Pix2Text (P2T) is an open-source Python toolkit designed to convert images containing text, layouts, tables, and mathematical formulas into Markdown format. It serves as a free alternative to commercial tools like Mathpix, supporting over 80 languages and offering a comprehensive solution for visual content to text conversion. The project targets developers and researchers needing to process and extract information from documents, papers, or any visual media with complex content.

How It Works

P2T integrates several specialized models for different tasks: layout analysis (DocLayout-YOLO), table recognition, text recognition (using CnOCR for English/Simplified Chinese and EasyOCR for others), mathematical formula detection (CnSTD-based), and mathematical formula recognition. This modular approach allows for targeted improvements and flexibility in handling diverse document structures and content types, aiming for state-of-the-art accuracy, particularly in mathematical formula recognition.

Quick Start & Requirements

• Install: pip install pix2text
• Multilingual Support: pip install pix2text[multilingual]
• Prerequisites: Python 3.x. Specific hardware requirements are not detailed, but performance may vary.
• Documentation: Pix2Text Online Documentation
• Demo: Hugging Face Demo

Highlighted Details

• Supports 80+ languages for text recognition.
• Capable of converting entire PDF files to Markdown.
• Offers an online service and demo for quick testing.
• Recent updates focus on improving mathematical formula detection and recognition models.

Maintenance & Community

The project is actively maintained, with recent releases and updates to core models. Community engagement is encouraged through a Discord server and a paid "Knowledge Planet" for direct support and early access to materials.

Licensing & Compatibility

The project is released under the MIT license, permitting commercial use and linking with closed-source projects.

Limitations & Caveats

While powerful, the project's Python-centric nature may present a steeper learning curve for non-developers. The free online service has a daily character limit and currently only supports English and Simplified Chinese; other languages require local installation and may have varying performance.