access WIA/TWAIN from .NET web application

Question

We are developing C#.NET web application, which MUST have possibility to connect to front-end user's scanner, webcam or sign-pad (http://www.signotec.com/) device and execute their actions. This should be embedded with browser.

AS far as I know it's possible with Java, AIR, Silverlight4 (it's still beta).

What do you prefer it's best solution to achieve that. Front-end users can be limited to use Windows, but it should be browser independent (if there is not any simple cross browser solution, it can also be limited to IE7+)

I just read WIA through web browser - ASP.NET and I hope there is something NEW out there ;)

What about Google Gears? I read that they will not continue to develop it :(

score 0 · Answer 1 · answered Feb 23 '10 at 22:43

0

Have you looked at ActiveX? I know it's IE-specific, but it might be your only option in the pre-Silverlight4 world.

answered Feb 23 '10 at 22:43

Steve Danner

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Of course ActiveX should be the answer, but then we are stuck to IE. But it's really odd that in this time there is no another (simple and elegant) solution to access system devices from web application?! – AnzeR Feb 24 '10 at 08:00
Such a solution exists, Dynamic Web TWAIN. it works with scanners from all browsers. And the company is expanding the support to USB webcams soon. – flysakura Jun 29 '12 at 05:53

score 0 · Answer 2 · answered Aug 18 '16 at 08:46

to connect to front-end user's scanner, webcam or sign-pad (http://www.signotec.com/) device and execute their actions. This should be embedded with browser.

Scanner.js does exactly that. It allows the end user to scan documents desktop browsers (Chrome, Firefox, IE) from TWAIN WIA scanners and your server side can be implemented in any programming language including C# ASP.NET.

For example, the JavaScript code below will allow you to obtain the scanned images and display on your page:

function scanToJpg() {
  scanner.scan(displayImagesOnPage,
   {
      "output_settings" :
      [
         {
            "type" : "return-base64",
            "format" : "jpg"
         }
      ]
   }
   );
}

Alternatively, you may upload the scanned images directly to the web server. Visit this Github repository for more examples.

access WIA/TWAIN from .NET web application

2 Answers2