My Derby Submission: Flex Barcode Reader
I have finally submitted my Flex2 application into the Adobe Developer Derby contest. It was built with Flex2 Beta3 and is pretty cool, well at least I think so.
What is the Flex Barcode Reader Component?
The Flex Barcode Reader Component is a Flex2 component that can read barcodes through the use of a web cam and the flash player. The current implementation reads UPC/EAN (ie: CDs, Books, *DVDs) barcodes. The lookup for product information is geared for the US only and comes from Amazon.
Barcode Reader in Flex? Why not. Since Flash 8 introduced the Bitmap API a big world of image manipulation and analysis can be explored.
This version of the component has been made specifically for the Flex2 Developers Derby. Find more information about the derby here.
Barcode Basics and the Web Cam Rules
The quality and features of your particular web cam can affect the usuability of this component. Web cameras capable of 640×320 and 30 frames a second work the best. There are some issues with web cams with a fixed focus lens, as barcodes are generally read within a inch or two.
I have tested 2 cameras, Intel CS330 and Kinamax WCM-6LNV (less than $20 on newegg) with good results. I plan to test more web cams in the future.
Example pictures of barcodes read with a web cam:
Kinamax Example 1
Intel Example 1
Watch out for glare, lighting, low resolution, and focus issues. Feel free to email renaun (at) renaun (dot) com with screen shots of any issues you are having with barcodes you are trying to scan.
Grab a Web Cam and Try it out!
This is where you do the scanning. There are a few options you can mess with:
Scan Rate – The number of scans in a second, this affects the CPU usage and quality of reads. The higher the setting the more the CPU usage but the better chance of a read.
Success Action – “Amazon Lookup” or “Continuous Scanning”, The first one tries to look up the product information on Amazon, the 2nd just shows you the scanned number below and keeps on scanning (good for testing).
Switch Video Mode – changes between 640×480 and 320×240