0. When I start the program only blank windows with menu appears. How to register? Where can I get a key?

The blank window with menu is so the program looks now. A blank window - for a image with a game, and menu - for program operation.
Program registration is free. Registering procedure is simple enough. Read here. You will find there answer for the last question.
By the way, all program functions except save operates without registration.

1. I've scanned page from Go book and start recognition with BiGo OCR. In a second I've got error message. What's wrong?

Dia. 1

Dia. 2

This version of the BiGo OCR can not find diagrams with Go data at the picture. You have to crop part of the scanned page with diagram.
Look at the Dia. 1. You can see whole scanned page from Korean Baduk Yearbook 1989. BiGo OCR can not work with such kind of images.
If you just finished scanning of the image with BiGo OCR, it will appear in the program window. The 'Crop' tool switces on automatically. Simply point diagram you want to crop with a mouse holding left button down. When you release the button, program will ask you 'Crop image?'. Click 'Yes' if cropping done reasonably. If not you can try once more activating cropping tool from menu or pressing Ctrl+R.
You have to get something like shown at the Dia. 2.
If you set recognizing options (Options -- Options -- Game Recognizing) and diagram options (Options -- Options -- Diagram) right, the program will recighize this picture.

Additional information on this question you can find in: Example of the game recognizing.
Load page with BMP files of Dia. 1-Dia. 2 and try to recognize images (ref. Question 10).
Actually these images not so simple to recognize. If you look carefully, you will see that stones are shifted vertically each other.

2. There are too many options for diagrams. Isn't it?

Actually, there are not so much. If you are intended to recognize games, you need not change anything. Everything is ajusted by default.
If you want recognize diagram differs from usual 19 x 19 board, you must explain to the program what do you want. Automatic defining does not work yet.
You can assign board part with the switch of the same name. The states of 'Board Part' switch are:
Full board
Half board
Corner
Arbitrary part - arbitrary part of the board
Auto - does not operate yet.
Depending on part of board you have selected with the switch, appropriate groups of buttons switch on. We shall not explain them explicitly because their functions are clear from titles.
The switch 'Dias per image' does not operate in this version of the program, because diagrams for recognition need to be cut manually anyway.
Below on the right, in small window you can see value of a size of board and so forth you you have selected.

3. I suppose that main thing for recognition is 'Options -- Game Recognizing. Am I right?

It is true. Whether the program will recognize the game at all and recognition speed highly depends on these options setting.
Let's go step by step.

Number of moves in the game. Non required parameter in recognizing and very useful in linear input.

Add stones in the beginning (old games). It is used extremely seldom when initial arrangement of stones as in old Chinese or Japanese games is necessary. It does not operate in this version of program.

Handicap. Number of handicap stones. It does not operate in this version of program.

First move. Color of the first move at the diagram.

Number of diagrams for the game. One of the most important parameters. It sets an amount of diagrams from which the game record consists.

Game numbering. This parameter is important for the multidiagram games. It describes which way diagrams is numbering. It is nonused for one-diagram games. The values of Game numbering are:
Each dia - from 1st move.
Continuous: numbering continuing from previous diagram.
Continuous - 100: number of hundreds are throwing off.

Dia #. This is reference parameter. It shows number of last recognized diagramms for multidiagram games.

1st move #. Number of the 1st move at the diagram.

1st move in Dia corresponds ### move at the game. Set correspondence between move #1 at the diagram and in actual game.

Type of source dia. In different books and magazines Go stones on diagrams has relative different diameter. There is a perceptible space between stones you can find almost always in the Japanese sources, i.e. diameter of a stone is much less, than a size of a cell of the diagram. In the Korean baduk books and magazines stones frequently almost flow together each other, their diameter is practically equal to sizes of a cell. If you set this parameter incorrectly, the recognition will be little bit more slowly and, probably, with a much more mistakes. The parameter values are: Japanese Yearbook (small stones), Korean Yearbook (big stones) or Auto.

Switch Thin digits (like Korean 2000 Magazine). At the some diagrams (like, for example, in Korean magazines "Baduk" for year 2000), very unsuitable fonts with thin and low-contrast digits are used. The program recognizes such diagrams not so well. For improving quality of recognition try to switch it on. For ordinary diagrams ( Dias. 1, 2, 3 are examples of them) this switch should be off!

Switch Use Stone Size from Previous Recog Game. One of the first steps of recognition process is determine of average diameter of stones. If you are recognizing some diagrams of an identical size in a row, you may reduce recgnition time and improve quality of recognition if after recognition of the first diagram of such diagrams a series you will switch it on. You must switch off Use Stone Size from Previous Recog Game if the size of the current diagram differs from previous one!

Use Stone Size from Previous Recog Dia for current game. It operates for multidiagram games. All aforesaid touch on this switch, except one case: it does not operate for 1st diagram of multidiagram game series.

4. Linear input. How can I use it?

BiGo OCR operates like a simple editor Go of diagrams. There are two modes for games input are realized: traditional sequential input move by move and linear input. Switching between modes is carried out from the menu (Linear Input - Start Linear Input). If this menu item is marked, the program operates in linear input mode, if not - in the mode of sequential input.
There are two different modes in sequential input mode: "Add moves mode" and "Edit moves mode".

So, when you have selected from Linear Input menu - Start Linear Input, the linear input page from Options window appears.
It is necessary to select what do you want to input. Default value of the Open game switch is a New game. You may also choose input a current open game (Use current game button) or choose continuing input of a game with which you already have worked earlier (Open game button).

Switches.
Jumps Over Stones is on by default. You can change it from Linear Input menu -- Jumps Over Stones or pressing Ctrl+J. It defines the mode of board cursor moving. If the switch state is 'on' the cursor jumps over stones on board and moves only all along empty points. At switched off - the cursor moves all along whole board.
Show numbers. If the switch is 'on', numbers of moves on stones are shown, if it switched off - you can see only white and black stones without numbers. It switched on by default.
Auto replace moves. Automatically replaces earlier entered stone to a current cursor position at coincidence of move numbers. At switched off - the confirmation of stone replacing is requested. It is by default switched off.
Smart enter. If there is known number of moves for the game, the program often may determine for already entered digits whether move number input can be continued or not. For example, if there are 227 moves at the game, and digits 3 and 4 already entered, the program understands, that in a case of input any additional digit, the move number will exceed the number of moves in the game. So input finished automatically, move number 34 have stored and board cursor shifts 1 point right. Naturally, if you have input number, for example, 12, you must finish input move number with press "Enter" (or "Space") key. If you want to confirm input of each move with pressing the key "Enter", disable this feature. Smart enter switched on by default.
Beep on place stone. Switched on by default. The signal sounds at completion of move input.

Board cursor movement.

• Click in any place of board and the board cursor will be moved on that place.
• Arrows on the keyboard moves the board cursor in an appropriate direction.
• Shift+arrow and Ctrl+arrow shifts the board cursor on 5 and 10 points.
• Press "Enter" to finish move number input and shift cursor 1 point right. Next "Enter" pressing move the board cursor to the beginning of the next line.
• The "Space" key is also finishing move number input and shift cursor 1 point right. Next "Space" pressing shifts the board cursor one more point right.
  

5. What is it"Add moves mode" and "Edit moves mode"?

In usual input mode of the games you simply may input game sequence move by move (the insertion of the skipped moves is impossible for now so be carefull). You can enter this mode by switching on "Add moves mode" in menu "Game" (keyboard shortcut is Ctrl+A). This is completely standard mode and there is nothing to explain here.
You can enter in "Edit moves mode" if you switch on menu "Game" (keyboard shortcut is Ctrl+E). In this mode you can move last stone to any place of the board. This mode used for, if you for example, made mistake during sequential input. Simply press Ctrl+E, change the move, press Ctrl+A and continue to input or view a game.

But the main purpose of this mode is the error-checking after recognition and linear input of game and also input of moves which do not occur on diagrams, and are noted in references: moves on a place of the killed stones, in particular ko-struggle. The matter is that at linear input or recognition of a game some moves simply are not present on diagram, i.e. they exists in a sequence of moves but stored as blank moves (passes). There are very simple to find such moves during game reviewing (the usual mode). Press Ctrl+M (Game -- Go to next Mistake) and there will appear position after such move. Now that is enough to click mouse on the point where this move is made. Press Ctrl+M again and the position after the next skipped move will appear. And so on. When there are no skipped moves any more, the final position will appear on the board. You may check up all game for skipped moves once again: press Home key to get an initial position (for a game without handicaps - empty board), and then press Ctrl+M. If the final position will appear, that means that there are no more skipped moves.

6. Why do you mentioned only at the japanese and korean Go literature. What would you say about recognizing games from other sources?

Generally, Chinese Weiqi books are very poor printing quality. BiGo OCR can not recognize games from them reasonably good. There are very few other Go literature with full records of Go games. There is necessary to check recognition quality in each case.

7. Which sources did you try for games recognition?

BiGo OCR recognized practically ideally Go games from Japanese Kido Yeabooks of last decades, even copies from that books.
The Korean Baduk yearbooks are recognized well.
Moreover games from follow items are good recognizable:

• Japanese monthly magazines "Kido", "Igo Club" etc.
• Japanese newspapers " Go Weekly "
• Japanese Go books.
• Korean monthly magazines "Baduk"
  

Recognizing quality of Chinese Weiqi books is poor.

8. Tell some words please about tuning of scanner options?

Disable Twain dialog. Switches off appearance of a standard dialog window of scanning. It is 'on' by default. If you have switched off Disable Twain dialog do not overlook to set in the standard dialogue black-and-white (1-bit) scanning mode (other name - "Line Art"). If the switch state is 'on' this mode is set automatically.
Brightness. You should know the best value of brightness for your scanner.
Scanned region (inches). This switch sets page area for scanning. All sizes are given in inches (1 inch = 2,54 sentimiters).
Resolution. The default value for this parameter is 300 dots per inch. This standard resolution, good for almost all images. In a cases of small diagrams, you can try to enter resolution 400-500 dots per inch. You have not to overzealous on that. If the resolution will be too high, time of recognition will increase terrifically. However, very low resolution make much worse quality of recognition.

Dia. 3

Dia. 4


Dia. 5

Yes, it is a good question. Let's do that.
Let's consider rather simple example: the game consists of one diagram. We shall take for this purpose a game from Japanese yearbook "Kido" for 1984 (1st game on the pg. 131) . This game already scanned and cut from page. Copy to itself zip file with a full-format picture, unpack and open with BiGo OCR program (File - Open Image).
Please pay attention, that the page in the scanner laid not so precisely and the diagram appeared slightly under declination. Such decline angle is still valid, more declination will entail bad recognition quality. It is better to correct the book and scan page again.
Let's assume, that before that you had recognized diagrams of other size. So it is necessary to switch off all options mentioned to size of stones and to select a type of source - the Japanese yearbook. Switches state is shown at the Dia. 4
Now we shall go to Recognition menu and start AutoRecognition (keyboard shortcut Ctrl+R). The program will start recognition.
One of the first program's steps is try to find corners of the board. But here one corner already occupied. Therefore it will recognize only 3 corners. It will inform you about that and will ask you whether or not it have to try continue of recognition. For this case click 'Yes" , that means it have to continue recognizing. However in other cases, the help to the program may be demanded. Then answer should be 'No'. The recognition process will stop. Now you will have manually mark points where there should be corners: (Image - Pointing corners manually), shortcut Ctrl+L. Then you can start recognition again.
There will appear the window "Preparing Progress ". At the one moment it will be exactly such, as shown in Dia. 5. The red line outlines digits of radiuses of stones R = 54,55 etc. For normal recognition (on time and quality) this radius should be from 52 approximately up to 62. This value depending on size of diagram and scanning resolution.
A bit later recognition will be completed and instead of Dia. 5. the window with board and a position to move #120 will appear. This move was not recognized, because it simply is not present on board. But in sideways diagrams is written, that the move 120 is made in 67, 137 in 129, 138 in 124, 214 in 208.
The easiest way of input move #120 is to type digits 6 and 7, i.e. number of a move on which place is putting move #120. Let's do it. The move #120 has turned from blank to a white stone at the point were was move #67.
Now we shall press Ctrl+M. It means: go to the next blank move. It is a move #137. You have just repeat this procedure. Press 1, 2 and 9 - number of a move in which is made the given move. Black captured two stones.
Etc.
After entering all moves with this way, the window with the message " The game is over ". After you will close it the window with the game information will appear automatically. Enter the information and save a game. Now you may view it and send it to us, to receiving SGF the file with this game in answer.

Dia. 6

This window have appeared just after recognizing a game shown at the Dia. 2. The program have found out handicap point 4-4 as a move #4, the move #4 it also have recognized as a move #4. So there was created double move. You can easy solve this problem. Just click with a mouse correct move on the board.
The stone will put there and program will ask you:

There is no move at the point 4-4 at all, so you have to answer "No move". In a case incorrect recognition of the move number, you have to input right number to the edit field on the left or choose correct move from the drop-down list (right edit field).
You can jump to next double move at the game from menu (Game--Go to next double move) or with keyboard shortcut Ctrl+D.
If image with Go diagram is good quality and number of moves in there not so big (up to 260), usually there are no double moves. If the image quality bit worse, there will be 1-2 double moves after recognition.

11. I am wondering, what is a full procedure for getting SGF game records?

That is not too hard. Main thing is a tuning program for sending e-mail messages. You should open Options - E-mail and enter the following parameters:
User e-mail address - your address to which you will receive games in SGF the format.
SMTP server - the address of the server for transferring mail messages of your Internet provider.
User ID - your user's name for a mail server.
There is one more option here: Maximum Num of BCR files to attaching for 1 mail. It defines number of BCR files with a games will be sent in one message. Default value is 10 (i.e. there will be from 1 up to 10 games attached to one message). If your provider does not have special requirements to the amount of the attached files in the message, you have not a reason to change this option.

Games which you have recognized or input manually are automatically storing at the list which can be seen, if you have pressed File -- Send game. You may edit this list of games: to add other games at your choice or to delete those games which you do not want send to us (simply chosoe a game or group of games at the list and press Del key).

When the list of games will be generated press Send button. At this time you, naturally, should be on-line. It will be automatically generated one or several mail messages which will be sent to us. We on the computer have program of automatic converter files from BCR format in SGF. There are 4-5 times per day we are connecting to the Internet, receiving your games and sending SGF files as an answer.