iSight scan on iMac Mountain Lion mirror image

[rgarcia]

When BookPedia activates the iSight camera on my iMac using Mountain Lion, a mirror image is recorded and the correct book is not located. The numerals that appear in the search line from the iSight scan have nothing to do with the numerals that I can read on the bar code on the book. If I manually enter the numerals on bar scan code, Bookpedia searches and finds the right book. I don't see how the iSight scan can work with mirror images. This makes the scan feature worthless doesn't it?

[Nora]

The iSight can work with mirror images or regular images, it doesn't matter for the scanning. It's simply easier for some users to work with one or the other type of image. If you want to flip it though, hold down the Option key and then press the iSight button in the search window. That'll flip the image for you.

If the scanning still doesn't work for you after that, i.e. Bookpedia records the wrong ISBN, let me know.

[rgarcia]

Thank you for your prompt response, and on a weekend!
Option/iSight worked in reversing the mirror image, thanks.
However, I am still 0 for 19 in getting the iSight scan to produce the correct number on the desktop. The scan works in the sense that it reads the bar code and produces a result, but the resulting number is wildly wrong.
Just now for example iSight produced this number with no matches: 6529273064525. That number bears no relation to the correct number, which is 9781594204111 -- except that I think the number of digits is always correct. If I manually type in the correct number and click on search, I instantly get the correct match.
I have noticed that the books I have been scanning generally start with 978, but I don't think the scan has ever produced a number with those three first numerals.
I also tried using my iPad to scan a book. The iPad produced the correct number, but no matches. I scanned the same book on the desktop and it produced a wildly wrong number with no matches. I typed in the correct number, and got the correct match.

[Conor]

Thank you for all the details.

Please try the following secret preferences by running the program called Terminal in your /Application/Utilities folder and copying the following line and pressing return.

Code: Select all

defaults write com.bruji.bookpedia "BarcodeScannerDisableNewiMac" -bool YES

Then run the Beta version of Bookpedia and try a few scans, this will only use the stricter decoders and not one that does a little guessing for older iMacs with low resolution.

Since you have an iPad a new feature is tethering the iPad to Bookpedia to use as a remote scanner. Click on the "Mac" icon on the bottom left of the scan window on the iPad to connect them and pass the scanned barcodes to Bookpedia. This allows you to go to your books instead of bringing your books to the Mac.

[rgarcia]

Excellent! Thanks. iSight on the desktop works. Using the iPad works. Support couldn't be better. I can catalogue thousands of books at my office and at home. I bought the package of Bookpedia, CDpedia, and DVDpedia. I learned about Bookpedia from Cool Tools, which features reliable reviews of, well, cool tools. http://kk.org/cooltools/archives/7682.

[Herne]

Just upgraded to a new 27" iMac running Mountain Lion and I was disappointed to find that the iSight barcode scan no longer works. One of the best features of this program was being able to quickly add items using the iSight camera. Was going to upgrade to the new version, but now I wonder if I should.

Also, when trying to purchase an upgrade via the website, both PayPal and using a creditcard methods of payment failed. Are these going through the App Store now?

[Nora]

You're running 5.1.3 on your iMac? Have you tried different lighting conditions in the room where you're doing the scanning? The more contrast there is for the camera to pick up the barcode, the better.

Our merchant eSellerate was having some trouble with PayPal today but that should all be fixed now. Please try again and if you keep getting an error let me know what the exact error is so I can report it to eSellerate.

[Herne]

Running the newest version on the newest iMac. I've tried different lighting. I've tried no lighting. I've tried scanning near the top of the box. I've flipped the mirror image. I've been waving my book around in front of the iSight for a while and still no scanning. Also tried the Beta.

The old version, sometimes I barely got the book up to the camera and it had already grabbed the bar code. It worked so well! Disappointed. Also since I just purchased the upgrade.

Also apparently VISA's payment system was down, which affected my PayPal account. Solved now.

[Nora]

Try the following: from your Applications/Utilities folder run the program "Terminal". In the window that appears, copy paste the following line, followed by a return:

defaults write com.bruji.bookpedia "BarcodeScannerDisableNewiMac" -bool YES

Then restart Bookpedia and try the iSight scan again.

[Herne]

Nope. Nothing. Square doesn't even flicker from red to green.

[Nora]

Could you please download the Bookpedia beta and after using the iSight feature, check your console for a message from Bookpedia that lists your Device ID. Maybe there's yet a new iSight model we need to take into account.

You can access the console log via the application 'Console', located inside your Applications/Utilities. The newer messages are towards the end of the log.

[pgavenda]

I am having exactly the same issue as rgarcia; iMac 9,1 osx 10.8.2
Shall I also try the beta? is there some other solution on the way?

[Conor]

Do please download the beta and send us the console log information so we can have all the info while we look into it.

[Herne]

Still no resolution regarding the iSight scan on new iMacs?

My Console says; Bookpedia[1057]: Scanning Device: UVC Camera VendorID_1452 ProductID_34065

I'm not seeing a mirror image, but the camera simply refuses to pick up the bar code at all, even using the beta version and trying the "BarcodeScannerDisableNewiMac" fix.

A bit disappointed since I sprung for the new version.

[Conor]

Thank you for the code number on the new camera. I have updated the code for that camera. Please try out the beta and let me know if it works out. There another option that we can try if these settings don't work out for the new camera. Do let me know the title of the iSight window as to verify that the proper settings got put in lace, it should say "- iMac -".