RoPlate - Roblox License Plate Assistant

Prerequisites

1. Python 3.10 or newer (64 bit) — https://www.python.org/downloads/windows/
2. Microsoft Visual C++ Redistributable — usually present on gaming PCs; install if missing.
3. Tesseract OCR — download from https://github.com/UB-Mannheim/tesseract/wiki
   • During setup tick “Add Tesseract to the system path”, otherwise note the full path to tesseract.exe.
4. YOLOv8 / PyTorch toolchain
   • Pick the build that matches your hardware. CPU example:

     pip install torch torchvision torchaudio --index-url https://download.pytorch.org/whl/cpu

   • Install Ultralytics (already listed in the requirements but safe to pre-install): pip install ultralytics.
   • Place your YOLO weights under models/ (defaults: roplate-yolov8n.pt and roplate-car-yolov8n.pt).
5. RapidOCR runtime (default OCR backend):

   pip install rapidocr-onnxruntime

   The first launch downloads ~25 MB of OCR weights; after that it runs offline. Tesseract is used as a fallback.

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First run

1. Choose Select Application Window (preferred) or Select Capture Region to define what to capture.
2. Click Start Recognition – detections and OCR output appear in the Live Recognition view and history.
3. Use the toolbar settings (⋯) to adjust capture interval, minimum confidence, history size or auto-copy. Changes persist immediately in config.json.
4. Optional: open Show Mini View for an always-on-top summary window.

config.json is generated automatically after the first run; you never need to create it manually.

OCR troubleshooting

• RapidOCR must download its ONNX weights on first use—open the app once while connected to the internet.
• To force Tesseract, set "ocr_backend": "tesseract" in config.json or via the settings dialog.
• If Tesseract is installed in a non-standard location, point tesseract_cmd at the full path of tesseract.exe.

Recognition tuning

• Keep the capture region small and focused on license plates; speed and accuracy both improve.
• Lower history_size if you only care about the latest few plates.
• Increase min_confidence for brighter scenes or decrease slightly for dimly lit captures.

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Shipping checklist

• Bundle RoPlate.exe together with the models/ directory (YOLO weights).
• Include config.json only if you want to provide defaults; otherwise RoPlate creates one on first launch.
• Tesseract is not bundled—end users still need it installed locally.

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Customer installation (prebuilt package)

1. Install Tesseract OCR (add to PATH, or remember the installation path).
2. Extract the delivered archive so that RoPlate.exe sits next to the models/ folder.
3. Double-click RoPlate.exe. On first launch RoPlate automatically writes config.json and, if online, downloads RapidOCR models.
4. Use the toolbar tabs to navigate. Adjust the capture interval/confidence via the ⋯ Settings button—no restart needed.
5. If Tesseract is in a custom path, edit config.json (or use the settings dialog) and set tesseract_cmd accordingly.

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Configuration cheat sheet

config.json keys (auto-generated):

• monitor_index: 1-based monitor index for full-screen capture.
• capture_region: (left, top, width, height) for manual region capture. [NOT WORKING]
• window_title: binds to a specific window; set when you pick Select Application Window.
• capture_interval_ms: time between captures (defaults from settings dialog).
• min_confidence: YOLO detection threshold.
• history_size: maximum stored plates (UI history and mini view).
• detector_*: YOLO model paths and thresholds.
• ocr_backend, ocr_languages, ocr_require_digit, ocr_fallback_to_tesseract: OCR behaviour.
• plate_whitelist: list of plates to ignore (case-insensitive).
• officer_name: Officer name.

You can adjust these settings directly or via the in-app dialog.

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Common questions

• Plates look jagged or cropped – ensure the Roblox window is in focus and adjust the capture region.
• History is cluttered – lower history_size or toggle the mini view.
• OCR misses plates – try bumping capture_interval_ms lower or reducing min_confidence slightly.
• Nothing happens on first run – confirm the capture window is visible (not minimized) and that Tesseract/RapidOCR are installed.

Enjoy faster traffic stops