I too use SHARPEYE2 to convert scanned music to XML, to import into NWC2 (or 2.1) This has saved me very much time - BUT if the source is of POOR quality, it is faster to enter the music note-by-note from the keyboard - It's each person's own estimate which method will work better.
Adding to the others' comments: 1. For Sharpeye2, I've found scanning at 300dpi grayscale *.TIF (approx 8MB per A4 page) to give me the best results.
2. Sharpeye2 splits the screen horizontally with the scanned image at the bottom and its conversion at the top. The Sharpeye editor does take getting used to, BUT it is well worth your while to correct all of the errors (which you can find) using its editor, before exporting to XML. Quite often a really good scan is converted faultlessly.
3. Hatier's "MXML2NWCC.exe" generally does a very good job of the importation to NWC2. Things do get a bit hectic, if the source has two voices per stave and did not properly obey the rules for up- and down-stems of notes and rests. First time, second time, .... bars are not recognised (by Sharpeye2 I suspect) and master repeat signs sometimes land up at the end of a wrong bar.
Warning previously omitted: Before you can use "MXML2NWCC.exe", you must have Microsoft's .Net installed (This is mentioned in the "Readme" included with the *.zip file): Quote: Requirements: Microsoft .Net Framework v2.0 (You can get it through Windows Updates,http://update.microsoft.com/)
As far I can remember, .NET Vesion 1.1 was sufficient, which I could see at MS UPDATE Up to Version 3.5 is fine. .NET 4 probably is complete over-kill.
Phil, thanks for the work you've done! I've gone through your instructions today (2010-07-26) and found them really helpful.
1. NWCTXT2ly.exe is hard-coded to produce a *.ly file, with header section which starts:
% Generated by NWCTXT2Ly C# version 1.0.1.1 by Phil Holmes % Based on nwc2ly by Mike Wiering
\version "2.8.0"
The version available for download with your link, calls itself: lilypond-2.12.3-1.mingw.exe
Question: Should I manually change the version, if the *.ly file is to be kept for a longer period?
2. After working through the samples which you provide, I noticed that quite a large number of temporary files had been created. Would it be feasable for NWCTXT2Ly.exe to create a \temp folder where these could be collected?
My method is to create *. PDF (I do not use *.ps): In MS XP, print directly out of NWC to the pdf995 printer. Combine parts into multi-page *.PDF using PDFEdit adding an index, using MS WORD or MS EXCEL as the first page.
my 2c worth: 1. Set up each voice, ready for printing - 2. and print it to *.PDF, using something like PDF995. 3. Combine all the parts into a multipage *.PDF, with an index as the first page, using something like PDFEdit.
This saves a lot of hassle when suddenly, minutes before a performance, more parts are required.
Parts (adp) by Andrew Purdam (To split out multiple voices on one staff into separate voices, each copied to its own staff) Ranges (adp) by Andrew Purdam (To report the lowest and highest note present in a staff) XNoteSpace_NOTEs_CHORDs_adp by Andrew Purdam (To add extra note space to selected Note(s) and/or Chords) Very useful to nudge a note or chord. Be careful to select before running. Otherwise you'll need a quick Ctrl-Z to undo the action which this tool would've applied to the whole staff.
To translate MXML output from SHARPEYE2 to NWC2: MXML2NWCC.exe by Nicolas Hatier
I keep the whole orchestral score in one NWC2 file, therefore I frequently use Visibility "Top Staff Only" and copy down through the file those things which the conductor would ONLY want to see on the top staff, but are required by each orchestra member. This allows me to adjust individual parts for best printing, which is my priority.
Being rather lazy, I love using User Tools which other people have made available: ClefChange.php by Bryan Creer (eg. Changing Violin 3 parts to Cello) EmptyBars.vbs by Peter Edwards (eg. Create a Tempo staff which goes to the top of my score and contains all the tempo info) GlobalMod by Andrew Purdam ---Used literally in dozens of "Toollets" MultiBarRests by Kjeld Hansen (Automatically calculates and supplies MBRs throughout a staff in seconds)
A couple of things I've experienced. GIGO. If you don't scan a fairly good, clean copy then Sharpeye will make mistakes. I generally use a scan resolution of 600 dpi, and then try to scan at 125% or more. <--snip--> I do like your idea of using notepad.
Thanks David. Please Note: I was referring to NOTEPAD++ (not MS Notepad). For the rest, I heartily agree. Your scan must be of the best possible quality - in my case 300 dpi gray scale *.tif. If necessary, using Irfanview's "Image --> custom fine rotation" to straighten it. (It seems Sharpeye2 is fairly tolerant (say within 1.5 degrees) of a scan not being perfectly aligned.
But, over and above what you've said, errors sometimes slip in: Especially with back-to-back repeats, or other changes in flow direction.
To change staff size in NWC2: Select Page Setup --> Fonts--> Staff Metrics Change --> set to 40 (if you want 40pt staff size) Click Ok
Note: If you've selected any USER fonts (from 1 to 6), which need changing: Click on the name of the user font, eg User1 Click Modify make your change click Ok. Repeat for each user font.
I regularly use Sharpeye2 to convert *.tif scans to *.XML. Then MXML2NWCC.exe to obtain *.NWC. Sometimes the output is down-right wrong. Then analyzing the *.XML file with NOTEPAD++ (free download from Sourceforge.net) can help to pin-point the error.
My experience has been : Usually the problem is with Sharpeye2 or MXML2NWCC.exe, NOT with NWC2.
I'm using it with the latest stable version - 2.12.3. Why do you ask?
Thanks Phil. I'm asking because Lilypond is continuously being upgraded - which probably is fine, BUT then the upgrades cannot properly read older *.ly files - any way, that's been my experience. Hence the need to know which version your convertor targets.
If you run nwc-conv -h it will then give you a help screen which says what it can go to and from.
Essentially, it will convert from nwc or nwctxt and will convert into nwc, nwctxt, or type 1 or 2 midi. If addition it will provide the info that nwcinfo.exe used to provide.
There are a couple of examples on the help screen.
Thanks Rich, but I'm no closer to knowing what to do with nwc-conv.exe Sorry, but I'm totally dense. How do I "run nwc-conv -h "?
I've been hoping for a program which can convert to and from XML, Sibelius, Finale, etc. Formats.
Quote: "A command line program, nwc-conv.exe, is now included for converting *.nwc files to and from various other formats" (I do not know yet how to do the "official" quote).
This is something I've been looking forward to.
PLEASE: 1. Help a dunce like me and provide a step-by-step example how this program is to be used.
2. Please list the various formats which it can handle.
3. Can it convert in both directions in all of the formats? If not please specify.
I would like to suggest that NWC2 is far superior to NWC 1.75 and it's well worthwhile upgrading.
Although I'm a regular user of NWC2, importing Midi is not it's strongest point. NOTATION MUSICIAN does a FAR better job of importing Midi. I cannot afford NOTATION COMPOSER - hence it has happened that I've done: 1. Import Midi into NOTATION MUSICIAN. 2. Print to paper. 3. Scan to *.TIF ( or *.BMP) 4. With SHARPEYE2 convert *.TIF to *.XML 5. Convert *.XML to NWC2, using Nicolas Hatier's "MXML2NWCC.EXE"
Thanks Bryan, Change Clef came around just when I needed it. Had to change SATB into a 10-voices score, with quite a bit of changing of clefs.
I am a regular user of "User Tools" - wouldn't want be without them! So: My thanks to you, Lawrie, Andrew and Rick - as well as to Nicolas Hatier for his "mxml2nwcc.exe" which I use to convert XML files from SHARPEYE2 to NWC2. Haymo.
Extending a tip by David Palmquist, here is a means (in NWC2) to make-up hairpins to whatever length you may need (The sample is a Cresc. hairpin with rather exaggerated length):
David, Thanks. 1 . I'm using NWC2 (but with "increase spacing for longer notes" switched OFF - to save space). Sometimes, for a "fade/swell" on a single note, on a single staff, then NWC2 looks really miserable - the hairpin looks just like an accent. This is where Noterow comes in. (When I'm too lazy to create an empty, layered staff just to enter a few "preserve width" spaces - or in the present case, where there are 35 staves in the file already.)
Does "FOXIT" allow you to fill in PDF-forms and re-submit?
2. Your problem with Acrobat Reader 8.1.2, sounds like an exact repeat of the trouble I had in 2002. In my case, completely removing the defective NWORN font from my PC, cured everything instantly.
3. To get 8.1.2 to work: If advice from others should not provide a cure, you might consider backingup ALL non-essential fonts onto CD, removing them from your PC, rebooting, try re-installing Acrobat Reader 8.1.2 and look what happens.
David, I'm using Acrobat Reader 8.1.2 without any problems - and it is required here if one wants to use the South African Revenue Services' eFiling system. (It MIGHT just be that you have an old version of NWORN3.ttf on your PC - if this is a re-visit of the grief I had in 2002 when I installed acrobat 4.0 - which would thrash for about 3 minutes and then die.
When you open NWORN3.ttf (properties) and lower down you see "Version 3.02" - that is the version which had been corrected. There's also another version on the Scriptorium, edited by Algeyer.
On the other hand... I've been picking up grief with NOTEROW.ttf and PDF995: Everywhere that I used the "D" of Noterow for a larger dim. hairpin, PDF995 crashed out with the error message (on the following page): ERROR: undefined
OFFENDING COMMAND: BASE
STACK:
/D Where I substituted the "D" glyph with "C", PDF995 ran normally.