---
title: "Vision"
canonical_url: "https://www.nutrient.io/api/python/vision/"
md_url: "https://www.nutrient.io/api/python/vision.md"
last_updated: "2026-06-15T11:02:36.130Z"
description: "Provides machine learning and computer vision capabilities for document processing. Enables AI-powered document description and content extraction."
---

Provides machine learning and computer vision capabilities for document processing. Enables AI-powered document description and content extraction.

```python

from nutrient_sdk import Vision

```

## Construction

`Vision` cannot be instantiated directly. Obtain instances through static factory methods or via other SDK classes.

## Class Methods

### set

```python

@classmethod
def set(cls, document: Document) -> Vision

```

Creates a Vision instance for the specified document.

**Parameters:**

| Name       | Type                                | Description                                        |
| ---------- | ----------------------------------- | -------------------------------------------------- |
| `document` | [`Document`](/api/python/document/) | The document to analyze using vision capabilities. |

**Returns:** [`Vision`](/api/python/vision/) - A Vision instance ready to perform analysis on the document.

**Raises:**

- [`NullOrEmptyParameterException`](/api/python/exceptions/null-or-empty-parameter-exception/): Thrown when document is null.

---

## Methods

### describe

```python

def describe(self) -> str

```

Generates an AI-powered description of the document content.

**Returns:** `str` - A string containing the document description.

---

### detect_forms

```python

def detect_forms(self) -> str

```

Detects form fields on the document and exports the result. Output format is determined by (JSON or IR Lite). Each detected field carries its type and bounding box. To also assign AI semantic labels (e.g. "First name"), set FormLabelingSettings.EnableAiLabeling on the document's settings before calling — no separate method is needed.

**Returns:** `str` - The exported content as a string (JSON or IR Lite JSON depending on settings).

---

### detect_forms_to_file

```python

def detect_forms_to_file(self, output_path: str) -> None

```

Detects form fields on the document and writes the exported result to a file. Output format is determined by (JSON or IR Lite).

**Parameters:**

| Name          | Type  | Description              |
| ------------- | ----- | ------------------------ |
| `output_path` | `str` | Path to the output file. |

---

### extract_content

```python

def extract_content(self) -> str

```

```python

def extract_content(self, settings: DocumentLayoutJsonExportSettings) -> str

```

Extracts structured content from the document using machine vision processing. The pipeline used is determined by the setting and the output format by.

**Parameters:**

| Name                    | Type                                                                                                             | Description                                              |
| ----------------------- | ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- | -------------------------------------------------------- |
| `settings` *(optional)* | [`DocumentLayoutJsonExportSettings`](/api/python/settings/vision/advanced/document-layout-json-export-settings/) | Settings controlling what to include in the JSON output. |

**Returns:** `str` - The exported content as a string (JSON, Markdown, or IR Lite JSON depending on settings).

---

### extract_content_to_file

```python

def extract_content_to_file(self, output_path: str) -> None

```

```python

def extract_content_to_file(self, output_path: str, settings: DocumentLayoutJsonExportSettings) -> None

```

Extracts structured content from the document and writes it to a file. The pipeline used is determined by the setting and the output format by.

**Parameters:**

| Name                    | Type                                                                                                             | Description                                              |
| ----------------------- | ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- | -------------------------------------------------------- |
| `output_path`           | `str`                                                                                                            | Path to the output file.                                 |
| `settings` *(optional)* | [`DocumentLayoutJsonExportSettings`](/api/python/settings/vision/advanced/document-layout-json-export-settings/) | Settings controlling what to include in the JSON output. |

---

### extract_structured

```python

def extract_structured(self, request: StructuredExtractionRequest) -> str

```

Extracts structured data from the document, shaped to the JSON Schema carried by the 's {"schema":...} envelope. The document is first read by the extraction pipeline selected by , then an AI model fills the schema from the recognized content. Provider, model, endpoint, and confidence reporting are driven by AiProcessingSettings on the document's settings.

**Parameters:**

| Name      | Type                                                                                 | Description                                                                               |
| --------- | ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ | ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- |
| `request` | [`StructuredExtractionRequest`](/api/python/requests/structured-extraction-request/) | The extraction request carrying the schema envelope (required) and optional instructions. |

**Returns:** `str` - A JSON string with two top-level nodes: extraction (the schema-shaped extracted fields) and metadata (per-field source locations and grounding labels).

---

### extract_structured_to_file

```python

def extract_structured_to_file(self, request: StructuredExtractionRequest, output_path: str) -> None

```

Extracts structured data from the document, shaped to the JSON Schema carried by the 's {"schema":...} envelope, and writes the JSON result to a file. See for the result shape.

**Parameters:**

| Name          | Type                                                                                 | Description                                                                               |
| ------------- | ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ | ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- |
| `request`     | [`StructuredExtractionRequest`](/api/python/requests/structured-extraction-request/) | The extraction request carrying the schema envelope (required) and optional instructions. |
| `output_path` | `str`                                                                                | Path to the output file.                                                                  |

---

### warmup

```python

def warmup(self) -> None

```

Preloads (warms up) all resources needed for vision processing. This downloads all model files based on the document's VisionSettings before execution. Call this to avoid download delays during ExtractContent().

---

---

## Related pages

- [Document](/api/python/document.md)
- [Open a PDF and convert it to a Word document](/api/python.md)
- [License](/api/python/license.md)