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Topic: Boundary Limits - how to fix for different layers (Read 2589 times) previous topic - next topic

Boundary Limits - how to fix for different layers

I see there was a thread last year that posed this problem and wonder if any one has resolved it. BTW it was not a problem in previous versions only 2.5.5 (to my knowledge)
I use layering to put lyrics under one stave and chords over another. I also use boundary properties to adjust the space between staves, and therefore the lyric and chord text to avoid confusion. This was quite easy in v 2.2 but seems to be impossible in v 2.5.5 as the staff properties appear to be linked.
It will make life very difficult if I have to revert but at the moment I see no other option. Can anyone help please.

Re: Boundary Limits - how to fix for different layers

Reply #1
I see there was a thread last year that posed this problem and wonder if any one has resolved it. BTW it was not a problem in previous versions only 2.5.5 (to my knowledge)
I use layering to put lyrics under one stave and chords over another. I also use boundary properties to adjust the space between staves, and therefore the lyric and chord text to avoid confusion. This was quite easy in v 2.2 but seems to be impossible in v 2.5.5 as the staff properties appear to be linked.
It will make life very difficult if I have to revert but at the moment I see no other option. Can anyone help please.

Hi,

I don't know if this will help with your issue, but I assume you are aware of the "Offset" setting on the lyrics properties. This can be set to a positive or negative number, and will move the lyrics up or down without affecting the upper or lower vertical size.

One thing that I have found is that when you layer staves, the largest upper and lower size for any of the staves will be the "winner" in determining the effective staff size, so I usually set the sizes on all but one of the staves to their minimum values, and use the lyric offset property to put the lyrics on those staves where I want them.

I only use the boundary change commands when I want to hide/show a staff, or if I want to change the upper or lower size of a staff mid-song (i.e. if the lyrics change from 3 lines to 1 line). Unfortunately, when the boundary change command was created, it didn't include the ability to change the lyric offset property. Sometimes I have used a workaround for "number of lyric line" changes, if the number of lines is going down: I put the single lyric line on a later line (i.e. line 2 or 3), and blank out the earlier line(s) (via underscores). That effectively shifts the lyric line downward by that number of lines.

Let me know if this helps.

EDIT: It just occurred to me that with boundary change commands, you probably need to put them on each layered staff so that all of the staves recognize them (again, you are probably already doing this, but just in case...)

 

Re: Boundary Limits - how to fix for different layers

Reply #2
I use layering to put lyrics under one stave and chords over another.
Everything entered as Lyrics share the same font and size. Whatever font and size is suitable for lyrics will be unsuitable for chords. In any song with lyrics, Chord symbols need to be Text so that they can use their own font. Even for simple songs that have no flats in chord designations, I see no sense in restricting lyrics and chords to use the same size font and size.

Chords entered as lyrics can be made to work if there are no lyrics. The new Boundary Change Command allows their vertical position to vary from system to system on the page. This also works for chord designations entered as Text.

I also use boundary properties to adjust the space between staves, and therefore the lyric and chord text to avoid confusion. This was quite easy in v2.2 but seems to be impossible in v 2.5.5 as the staff properties appear to be linked.
The ultimate height of a layer is the max of Boundary:Upper and the max of Boundary:Lower for the staves comprising the layer. I do not believe that this was changed in v2.5

If you have a song created in v2.2 that changes appearance in v2.5, you might consider emailing it to NoteWorthy Support.
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