FileCenter Automate FAQs

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Scanning, Imaging and Routing:

What Happened to FileConvert?

FileConvert is now called FileCenter Automate. They are the same product. All of your old FileConvert jobs and separators are still compatible with FileCenter Automate.

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What is FileCenter Automate?

FileCenter Automate is a file conversion application that is designed to make searchable PDF files out of scanned images (or faxes), though it is also happy to create TIFF files. As part of this process, FileCenter Automate can do text recognition (OCR), document separation, and automatic file routing. It can convert a single directory of files, a branch of directories, or a whole drive. It will convert files in-place or route them to a new location. It is intelligent enough to look for files that need conversion and ignore the rest. If you use a network scanner, it makes scanning and conversion a one-click process.

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What does it mean to watch a folder?

One of FileCenter Automate's abilities is to monitor a folder for incoming scans. This is called watching a folder. This is useful for network scanners or fax servers which save new files to a specific folder. When a new file arrives in the folder, FileCenter Automate will convert it to a searchable PDF file and optionally route it to any place you would like it to go.

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What are Separators?

Separators are special cover sheets for scanned documents. They have two purposes:

1) Separate multiple documents into individual files automatically.

2) Instruct FileCenter Automate how and where to save the file.

Through the use of separators, stacks of documents can be scanned, converted, intelligently named and saved without any user intervention.

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How does this compare with other products on the market?

Competing bulk PDF conversion software offers the same or fewer features than FileCenter Automate at many times the price. For example, most competitors offer some form of automatic document separation but few offer intelligent document routing. Those that do are priced many thousands of dollars higher than FileCenter Automate. Few competitors include text recognition (OCR) as part of the conversion process, and fewer still convert existing PDF files to searchable PDF files. None of the competition matches FileCenter Automate's ease of use. FileCenter Automate is enterprise-class software designed and priced to be usable and affordable for even small businesses.

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Will FileCenter Automate work with my desktop scanner?

FileCenter Automate is designed to monitor folders. It will work with a desktop scanner if the scanner can save new scans to file. FileCenter Automate is not designed to support TWAIN scanners. If you are interested in direct scanning with TWAIN, look at FileCenter.

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Will FileCenter Automate support a network scanner?

Absolutely. FileCenter Automate was made to support network scanners. The network scanners save documents to a specific folder which FileCenter Automate will constantly "watch." When FileCenter Automate detects a new file in the folder, it automatically processes and converts the file according to the rules that have been set for that folder, routing the file to its proper destination. This feature allows offices to use FileCenter Automate with high-volume network scanners, multi-function copier/scanner/fax machines, or with dedicated desktop scanners that can save to file.

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What file types will FileCenter Automate output?

FileCenter Automate will produce text-searchable PDF files (which include the recognized text embedded invisibly behind the document image), image-only PDF files, TIFF files, or text files (which are recognized text without any formatting).

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What are the minimum system requirements for FileCenter Automate?

See FileCenter Automate System Requirements.

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What is routing and how does it work?

Routing is FileCenter Automate's ability to intelligently save documents. Routing instructions can include an output file format, a location on the network, and dynamic file name rules. The routing rules can be assigned to a job or, for more intelligence, to a document separator. This lets each document in a batch have its own routing instructions. All of this might sound complex, but it is not. Anyone who can use a fax cover sheet can use this technology. The benefit of intelligent routing is that the office staff does not have to baby-sit a scanner, enduring the dreaded scan-save-repeat tedium. FileCenter Automate is the only product at its price point that offers this level of functionality.

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Can FileCenter Automate redo existing PDF files?

Many scanners will produce PDF files. However, these files are not searchable. They only contain a picture of the original document. There is no actual text for you to copy/paste or search. FileCenter Automate will update existing PDF image files. It recognizes the text in the file and embeds it invisibly behind the original words. The new PDF file looks no different to the eye, but you will find that it now has text which can be selected and copied/pasted. This text can also be searched using FileCenter or any other desktop search engine.

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Does FileCenter Automate have to run on a server?

FileCenter Automate will run on any sized computer. Users who don't need much muscle can run it on their laptop or desktop. If you need FileCenter Automate to handle a heavy load, you should put it on a machine with good processor power and plenty of free memory, the more the better. Large operations will want to run FileCenter Automate on a dedicated computer or server.

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What languages are supported by FileCenter Automate's OCR?

FileCenter Automate's Advanced OCR engine currently supports the following languages: English, French, Italian, German, Dutch, Swedish, Norwegian, Finnish, Danish, Spanish and Portuguese.

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