Skip to main content
Topic: Font with a 45 degree slash? (Read 14851 times) previous topic - next topic

Font with a 45 degree slash?

Hi,

While entering the piano part in an accompanied song I have come across what I think is a glissando, reaching from the last note of the bar (a D above middle C) in the bass clef to the first note of the next bar (an E above m C) in the treble clef. It is a straight diagonal line of the usual thickness as slurs, etc..

I've looked at the ways suggested of entering this. I can do it using text at the beginning of the second bar with right justification and a staff position of 11. BUT, due to its longer stretch over the bar line, the angle of the needed line is at a minimum of 45 degrees and all the slash lines I've found so far that might be used for the purpose run at about 30 degrees to the vertical, i.e. at too sharp an incline. I have found one in Opus Chords.ttf (Alt + 0188) that runs at just about the right angle but unfortunately it is a relatively thick slash and at 36 pt, which I need for the length, is rather too thick. Does anyone know of a font with a similarly angled forward slash of normal line thickness? Or a better way of achieving what I'm after? Thanks for your help.

Nick

Re: Font with a 45 degree slash?

Reply #1
G'day Nick,
can you use the symbol you've found but "stack" several of them at a smaller point size?

What I mean is place one of 'em justified and padded with spaces appropriately at next note/bar, then place another at the same next note/bar BUT placed higher up the staff and justified and padded with spaces such that there is a slight overlap so the line gets extended.

I occasionally need to do something similar but have never needed to do it with a sloping line.  A little juducious juggling of vertical position, font size and Staff Size may be required.
I plays 'Bones, crumpets, coronets, floosgals, youfonymums 'n tubies.

Re: Font with a 45 degree slash?

Reply #2
To increase the angle of a forward slash, try make it italic ( // ).
The Symbol font has rather thin strokes, Lucida Console is a bit thicker.
Registered user since 1996

Re: Font with a 45 degree slash?

Reply #3
Thanks for the ideas.

I have tried two entries of Alt + 0188 with the Opus Chords font at 16pt, one before and one after the bar line and got them to make a continuous line. But it starts a bit after the first notehead and finishes a bit before the second notehead. And the angle has become too steep again.

I tried three entries but the juggling was beyond me, I couldn't get them to make a continuous line and, even if I had, it didn't look as if the angle would have been right.

I tried using the italic Symbol slash at 48 pt. and the line thickness was fine but the angle was still quite a bit too steep. Hmm!

After further thought, (I'm not a pianist!) perhaps the purpose of this diagonal line is to show that the string of notes started in the left hand should be continued in the right hand afterwards. Is there a special name for such a line?

Nick

Re: Font with a 45 degree slash?

Reply #4
G'day Nick,
that's about my limit for now - 'tis after midnight here...

One thought - would the Opus Chords symbol work better if it was italic?

BTW, my copy of that font (V4.20) is empty at that location...  What version is yours?
I plays 'Bones, crumpets, coronets, floosgals, youfonymums 'n tubies.

Re: Font with a 45 degree slash?

Reply #5
Yes. Using italic with the Opus Chords Alt + 0188 at 48pt. helps. The angle is now even better, almost perfect, and the line is a tiny bit thinner. Acceptable at a pinch. If only the basic design was the normal line weight!

My version of Opus Chords is 4.60 and the copyright is up to 2007. I see it is a Sibelius product. I really can't remember how I got the suite but I seem to have the whole lot, 17 different fonts. I suppose they must have come with Scorch, their free file viewer.

All the best,

Nick

Re: Font with a 45 degree slash?

Reply #6
I suppose they must have come with Scorch, their free file viewer.
Most likely. Very ill-behaved to install 17 fonts without warning. This is part of what makes ActiveX a security risk.

Piano parts often use a slash to indicate that a voice is changing staves. In NWC2, I have used a pair of beamed headless, stemless grace eighth notes for this. (that would be a topic for the NWC2 Forum).

If the voice is slurred, a slur clearly encompassing the relevant notes makes the slash redundant.
Registered user since 1996

Re: Font with a 45 degree slash?

Reply #7
In NWC2, I have used a pair of beamed headless, stemless grace eighth notes for this

Your method, Rick, will work within a bar but I can't make it work across a bar line. Same for a slur. A tie is ok. But as you say this is an NWC2 topic and, though very helpful, slightly different from this one which is looking for a font with a 45 degree slash of ordinary thickness.

Re: Font with a 45 degree slash?

Reply #8
Your method, Rick, will work within a bar but I can't make it work across a bar line. Same for a slur. A tie is ok.
Slurs can cross barlines. To get a beam to look look like it crosses a barline, put it a layer without the barline. NWC (1.75 and Beta 2) can get ornery about missing barlines, but can usually be tamed.
Registered user since 1996

Re: Font with a 45 degree slash?

Reply #9
Slurs can cross barlines.

Sorry, with ordinary notes, yes. I was stupidly still thinking of grace notes whose slurs, like beams, can't. Doing away with a bar line in a layered stave sounds interesting. Has a lion tamer posted an example and method?

Re: Font with a 45 degree slash?

Reply #10
Just so Eric will know, this type of line is one of several needs that my wishlist request would solve.

I've probably asked more than once for a configurable curve that could have a starting and ending point controllable by the user, with a point in the middle, too, that could be moved to control the angle of the curve, from downward to flat to arching up. 

If it could be configured as thick solid, thin solid, dashed, or dotted, then many needs could be met.

Re: Font with a 45 degree slash?

Reply #11
G'day Nick,
My version of Opus Chords is 4.60 and the copyright is up to 2007. I see it is a Sibelius product. I really can't remember how I got the suite but I seem to have the whole lot, 17 different fonts. I suppose they must have come with Scorch, their free file viewer.

Thanks, I was wondering why the difference...
I plays 'Bones, crumpets, coronets, floosgals, youfonymums 'n tubies.


Re: Font with a 45 degree slash?

Reply #13
Here's an example:
staff 1:
Code: [Select · Download]
!NoteWorthyComposerClip(2.0,Single)
|Note|Dur:8th|Pos:0|Opts:Stem=Down,Beam=First
|Note|Dur:8th|Pos:0|Opts:Stem=Down,Beam
|Note|Dur:8th|Pos:0|Opts:Stem=Down,Beam
|Note|Dur:8th|Pos:0|Opts:Stem=Down,Beam=End
|Bar
|Note|Dur:8th|Pos:0|Opts:Stem=Down,Beam=First
|Note|Dur:8th|Pos:0|Opts:Stem=Down,Beam
|Note|Dur:8th|Pos:0|Opts:Stem=Down,Beam
|Note|Dur:8th|Pos:0|Opts:Stem=Down,Beam=End
!NoteWorthyComposerClip-End
staff 2:
Code: [Select · Download]
!NoteWorthyComposerClip(2.0,Single)
|Note|Dur:8th|Pos:0|Opts:Stem=Down,Beam=First
|Note|Dur:8th|Pos:0|Opts:Stem=Down,Beam
|Note|Dur:8th|Pos:0|Opts:Stem=Down,Beam
|Note|Dur:8th|Pos:0|Opts:Stem=Down,Beam
|Note|Dur:8th|Pos:0|Opts:Stem=Down,Beam
|Note|Dur:8th|Pos:0|Opts:Stem=Down,Beam
|Note|Dur:8th|Pos:0|Opts:Stem=Down,Beam
|Note|Dur:8th|Pos:0|Opts:Stem=Down,Beam=End
!NoteWorthyComposerClip-End

Re: Font with a 45 degree slash?

Reply #14
I have been working on a font that has straight and squiggly lines, ascending and descending, with intervals from a second up to two octaves, with widths varying from very steep to extremely extended (two measures long).  Due to my two HD crashes this summer, I am WAY behind on this project, but when I get "back to life," I'll try to finish it and post it here (unless someone else has also been working on it...).

 

Re: Font with a 45 degree slash?

Reply #15
This is one way to make a slanted line connecting staves. The degree of the slant can be controlledby the number and value of the hidden rests.
Carl Bangs
Fenwick Parva Press
Registered user since 1995