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Software’s at the heart

The interfaces that control how a user operates a scanner were once frustratingly complex. Septién notes that ease of use has improved greatly in recent years with the advent of LCD touch-screen displays for changing options like scale, dots per inch, and color selection. “Basically, it is like a copy machine,” he says.“Our new [Océ] unit is very easy to use. There is no guesswork.” Scanning documents to electronic formats usually requires more familiarity with the interface software, says Septién. “Saving to a particular file format is not a ‘one button’ operation,” he says.

In addition to the software that simplifies the user interface, Océ’s Faye says, “All large-format scanners come with at least a basic level of scan-management software.” For example, VB-Clean scan-management software from Paradigm Imaging Group helps to deskew, despeckle, crop, and perform other “cleaning” tasks on scanned documents. It can also be used to repair faint and broken characters. The company’s VB-Index automatically captures and displays title block information for easy referencing of large quantities of drawings. Drawing information can then be stored in a Microsoft Access database for future reference.

Tools for managing scanning tasks are also available in many CAD software packages, such as AutoCAD and Microstation.

Money matters, future trends

Large-format scanners are among the most expensive pieces of equipment used by a firm. While quality stand-alone, large-format scanners can be found in the $8,000 range, multifunction devices and the combination of components used by AEC firms can cost as much as $35,000 or more. XES’s Neiss says, “Depending on scan speed and color options, the XEScan Solution can range from $13,000 to $29,000.” He adds, “The company’s DS line of monochrome multifunction devices that are oriented for copy performance can range from $25,000 to $28,000, depending on hardware and software features included.”

Océ’s TDS600 multifunction unit works well for high-volume situations. The company’s Scan-to-Archive software also helps firms digitize their print sets.

If wide-format printing is a priority and scanning is only a secondary need, Kyocera Mita has a series of 600 dpi printers with scanner add-on capability. The company offers a high-end, stand-alone, large-format copier that can be upgraded to include scanning and printing capabilities at a cost between $30,000 and $60,000. The company also has two 600 dpi printers that range from $17,500 to $24,000 that be equipped with an optional scanner for less than $12,000.

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Many reprographics houses offer leasing agreements for scanners that can be cost-competitive with purchasing them outright. The cost of such services varies widely depending on the type of device and the volume of scanning done.

Faye sees developments in large-scale scanners focusing on color enhancement and sharing data on the Web. “We are seeing the advancement of color as a key component in scanning, although the resulting electronic files are huge. Sharing massive files is an issue we’re addressing in a number of ways,” he says. Neiss says XES is developing a proprietary algorithm that will compress the large files that result from increased color, higher variations of grayscales, and the use of embedded 3D images.