# OCR

**Visual Novel OCR & Text Recognition for Video Games. Real-Time Screen OCR Translator.**\
Extract and translate text directly from your screen using Optical Character Recognition (OCR).

{% embed url="<https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AAhya7IPYZ0>" %}

> The OCR Translator captures text from your game screen and translates it automatically. This is ideal for visual novels and games that don't have clipboard or text extraction support.

## Overview

The OCR feature works by capturing a selected area of your screen, recognizing the text using an OCR engine, and then translating it in real time. You can display the translation results in two ways: using **Extra Window** or **Hyper Overlay**.

***

## Output Methods

Before you start, it's important to understand the two available output methods so you can choose the one that best fits your setup.

#### Extra Window

<figure><img src="https://4121582948-files.gitbook.io/~/files/v0/b/gitbook-x-prod.appspot.com/o/spaces%2FKz66WcKqTPRwdFrHi4mM%2Fuploads%2FO6Ddr9DBN1QJOG6aWYVY%2Fimage.png?alt=media&#x26;token=849c2ff4-f314-4a8f-a7c5-4d2f9117a521" alt=""><figcaption></figcaption></figure>

The recognized text and translation are displayed in a **separate floating window**.

* A dedicated window shows both the original recognized text and the translation
* The window can be repositioned anywhere on your screen
* Best suited for **multi-monitor setups** or when you prefer a separate panel

#### Hyper Overlay

<figure><img src="https://4121582948-files.gitbook.io/~/files/v0/b/gitbook-x-prod.appspot.com/o/spaces%2FKz66WcKqTPRwdFrHi4mM%2Fuploads%2FnqKvakMYebGpM0QSy3dq%2Fimage.png?alt=media&#x26;token=6c4b62e7-c20d-408e-9f50-313573301d43" alt=""><figcaption></figcaption></figure>

The translation is displayed **directly over the original text** on your game screen.

* Translation appears on top of the recognized text, right on the game screen
* Provides a clean, immersive reading experience
* No additional floating windows to manage
* Best suited for **single-screen setups** and **fullscreen games**

***

## Quick Start

#### Step 1 - Install an OCR Engine

Before you can use OCR, you need to install at least one supported OCR engine.

{% hint style="info" %}
Recommended for most users:

* **Fast OCR** *(Pro only)* - A lightweight and accurate offline OCR engine.\
  Performs better than Tesseract OCR and Windows OCR.
* **Google Cloud Vision** - Best accuracy for complex backgrounds and colored text.\
  Requires an internet connection and API key.
* **Nanonets OCR Small** *(via LM Studio)* - A high-performance AI-based engine for offline use.\
  Requires at least 8 GB of VRAM.
  {% endhint %}

For a full list of supported engines and installation instructions, see [OCR Engines](https://docs.vntranslator.com/user-guide/ocr/ocr-engines).

#### Step 2 - Configure and Start OCR

<figure><img src="https://4121582948-files.gitbook.io/~/files/v0/b/gitbook-x-prod.appspot.com/o/spaces%2FKz66WcKqTPRwdFrHi4mM%2Fuploads%2F32GlnKSb3hNogJhYJ9sP%2Fguide-launcher-ocr.png?alt=media&#x26;token=e6416021-3216-463b-bffb-fceb50e4783f" alt=""><figcaption></figcaption></figure>

1. Select **OCR** from the module list
2. Select an **OCR Engine** and the appropriate **Language**
3. Select your preferred **Output Method**:
   * Choose **Hyper Overlay** for an immersive, in-place translation experience
   * Choose **Extra Window** if you prefer a separate translation panel
4. Click the **Start** button

{% hint style="info" %}
If you are using **Windows OCR** or **Tesseract OCR**, make sure to select the correct OCR language for your game.

**For Japanese games:**

* Windows OCR: `Japanese`
* Tesseract OCR: `Japanese (jpn.traineddata)`

**For English games:**

* Windows OCR: `English (United States)` or `English (United Kingdom)`
* Tesseract OCR: `English (eng.traineddata)`
  {% endhint %}

#### Step 3 - Position the Capture Area

After starting OCR, a transparent **Capture Area** window will appear on your screen.

* Drag and resize the Capture Area to cover the **dialogue text box** in your game
* Make sure it covers only the text area - avoid capturing UI buttons, character sprites, or background elements

For more details, see [Interface Overview](https://docs.vntranslator.com/user-guide/ocr/interface-overview).

#### Step 4 - Test the Screen Capture

Before using OCR during gameplay, verify that screen capture is working correctly:

<figure><img src="https://4121582948-files.gitbook.io/~/files/v0/b/gitbook-x-prod.appspot.com/o/spaces%2FKz66WcKqTPRwdFrHi4mM%2Fuploads%2FI0eeBbRiqzhBS2f2nsl3%2Ftest-ocr-screen-capture.gif?alt=media&#x26;token=f6754925-dee4-4bdb-86d3-07492cc8cf6b" alt=""><figcaption></figcaption></figure>

* Click **Pre-processing** in the Side Toolbar
* Enable **Adjustments** and **Greyscale**
* Click **Capture** to take a test screenshot
* Adjust the **Threshold** value until the text appears clearly in black and white

**What to Expect:**

* If the capture works correctly, the preview will show the image in black and white
* In the Pro version, you can preview the capture in the [OCR Master](https://docs.vntranslator.com/user-guide/ocr/ocr-master) window
* If screen capture fails or shows an error, refer to the [Troubleshooting](https://docs.vntranslator.com/help/troubleshooting/ocr) section

{% hint style="info" %}
Pre-processing is primarily useful for **traditional OCR engines** (Tesseract OCR and Windows OCR).\
If you are using **Fast OCR**, **Google Cloud Vision**, or any other modern or AI-based engine, you can skip this step - these engines handle various image conditions automatically.
{% endhint %}

***

## Tips for Better Results

* **Position the capture area** over the text dialogue box in your game
* **Use Pre-processing** to improve recognition accuracy when using Tesseract OCR or Windows OCR
* **Adjust the Threshold** value for cleaner image capture with traditional engines
* **Use Post-processing** (RegExp) to correct common OCR errors or remove unwanted characters
* **Try different OCR engines** to find the best match for your specific game or visual novel

| Page                                                                                                                            | Description                                                                          |
| ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- | ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ |
| [Interface Overview](https://docs.vntranslator.com/user-guide/ocr/interface-overview)                                           | Learn about the OCR interface components: Capture Area, Side Toolbar, and Status Bar |
| [OCR Engines](https://docs.vntranslator.com/user-guide/ocr/ocr-engines)                                                         | Compare all supported OCR engines and find the best one for your game                |
| [OCR Master](https://docs.vntranslator.com/user-guide/ocr/ocr-master)                                                           | Advanced OCR controls available in the Pro version                                   |
| [Pre-processing](https://docs.vntranslator.com/user-guide/ocr/pre-processing)                                                   | Improve image quality before OCR processing                                          |
| [Post-processing](https://docs.vntranslator.com/user-guide/ocr/post-processing)                                                 | Refine OCR output using Regular Expressions                                          |
| [Understanding OCR & Improving Accuracy](https://docs.vntranslator.com/user-guide/ocr/understanding-ocr-and-improving-accuracy) | In-depth guide on how OCR works and how to improve recognition accuracy              |

**Having trouble?** See the [Troubleshooting](https://docs.vntranslator.com/help/troubleshooting/ocr) section for common issues and solutions.