Skip to main content ↑ ↓
Topic: Accent, etc. placement (Read 6862 times) previous topic - next topic

Accent, etc. placement

I may have missed it, but is it possible to control the placement of accents, tenuto markings, etc.? If I am layering, and have all soprano stems up, it would be helpful to be able to place the accents at the top rather than the bottom. (Quite frankly, it would also be helpful to perhaps be able to hide such markings on other staves that are being layered, if similar markings are desired on those staves as well).

The matter was noted at https://forum.noteworthycomposer.com/?topic=1974. Not sure if someone has found a fix.

Re: Accent, etc. placement

Reply #1 –
At this time there is no control provided for placements of accents.

What I do in these situations is place the accents using text, (> for accent, _ for tenuto, and . for staccato) with Preserve Width off, alignment at next note/bar, justification center. The sounded equivalents can be accomplished with hidden dynamics, tenuto and staccato instructions respectively (returning to marcato or other "do nothing" instruction afterward).

The Staff Bold preset generally seems to be appropriate for such markings, except staccato where I use (IIRC) Page Text.

Cheers,
Fred

Re: Accent, etc. placement

Reply #2 –
Thanks Fred. Good ideas. Think I'll add a further request to the wish list. Greater control over placement is a greater need with layering.

Re: Accent, etc. placement

Reply #3 –
I’ve been adding accents and other articulations as text,
as offered by Reply 1, with a hidden aural staff and a
visible muted staff. Adding articulations not only causes
the problems mentioned, but slurs are moved further from
the notes, and articulations are often lost inside the staff
on notes near the middle line. For fonts, I don’t use the
Staff Bold preset or IIRC. I use a music symbols font
(that I’m still in the process of making — fonts take SUCH
a long time to make!).

Re: Accent, etc. placement

Reply #4 –
Minnie, you may find some interesting musical fonts on the hepl ful files section at the Scriptorium .
No need to create yet another one if the symbols you need already exist in one of them :)

Re: Accent, etc. placement

Reply #5 –
Actually, Marsu, I have found some of those fonts useful,
but not enough so. What I’m doing is “editing” or
“remaking” the fonts, not doing it from scratch.
That would take even MORE time!
(I’m a musician, not a fontographer...)
Plus, when a character needs an Alt+code but I use it quite
often, I’d rather have it on a key, so I’m re—ordering some
of the characters as well.

Re: Accent, etc. placement

Reply #6 –
Well, glad to learn that you don't do them from scratch (which is, I admit, a much longer process) :-)

However, if you plan to re-map things from Boxmark[s|2], I'd be glad to know, since it could be useful for my next version of boxmark2.
I try to consider US-keyboard as others as well, for example the "natural kbd number order" used in Boxmark is not at all easy for me nor probably many non-english users.
For me the keys above numbers are in the order:
² & é " ' ( - è _ ç à ) = BACKSPACE
and not the supposed ! @ # $ % ^ & * ( ) order :(

So if you plan to make your font for your use only, no problem; however, if you want to publish it (for instance because you plan to make your NWCs files public), try to take this into consideration.
On my side, I try to "group" the new signs logically, not modifying the already present chars, for compatibility reasons.
A small chart (printed page) is very helpful for any font too (I made one for fretA for instance, with chord name and so on). My "template" file is in eXceL 3 format, to ensure more compatiblity). If someone want it, I'll make it available.

Hab Mut!

Re: Accent, etc. placement

Reply #7 –
Marsu,
I no longer even have Boxmarks installed, since you created
Boxmark2. What you did for the numbers (like being able to
use 238 all in one box) was wonderful. I was planning to do
this for the letters as well, because some orchestral works
have rehearsal letters that go beyond Z, such as AA or Aa.
All of the marks on the lower case letters I have in another
font [talk like Yoda I do?], so this wouldn’t be a problem
for me. As for “making my font available to the public,”
I don’t think that’s gonna happen. The order I’m putting
everything in works really well for me, but if others saw it, I might get locked up…
Plus, this —— ² & é " ' ( - è _ ç à ) =
would really mess you up.:(
{Does “Hab Mut!” mean “Have courage!” in German?)

Re: Accent, etc. placement

Reply #8 –
Oops! Sorry for the german :-# Sometimes it comes prior to english language. And yes, your translation is right. 'twas about the work for making the fonts :)

To give credits were due, it's not me who did the work on numbers, but Barry Graham! He did two versions of boxmarks.ttf, and I created boxmark2 from his work and by authorization. On my side, I've not done much yet, only a tenth of what I want. As you stated, being a fontographer takes time... But I don't despair, I'll add all the items I still have been asked for.

(and sorry if sometimes as Ioda I speak, english my third language after all is)
P.S. No need in this forum to press "Enter" at each end of line. Once per paragraph is enough :)

Re: Accent, etc. placement

Reply #9 –
Marsu,
I wasn’t accusing you of Yoda-speak.
I just thought my sentence in which that comment occured
sounded Yoda-esque (please don’t be offended - I have high
regards [and a little envy{?}] for polyglots).
Just curious, though -
Yoda’s word-order and German word-order - any similarities???????

Re: Accent, etc. placement

Reply #10 –
> Yoda?s word-order and German word-order - any similarities???????

A another transplated German (marsu to France, I to Canada) I hope he doesn't mind if I jump in here... While there may be similarities (e.g. placing the subject at the end of the sentence), you can't learn German syntax by studying Yoda-speak. My impression is that Yoda-speak is attempting to mimic Eastern (insert stereotype here) word-order, more than of any European language, as he is portrayed as something of a "guru". I don't imagine it's based on any real language, though, as he's not self-consistent.

About "Hab' Mut!" - while the strict translation is indeed "Have courage", it's used colloquially much as we'd say "Chin up" or "Keep the faith" depending on region.

Fred

PS - I just "got" your pseudonum. Witty. :)

Re: Accent, etc. placement

Reply #11 –
Pseudonym? What Pseudonym? ;)

But did you “get” anything else in this thread (like in reply 5)?

Re: Accent, etc. placement

Reply #12 –
Well, yes, I've been following along. However, fontography is not one of My Favourite Things, so I leave it to the experts and live with them "as they fall".

btw - a technique that I use (and have mentioned here, but will mention again at the risk of driving it into the ground) is the "toolbox" approach for commonly used objects, such as custom font characters, in which a file is created containing frequently-used characters or other items. Tile it with the window being worked on, and you can "dip into" the toolbox file to copy items, then paste into yor "active" file.

Fred

Re: Accent, etc. placement

Reply #13 –
I mean, like, a Star Trek reference, perhaps?

And, Yes, I’ve been using your “toolbox” approach for quite
some time now. I have a staff for rests (as texts items),
one for notes (as texts items), ones for ornaments, chord symbols, rehearsal numbers, etc.
With the “Smart Insert” feature, it’s just like making a template!
No need to edit certain items after entry.
They are “self-editing!”

Re: Accent, etc. placement

Reply #14 –
> I mean, like, a Star Trek reference, perhaps?

Ah. Yes, Doctor. Your human tendencies have been noted.

Live long and prosper.

Fred
 

Re: Accent, etc. placement

Reply #15 –
Gee. My initial post seems to have gone into topical warp drive . . . .