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.NET TWAIN image scanner

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12 May 2002Public Domain2 min read 7.8M   132.7K   421   997
Using TWAIN API to scan images

Sample Screenshot

Abstract

In Windows imaging applications, the most used API for scanning is TWAIN www.twain.org. Unfortunately, the new .NET Framework has no built-in support for TWAIN. So we have to work with the interop methods of .NET to access this API. This article doesn't explain this interop techniques, and good knowledge of the TWAIN 1.9 specifications is assumed! The sample code included doesn't present a finished library, only some essential steps for a minimal TWAIN adaption to .NET applications.

Details

First step was to port the most important parts of TWAIN.H, these are found in TwainDefs.cs. The real logic for calling TWAIN is coded in the class Twain, in file TwainLib.cs.. As the TWAIN API is exposed by the Windows DLL, twain_32.dll, we have to use the .NET DllImport mechanism for interop with legacy code. This DLL has the central DSM_Entry(), ordinal #1 function exported as the entry point to TWAIN. This call has numerous parameters, and the last one is of variable type! It was found to be best if we declare multiple variants of the call like:

C#
[DllImport("twain_32.dll", EntryPoint="#1")]
private static extern TwRC DSMparent(
    [In, Out] TwIdentity origin,
    IntPtr zeroptr,
    TwDG dg, TwDAT dat, TwMSG msg,
    ref IntPtr refptr );

The Twain class has a simple 5-step interface:

C#
class Twain
{
    Init();
    Select();
    Acquire();
    PassMessage();
    TransferPictures();
}

For some sort of 'callbacks', TWAIN uses special Windows messages, and these must be caught from the application-message-loop. In .NET, the only way found was IMessageFilter.PreFilterMessage(), and this filter has to be activated with a call like Application.AddMessageFilter(). Within the filter method, we have to forward each message to Twain.PassMessage(), and we get a hint (enum TwainCommand) back for how we have to react.

Sample App

The sample is a Windows Forms MDI-style application. It has the two TWAIN-related menu items Select Source... and Acquire... Once an image is scanned in, we can save it to a file in any of the GDI+ supported file formats (BMP, GIF, TIFF, JPEG...)

Limitations

All code was only tested on Windows 2000SP2, with an Epson Perfection USB scanner and an Olympus digital photo camera. The scanned picture is (by TWAIN spec) a Windows DIB, and the sample code has VERY little checking against error return codes and bitmap formats. Unfortunately, no direct method is available in .NET to convert a DIB to the managed Bitmap class... Some known problems may show up with color palettes and menus.

Note, TWAIN has it's root in 16-Bit Windows! For a more modern API supported on Windows ME/XP, have a look at Windows Image Acquisition (WIA).

License

This article, along with any associated source code and files, is licensed under A Public Domain dedication


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Comments and Discussions

 
GeneralIs it possible to scan just one document from feeder Pin
zodiacseven11-Aug-09 3:20
zodiacseven11-Aug-09 3:20 
GeneralUse Duplex with Driver Twain - Help URGENT Pin
IvesBertoli30-Jul-09 2:44
IvesBertoli30-Jul-09 2:44 
GeneralRe: Use Duplex with Driver Twain - Help URGENT Pin
JohnSims19418-Sep-09 0:47
JohnSims19418-Sep-09 0:47 
GeneralRe: Use Duplex with Driver Twain - Help URGENT Pin
bennyshani19-Oct-09 11:38
bennyshani19-Oct-09 11:38 
GeneralRe: Use Duplex with Driver Twain -Going Insane Pin
morke4-Jan-10 1:23
morke4-Jan-10 1:23 
GeneralRe: Use Duplex with Driver Twain -Going Insane Pin
bennyshani4-Jan-10 3:19
bennyshani4-Jan-10 3:19 
GeneralRe: Use Duplex with Driver Twain -Going Insane Pin
morke4-Jan-10 23:02
morke4-Jan-10 23:02 
Generalrunning to dead when cancel Pin
pclion17-Jun-09 18:04
pclion17-Jun-09 18:04 
when i scanning multi-page documents, then cancel it to pause the operation, the program run into dead.

pclion

AnswerRe: running to dead when cancel Pin
Wolexie21-Jun-09 2:01
Wolexie21-Jun-09 2:01 
Generalchange the source of the image to be acquire Pin
AlexG Solutions9-Jun-09 11:09
AlexG Solutions9-Jun-09 11:09 
GeneralRe: change the source of the image to be acquire Pin
Vankir24-Nov-09 7:07
Vankir24-Nov-09 7:07 
General1bpp b/w DIB problem Pin
nasharu17-Apr-09 8:27
nasharu17-Apr-09 8:27 
GeneralRe: 1bpp b/w DIB problem Pin
__Gianluca__13-Oct-09 3:10
__Gianluca__13-Oct-09 3:10 
GeneralYou are a living legend! Pin
martincook6-Apr-09 8:31
martincook6-Apr-09 8:31 
QuestionUsing Twain driver : dsuerif does not wait user response from userinterface and returns directly a SUCCESS call Pin
Member 39059881-Apr-09 0:42
Member 39059881-Apr-09 0:42 
Question[Ask] 2 Image in one Click Pin
Reivina15-Mar-09 22:49
Reivina15-Mar-09 22:49 
AnswerRe: [Ask] 2 Image in one Click Pin
ppmax17-Mar-09 3:57
ppmax17-Mar-09 3:57 
JokeRe: [Ask] 2 Image in one Click Pin
Wolexie10-Jun-09 1:44
Wolexie10-Jun-09 1:44 
GeneralRe: [Ask] 2 Image in one Click Pin
realfake116-Sep-09 21:14
realfake116-Sep-09 21:14 
GeneralRe: [Ask] 2 Image in one Click Pin
nakashi27-Nov-11 2:04
nakashi27-Nov-11 2:04 
GeneralPb with Threading Pin
ppmax9-Mar-09 22:49
ppmax9-Mar-09 22:49 
Generalscanner & application is gettig hanged Pin
Ashtekar Amit4-Mar-09 19:13
Ashtekar Amit4-Mar-09 19:13 
General[HELP]No "Select Source..." window appears! Pin
Palermo4ever16-Feb-09 4:32
Palermo4ever16-Feb-09 4:32 
GeneralRe: [HELP]No "Select Source..." window appears! Pin
Fiorebat17-Apr-09 2:12
Fiorebat17-Apr-09 2:12 
QuestionPrinting Profile Pin
kengct5-Feb-09 18:45
kengct5-Feb-09 18:45 

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