Interpreting the density string values

By using the density string characters and the corresponding formula, you can calculate the percentage of black pixels for each OMR zone.

The previous examples produce these results.

Parent field Subfield Checkbox Density value Percentage filled
Options Nav_System Cleared A 17%
  Child_Seat Cleared C 19%
  Fuel_Service Checked G 23%
Insurance CDW Cleared C 19%
  PAI Cleared C 19%
  PEP Cleared B 18%
  ELP Checked G 23%

By using the data in first table, you can determine that threshold = 20.5 and background = 20 represent good values. The (2 * threshold - background) formula sets the high-confidence threshold at 21, but you can scan more pages and check their density strings before you set final values.

Parent field Subfield Checkbox Percentage filled Result in runtime hierarchy
Options Nav_System Cleared 17%

Option: Selected

Confidence: High

  Child_Seat Cleared 19%

Option: Not selected

Confidence: High

  Fuel_Service Checked 23%

Option: Selected

Confidence: High

Insurance CDW Cleared 19% Option: Selected

Confidence: High

  PAI Cleared 19% Option: Not selected Confidence: High
  PEP Cleared 18% Option: Not selected Confidence: High
  ELP Checked 23% Option: Not selected Confidence: High

Because the OMR zones that you drew are probably different from the ones that generated the data in second table, your values are different. Use the density characters that you obtained to determine appropriate values for the threshold and background parameters, and update the Recognize OMR Fields rule. Then, run a new batch and review the results, including the confidence values in the page data files.