modules/google_cloud_ocr/setup.md

Google Cloud OCR Setup with Python

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Step 1: Create a Google Cloud Project

1. Go to the Google Cloud Console.
2. Create a New Project:
   • In the top-left corner, click the project dropdown menu and then "New Project."
   • Enter a project name (e.g., "OCR Project") and click "Create."

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Step 2: Enable the Cloud Vision API

1. In the Google Cloud Console, go to the Navigation Menu (three horizontal lines at the top left).
2. Click on APIs & Services > Library.
3. In the search bar, type Vision API.
4. Select Cloud Vision API and click Enable.

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Step 3: Create Service Account Credentials

1. Navigate to APIs & Services > Credentials.
2. Click on Create Credentials > Service Account.
3. Service Account Details:
   • Give the service account a name (e.g., "vision-api-service-account").
   • Click "Create and Continue."
4. Grant Permissions:
   • Choose Role: Select "Project" > "Editor" to give your service account sufficient permissions.
   • Click "Continue."
5. Create JSON Key:
   • After creating the service account, click on the three dots next to the account.
   • Select "Manage Keys" > "Add Key" > "Create New Key."
   • Choose JSON format and download the JSON file. This file contains your credentials.

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Step 4: Set Up the .env File

1. Create a new file named .env in the root directory of your Python project.

2. Add the following line to the .env file, replacing the path with the actual path to your downloaded JSON credentials file:

   GOOGLE_APPLICATION_CREDENTIALS=/path-to-your-credentials.json
   

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Step 5: Running the script

1. Ensure you have the needed package:

pip install google-cloud-vision python-dotenv

2. Run the script and see the text files for outputs