Thanks Kelly/Klaus The problem with big books is holding the pages flat while scanning, where the pages curve inward at the centre. Press down too hard and you break the spine, don't press down and the beginning/end of lines isn't captured. The Internet Archive has custom-built machines to help with this. I don't have the time/money to build/buy a solution like the Internet Archive one (you can find designs for them online easily enough - their solution is mainly a mechanical one).
An alternative is these CZUR scanners which use lasers to grab an image from multiple angles - including the inner curve at the centre of the book - and software to remove the distorting effects of the curvature, without needing to force the book flat. At least that's what their advertising says. Klaus Kämpf says the CZUR scanners show as webcams under Linux, unfortunately I guess that means I have to sort out the curvature correction stuff myself if I buy one. There isn't anyone working on Linux CZUR support on github I can see. I guess I'll carry on looking for an equivalent that the manufacturers do Linux support for, and if that fails buy a cheap Windows laptop. Graham On 01/09/2021 16:00, Kelly Price wrote: > Jason (@textfiles) got back to me off Twitter and says: > > Various DSLR cameras and Linux, with a huge set of modified > scanning software pulled from open sources abd also developed > internally. > > This also means you could do this with the Raspberry Pi's High Quality > camera... and use V2L tools to take the scan: > https://youtu.be/8fcbP7lEdzY for how. > > On Wed, Sep 1, 2021 at 10:51 AM Kelly Price <[email protected]> wrote: >> >> This sounds kinda like Internet Archive work. Let me ask Jason Scott >> for where to ask about what they use for scanning books. >> >> On Wed, Sep 1, 2021 at 10:30 AM Graham Seaman <[email protected]> wrote: >>> >>> I've been using a Canon flatbed scanner with SANE, but now need to scan >>> quite thick books I can't manage on that without destroying the books. >>> So I'm looking at getting a CZUR scanner - overhead laser based, eg. >>> https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B07TJTVVB6/ - which should work better for >>> this use case. But it looks like they are not supported by SANE. Is >>> there any chance there may be in the near future, or are there similar >>> scanners that SANE already supports? >>> >>> I don't have a Mac or Windows laptop, only Linux, so SANE support is >>> important for me. >>> >>> Thanks >>> >>> Graham >>> >> >> >> -- >> Kelly "STrRedWolf" Price >> http://redwolf.ws > > >
