are available and, if so, download and install them.
2. What is the Scanner Configuration Utility?
The Scanner Configuration Utility is a tool that installs automatically with VRS 4.1. The Scanner Configuration Utility is designed to better manage configuring scanners, both installing new scanners for use with VRS and for switching between scanners for use with VRS. Scan sources created by previous installations of VRS will migrate with VRS 4.1 and the Scanner Configuration Utility automatically. The Scanner Configuration Utility replaces the Kofax Source Manager (KSM) and the RDV utility.
3. Where is the Restore Default Values (RDV) utility program?
The Restore Default Values utility is not compatible with VRS
4.1. If a copy of the RDV utility existed on your computer from
an earlier release, RDV was detected during the VRS 4.1 or Ascent
Capture 7.5 installation process, and the installer removed
it.
If necessary, you can use the Scanner Configuration Utility
to restore VRS default property values. For details, refer to
Restoring VRS Default Settings on page 11 of the Scanner Configuration
Utility Application Note.
4. Where is the Scan Demo program that used to be installed with VRS?
Scan Demo 2.0 is not compatible with VRS 4.1. During VRS 4.1 installation, any existing instance of Scan Demo 2.0 is removed automatically by the VRS 4.1 installer.
If you wish to use Scan Demo with VRS 4.1, you must install Scan Demo 4.1, which is available from the VRS installation CD. If you purchased VRS 4.1 online, Scan Demo 4.1 is available from the Scan Demo folder included in the files that you downloaded from the Kofax Web site.
5. Does my scanning application need to be updated to work with VRS?
No. VRS was specifically designed so that no ISVs (Independent Software Vendors) would be forced to make changes to their scanning applications. After installation, VRS appears as another scanner in the scanner selection window of your application. However, some of the older scanning applications were written before color scanning was possible. You may find your scan application cannot support the Automatic Color Detection capabilities of VRS 4.x. Please check our Knowledgebase for updates on these issues, or contact your application provider for information regarding any potential limitations.
6. How do I get VRS to work with my scanning application?
Setting up VRS is easy. With your scanning program already installed on your computer, install VRS. The VRS installer will ask you to select the scanner you want to use. Once VRS software has been installed, launch your scanning software as usual. When selecting the scanner you would like to use from within an ImageControls scan application, you will see a scanner source entitled “<Your Scanner Model> with SVRS.” VRS is activated as soon as you select this scanning source. For ISIS or TWAIN scan applications, select the “Kofax VRS Scanner” or “Kofax Software VRS – TWAIN” scan source in your application’s scanner selection window.
7. Why doesn't VRS work with B/W only scanners?
Because VRS requires the grayscale image to perform its industry-leading image processing, VRS can only support scanners producing grayscale or color.
8. How can I get programmatic control of VRS in my application?
Currently, this capability is not available
9. I'm using a non-certified scanner with VRS, and I don’t get the image quality that I expect from VRS. Can I call for support?
We only offer technical support on Kofax certified scanners and configurations. Kofax has a strenuous certification program that extensively tests VRS and the scanner with all supported Windows operating systems. If an uncertified scanner is configured, Kofax technical support will only be able to assist you with installation questions and configuring a VRS source.
10. When should I use Advanced Clarity?
Advanced Clarity is an option available from the Clarity panel in the VRS user interface. It should be used on exceptionally challenging, complicated documents. The best results can be found with Advanced Clarity when the document has excessive background noise or distortion. More information can be found on the performance settings for Advanced Clarity and other VRS Professional features in the VRS User’s Guide or the VRS online Help.
11. Where can I find more information on how to use the VRS interactive sliders as well as other features and settings to adjust my images?
http://www.kofax.com/events/webinar/index.asp#vrs
12. My application does not work with VRS. What do I do?
Please contact Kofax Technical Support at 949-727-1733 (selection 2 from the main menu) or by using the Kofax Web Incident Management System. Please have the following information available:
Kofax is continuing to increase the number of applications in its certification list and we welcome recommendations.
Use the menu options in the upper left side of this page to access additional VRS product support Web pages.
For details regarding technical support available for all Kofax products, please review the current Support Overview & Options and Product Support Eligibility Matrix Web pages.
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