Skip to main content ↑ ↓
Topic: Control of measure size, etc. (Read 5273 times) previous topic - next topic

Control of measure size, etc.

I know that this has been mentioned before.  One can increase or decrease note spacing for a whole piece, but not for a line or a measure ("line" here meaning a line in print preview).  It would be helpful if this were possible. 

As well, the grouping question, brought up last week or so could use addressing.  It would be nice to be able to group sections (strings, winds, &c) when printing out. 

I have a notion that some of these problems are rather more difficult to solve than to pose, or rather, are more difficult than they seem in the mind of the poser of the problems, me in this case.

Re: Control of measure size, etc.

Reply #1 –
G'day Robin,

Quote from: Robin L. Øye –
I know that this has been mentioned before.  One can increase or decrease note spacing for a whole piece, but not for a line or a measure ("line" here meaning a line in print preview).  It would be helpful if this were possible. 


I agree.  It's a lot of work, but one could work around it by turning off Extra Note Spacing and then placing text spaces (with preserve width ON) where extra spacing between notes is required - but that'd be a lot of text entries!

Quote
As well, the grouping question, brought up last week or so could use addressing.  It would be nice to be able to group sections (strings, winds, &c) when printing out. 


You could try playing with the staff boundaries...  I.E. the top staff of a group would have lots of "space" in the Upper "Vertical Size" on the visual tab in staff properties...

If you really want to have braces you could make the top staff and the bottom staff of a group "Grand Staff" in their Style properties as well as making the ending barline "Open (hidden)" and then make the rest of the bar lines hidden.  Layerd staves could then give 'em correct length barlines...  Setting any other staff to "Orchestral" should also give you the "full size" opening section open barline across all staves.  Haven't tried it, but I think it should work.

Quote
I have a notion that some of these problems are rather more difficult to solve than to pose, or rather, are more difficult than they seem in the mind of the poser of the problems, me in this case.


Maybe it's Eric's way of testing our creativity :)
I plays 'Bones, crumpets, coronets, floosgals, youfonymums 'n tubies.

Re: Control of measure size, etc.

Reply #2 –
Quote
Maybe it's Eric's way of testing our creativity
Hmmmmm
A-hem

One way of looking at it I guess. LOL
Rich.

Re: Control of measure size, etc.

Reply #3 –
Lawrie & Rich,

I've also tried putting  an invisible staff between groups.  I'll try one or two of these things. 

As to Eric testing our creativity, well, yes...but I'm getting too old for exams, tests, and the like. 

Part of this is motivated by anger at the fact that Lilypond won't work on my Win98SE machine, even though they say on the website that it should.  They've subsequently told me that they have declared Win98 unsupported, and that they have neither the time nor the inclination to do anything about it.  They told me to upgrade to ME or XP; I told 'em that would likely mean a new computer.... so there it is.  Nevertheless, it would behove Noteworthy to come up with solutions to the problems mentioned above.

Robin

Re: Control of measure size, etc.

Reply #4 –
I don't care what they (Lilypond) think, ME is NOT an upgrade...  It's a disaster looking for a place to happen. (IMHO)
I plays 'Bones, crumpets, coronets, floosgals, youfonymums 'n tubies.

Re: Control of measure size, etc.

Reply #5 –
Quote
ME is NOT an upgrade...  It's a disaster looking for a place to happen. (IMHO)

LOL - I quite agree - I (rather stupidly) bought ME and installed it. It lasted all of one day before I reverted to 98 again. It was Microsoft's attempt to prove that the Millennium bug does exist. That was after it had been out for a while. Thankfully, I didn't upgrade to XP until SP2 was out and so I missed most of the problems (Yes I know SP2 has its own problems but nowhere near ME).
However, my son thinks SP2 has more problems than XP on its own - but since I never used XP on its own, I can't really comment.


Rich.

Re: Control of measure size, etc.

Reply #6 –
Quote from: Richard Woodroffe –
However, my son thinks SP2 has more problems than XP on its own - but since I never used XP on its own, I can't really comment.


I understand why he might think that, both SP1 and SP2 introduced performance hits, but overall the reliability and security improved to a point that SP2 is almost a good product, though I don't believe that any M$ product will ever be truly secure (or anyone else's product for that matter, the only truly secure computer is one that has no data, no connection to anything, is turned off and stored in a fireproof safe)
I plays 'Bones, crumpets, coronets, floosgals, youfonymums 'n tubies.

Re: Control of measure size, etc.

Reply #7 –
My Son's main problem is the copious amounts of BSODS and the increased frequency of having to totally restart his machine because it won't boot into normal OR safe mode and no rescue / console cd program helps. With just SP1, he had long periods of no problems whatsoever. He was forced to upgrade to SP2 by the latest bluetooth software.

(However - I cannot say that I have experienced those sorts of problems)

Rich.

Re: Control of measure size, etc.

Reply #8 –
Hmm, we haven't experienced that kind of thing with any of our customers - at least not caused by a service pack...

I wonder if he has some specific, "uncertified", device driver that has compatibility problems.  This would be one of the biggest software causes of unreliable behaviour out there.

Another possibility is hardware.  It may be a coincidental situation where there is a hardware problem that is affecting reliability.  Something we've seen a LOT of is swollen or burst electrolytic capacitors around the CPU on the motherboard.  About 2 1/2 years ago several (maybe 1) capacitor manufacturer(s) seems to have started cutting corners on quality.  These faulty caps cause the wierdest problems... AND they appear on boards from a variety of manufacturers...
I plays 'Bones, crumpets, coronets, floosgals, youfonymums 'n tubies.

Re: Control of measure size, etc.

Reply #9 –
Quote
I know that this has been mentioned before.  One can increase or decrease note spacing for a whole piece, but not for a line or a measure ("line" here meaning a line in print preview).  It would be helpful if this were possible. 

Hi Robin,
To a limited extent, this can be done with a forced system break before and after the passage you need to add space to. 

Let's say bar 19 looks crowded and you want to spread it out a bit.  Normally, bars 15 to 20 (6 bars) would fit on the line.  Force system breaks at the ends of bars 14 and 19 (or even 18) and bars 15 to 19 will be on one line, but stretched out a bit. 

Quote
As well, the grouping question, brought up last week or so could use addressing.  It would be nice to be able to group sections (strings, winds, &c) when printing out.

I think you can.  I've attached a sample file which does what I think you're asking for.  Disable allow layering to see the hidden staffs, and check their properties.

 

Re: Control of measure size, etc.

Reply #10 –
David,

I've done very much these same things, and they do work--after a fashion.  Using the forced system break fixes some situations, but I often end up having to undo it when I change margins.  Besides, there is nothing uglier than a line with one elongated measure. I still think that something should be available to EASILY modify measures. 

None the less, thanks for the example: if nothing else, it shows me that a really great mind (yours) had an idea that my meagre intelligence came up with.  Makes me feel less meagre.