If there are only a few bars in the last line, and the music allows it: I gleefully use spacers to shoe-horn those last measures into the previous line.
For this to work, you may have to start reducing the spacing between notes, a page (or more) before the end. It also needs to be done on all the voices / staves which show on the printed page.
That comes down to some experimenting - which would be a tedious task if all had to be done manually.
Rick G has provided two user tools, which make life much easier:
I'm not much of a programmer, (and I did not understand Rick's advice to me) so I edited rg_Squash.php a number of times, to create spacers of various sizes, a sample of which is attached..
To my mind, the user fonts are under your absolute control, and NWC does not try to guess how you would like to have them when you change staff metrics.
If you've installed NWC in the default places, it's worthwhile setting properties to Read Only for all the Templates in: C:\Program Files\Noteworthy Software\NoteWorthy Composer 2\Template
as well as for the Samples in: C:\Program Files\Noteworthy Software\NoteWorthy Composer 2\SAMPLES
I do, and it prints A4 without any changes needed. Have you set a4 as the Page Size in pdfedit995?
Thanks ever so much Phil. What with hopping from one PC to the next, to the next, and another - I'd forgotten about changing from LETTER to A4 in pdfedit995.
This may also be the solution to David's problem - the other way round.
Whenever I swap printer, from HP P1102, to PDF995, I have to re-select A4 paper size. NWC ALWAYS has "LETTER" selected - no matter that I've set "A4" at every place in the PDF995 printer setup, before opening NWC.
Please, there are some parts of the world where "LETTER"- sized paper just is NOT used.
This plea applies to both NWC 2.5.5 and NWC 2.5.1 beta (upto and including 34)
A. As in staff 2 of the attached Clip2.nwc, you might do a manual edit of the chords which repeat, and just copy and paste. (Admittedly, this could be tedious, if it carries on for many bars. I suspect that RickG or somebody else could produce a usertool to automate the conversion.)
B. You might try importing into Musescore to see what you can get. If it's any good, save as XML and convert to NWCTXT, using Niversoft's convertor
(My experience has been that Musescore does the better job of recognising triplets, I don't know whether it would help with this problem of yours.)
Welcome Papi22, at present, the answer is: NO, in NWC you cannot look at a full page preview and play the music at the same time.
What you can do, is to click on the "Spectacles" icon for View mode, before starting play. When Note chase is switched on, this gives you very nearly the same result as you would get, looking at the sheet music whilst playing (say) a piano part.
Welkom Guido, Until NWC allows us to change the spacing for the title, my workaround is:
1. (As you've been doing), omit "Title Page Info", 2. In NWC, somewhere near the middle of the first staff, add the title as text, selecting font and point size to taste. 3. This usually needs a couple of tries before the end-result looks nice.
If you are going to print separate parts, you would have to repeat it for every voice, marking the text as Visibility "Top staff only", which becomes quite a schlepp.
I haven't ever had this type of problem. Best way to help you, would be if: 1. You submit a copy of the file which is giving this problem. 2. In NWC, what are the details that you can get from "Page Setup"? At which page size did you intend to print, and does that agree with what you got from the above? 3. Which printer, (in NWC) is selected at present? 4. In NWC, use Help > About and report to us, the exact version of NWC which you are using. 5. Which operating system are you using? eg: WinXP XP3, 7, 8, .....? 6. Did you, by any chance, use Rick G's user tool "rg_Squash.php" ?, which would squash everything to minimal width? If so, you could use Rick's "rg_Zap_Spacers.php" to remove all (or some) of the spacers to return to default spacing.
Hopefully you can be helped when the above information is available.
Al, this is like asking us to catch a ghost - rather attach the relevant segment of your NWC file, by using the "Additional Options" so that we can see what you've done - putting you on the right track should then be fairly easy.
Small additions: Before going all the way with the score, my suggestion is: Show a mockup of the first 2 pages to the conductor and discuss. Similarly with the parts - the timpanist also sometimes is FAR away from his/her stand, making 22pt welcome. What is the lighting going to be like? 18pt is generally fine for younger orchestra members with good sight....
With careful use of Spacers, one sometimes can print to 2 point sizes larger and on the same number of pages per part, than otherwise. Triplets are good candidates for "Squashing" .....
Rick's suggestion for the conductor's score on larger paper, is ideal - if your printer can handle it and the conductor's stand can accept it.
8.5 x 11 inch is also known as Letter 8.27x 11.69 inch is 210 x 297 mm, also known as A4
Peter, my tuppence worth: Page size: Depends on what your printer can do - I (living in South Africa) can only print to A4
It's highly unlikely that "one size" will fit both conductor's score and the parts.
Parts: I used to prepare the parts at 20 pts (or 22pt) all in the same NWC file, but each part with its own layout, and printed to PDF after the final checks have been made and then combined into a "PDF-book" (with an index which I've prepared in EXCEL) using PdfEdit. Section letters in 20pt Boxmark2, Visibility: Top staff only (on each staff, so they do not clutter the score). Use SPACERS to make things fit - I've adapted Rick's rg_Squash.php to (selectively) insert 0.50 or 0.70 Spacers, and I use Rick's rg_ZapSpacers.php to kill off spacers which I do not like.
Score: Make a copy of the "Parts" file, and adjust the layout. I used used 16pt - and hoped the conductor could read it. Suggestions: Staff labels on ALL systems, with SHORT abbreviations (say 4 char max.) Collapse what you can - this can save many pages in the score. Layer what you can, eg. Clar.1 & Clar.2, with stems up and stems Down, reduce lengths of stems . Print Multi-staff system separators. (Ideally: LARGE page numbers, as well as LARGE Measure numbers ) this is somewhat difficult in NWC at present, because there are no dedicated fonts for these.
Adding to what Warren advised: The default size for new music's "Staff metrics", is "16pt", which is fairly small. I've found that 20pt, (or 22pt) work better for music which is to be read from a music stand. This may also require (indivually) increasing the vertical sizes of the staves: F2 > Visual > (then adjust) Upper and/or lower.
If necessary: Make a change for a staff, check with print preview. If satisfied, SAVE, else revert by pressing "ctrl + z" (or using the "UNDO" button)
Boxmarks & Boxmark2 are strictly text only. If you want to have it sounding correctly, (at present) in NWC you would have to mute the printing staves and create hidden staves, where every single note is notated.
Dick, what you are proposing, is equal to a big commercial application. My suggestion is: Contact Nicolas Hatier (the author of the convertor) directly at:
Susanna, 1. It would definitely help if you could upgrade to NWC 2.5.5 In NWC, Help -> Access Noteworthy Software.com
2. I chose to buy the 2.5.5 version outright, with the official CD, even though I own a licence for the previous version. (The reason: It saves a LOT of hassle compared to trying to update from Version 2.1) 3. There are charges: USD $49 + [USD $10 for the disk (essential if your internet is so flaky AND for future updates)] 4. It's unlikely that you will be able to use Warren Porter's code in NWC 2.1 - at least the "(2.5" would have to be changed to "(2.1" Addendum: 5. If you have already upgraded your membership to this forum: Whilst typing a reply you should see "Additional Options..." at the bottom left of the frame in which you are typing. If you click on it, it opens ATTACH: with Browse. which you can use to locate your *.nwc file (or other type of file which is allowed) to send to this forum. 6. If you have not upgraded your membership, please ask Rick G. for the necessary link, if the more link of: News: Licensed NWC2 users can upgrade their community membership [more] at the top of this page is insufficient.
Susanna, I'll try to answer: 1. Please check in NWC: Help -> About -> Version ? (I'm using 2.5.5) and tell us which version you are using. 2. To toggle a toolbar on or off: View -> Toolbars -> (I suggest that you select all five) 3. I cannot duplicate your colour problem, do you have some staves layered? 4. What has had me hot under the collar, had been caused by Persistent Note Tools which you can reach by: Notes -> Persistent Note Tools -> (where I normally only select Notehead and switch off all the rest.
The standard version is 4972KB (which should be the last time you battle to download a large file)
Amongst others: GETRIGHT allows you to resume (and / or pause) your download from most sites. This is a great feature when your internet connection is prone to interruption.
My advice: Do not get over-enthusiastic with speeding-up your download. "Segmented" 2-times (at the most 3-times), has been the best for me.
I've had a look at the samples of BRAVURA, and I like what I saw.
If /when BRAVURA (or other unicode font) should become available in NWC, we'll have to become accustomed to 4-figure HEX addresses for the glyphs. eg. U 00EB (for Alt 0235) in Arial
And in the BRAVURA Sample: U 266D for Flat U 266E for Natural U 266F for Sharp
The story below may seem complicated, but doing it step-by-step is really easy: (I use the mouse to set the position on the staff where I want to enter a note)
If the notes are of the same duration (i.e. chords), it's very easy (without layering): 1. Select duration of the note 1/2, 1/4, 1/8, etc 2. (If the note needs an accidental, select the accidental now) Enter the first note of the chord. 3. With the mouse positioned immediately to the right of the note you've just entered, position the mouse (cursor) at the correct "height" for the next note of the chord, (If the note needs an accidental, select the accidental now) then press Ctlr Enter simultaneously. 4. Continue building your chord as in 3.
Should you need to remove a note out of a chord: Position the cursor immediately to the right at the same "height" as the note you want to remove, and press Ctrl BackSpace simultaneously.
If the the voices are of different duration, 5. Select the stem direction (up or down) for the shorter note(s) Enter the shorter note(s) as in 3 and 4 above. 6. Select the duration for the longer notes (NWC will automatically give them the other stem direction). 7. Continue building your chord as in 3 and 4.
Remember to set correct the stem directions (up or down) for the other notes (rests) in the measure, so that each of the up and down stems add up to the correct value.
Some further remarks which may (or may not) apply to your problem: 1. It appears as if you had not checked EACH staff for correct sound: Marking a note to start a tie, with "/", without supplying the following note to which the tie should be connected, (when a slur, marked with ";" was intended) is SURE to give wrong sounds.
2. Staves which are intended ONLY for printing, had best be muted, with the PLAYING staves hidden from view.
When doing orchestral music, I've found it helpful to: (I only have the default sounds available - have not progressed to soundfonts) =========Save the work you've done so far. ================ =========Make a Copy of your work, BEFORE Starting to chop and change========= =========Work on the copy;======== =========As work progresses, save with sequentially increasing version numbers eg 01, 02, 03, .... 19, 20, 21 ....======== Ensure that each staff has a meaningful name (a hodge-podge of names and numbers can easily cause confusion) Group together staves which use the same instrument. 1. Make all staves visible. 2. Select "Score Review" (Keyboard shortcut is: R) 3. Start from the top staff, sequentially assign Channels to the staves, from "1" to "16" (Reserving "10" for percussion sounds.) If you have more than 16 "voices", you'll have problems, which can be solved, as had been done by the late Tina Billett - it will require careful study to understand how she did it. 4. If you have a group of staves playing the same instrument, you can assign onethe same channel to each of these staves, (provided the dynamicsmultipoint controllers are identical in the staves.)
See also Rick G.'s reply #10. 5. To track down which instruments are playing where: For each staff, on its own: Type "Ctrl+F" (which is the shortcut for "FIND"), select "By category" and from that select "Instrument patch". After the first patch has been found (and corrected if necessary), you can press "F3" to keep on looking for further instrument patches on the same staff. Presumably you'll find some places where a staff should've been muted or some wrong instrument patches.
+ Lilypond is a free music setting program (NO sound), with many facilities which are available in Sibelius and Finale and not in NWC.
- Because you can do so MUCH in Lilypond, the input is VERY verbose ( compared to NWC). - (To me) it seems quite a steep additional learning curve.
+ A convertor from NWC to Lilypond has been created, to use NWC as preprocessor for Lilypond. (search for it in this forum.) + The documentation for Lilypond is VERY extensive, worthwhile to have available even if you do not use the program.
NWC 2.5.5 (at present) does not export directly to *.mp3
1. Install (free) Audacity, 2. with the Lame add-on (also free). 3. Start Audacity to record, (some experimentation will be necessary to find the correct settings in Audacity) 4. Start playing your NWC music (or any other). 5. Save the Audacity recording project. 6. Edit your recording as needed (eg. trimming leading and / or trailing silence, and check for best recording levels. )
3 to 6 might have to be repeated to reach optimal results.
Al, I suspect that the fun starts when you've worked REALLY hard at mastering something. Proficiency (which may look soooo easy to others) does not come without a lot of patient, hard work, except, of course, to the absolute genius.
Jewels, when I start writing this reply, there is a display of: "Additional Options..." at the bottom left. Click on it, and it opens 3 options, plus a block marked "Attach:"
I use the "Browse.." option to navigate to the file (on my PC) which I want to send to the forum. (Watch the extensions for filetypes which are allowed.) and remember (if my memory serves me correctly): you are only allowed 1 MB for the total of all the files you send to the forum.)
Should you wish to attach more file(s) after the first, click on "(more attachments)" and browse on your PC for it /them.