DocScanFx has a built in option for drawing on images in order to add annotations and ad hoc text. Detailed instructions for adjusting INI options affecting drawing color, pen size, fonts, etc. are available in this article, however these instructions will focus on how to use external image editors if you need more annotation options.
Scenario
For this example we will have a mode named "Scan EKGs" which is used to add paper EKGs to NM stress tests to the the modality's images sent to PACS. The techs are required to mark up the EKGs extensively with more image editing tools than the DocScanFx editor has. The following examples show how to use the default image editor or choose a specific editor to run.
Example 1
To force DocScanFx to use Windows' default JPEG image editor rename DocScanFx' "DsfxDraw" annotation app located in the Resources folder of your installation directory. On a 64 bit Windows install with the default install location this path would be: C:\Program Files (x86)\DocScanFx\Resources]DsfxDraw.exe. Here we have added "-disable" to the end of the name:
Now when the Edit button is clicked in DocScanFx the default JPEG editor is used to open the image. After annotating/adjusting the image the user must save the image in the existing folder it is in (usually by just clicking Save and possibly choosing to overwrite the original) and existing the editor application. Here we can see MS Paint being used to edit the image:
Example 2
Unfortunately this method forces all modes to stop using DocScanFx's image editor and doesn't allow for using an image editor that isn't the Windows default for JPEG images. In this example we'll have more control over what editor is used for each mode. Consider this example if:
- You want to retain the default editor for some modes
- Use a specialized editor for one or more modes
- Use different editors for different modes
Use this option in either the COMMON or mode specific section of your INI file and set it to the path of the executable drawing program (Paint.Net is shown here):
ImageEditor=C:\Program Files\paint.net\PaintDotNet.exe
Now when the end user clicks "Edit" in DocScanFx the image is opened in Paint.Net. As long as the user saves their changes when they exit Paint.Net, DocScanFx will then show the updated image.
