Using the Document Scanner

Using the Document Scanner 📸

While you can easily upload photos to the Glovebox, taking a standard picture of a crinkled piece of paper often results in shadows, unreadable text, and massive file sizes.

Vanlife Assistant includes a built-in, intelligent Document Scanner. It automatically finds the edges of your paper, flattens the image, removes shadows, and converts it into a crisp, professional PDF document.

🛠️ Step-by-Step: Scanning a Document

1. Start a New Document: In the Glovebox, tap the floating + button and select where you want to save the document (e.g., your Vehicle or a Traveller).
2. Choose ‘Scan’: At the top of the editor screen, tap the purple Scan card.
3. Point your Camera: Hold your phone over the physical document. Ensure there is good lighting.
4. Auto-Capture: The camera will look for the edges of the paper (highlighting them in blue). Hold still! It will automatically snap the photo when it has a clear view. (If it’s struggling, you can tap the shutter button manually).
5. Scan Multiple Pages (Optional): If you are scanning a 5-page contract, don’t stop! Just place the next page down and let the camera capture it. The app will bundle them all into a single file.
6. Save: Tap Save in the corner of the camera screen. The app will instantly convert your scans into a single PDF file and attach it to your document!

💡 Why use the Scanner instead of a Photo?

• Multi-Page Support: Photos can only hold one image. A scanned PDF can hold a 50-page vehicle manual in a single file.
• Readability: The scanner enhances the contrast of text, making it much easier to read on a small screen.
• File Size: PDFs generated by the scanner take up significantly less storage space on your device and in iCloud than high-resolution camera photos.