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Topic: Writing Cresc & Dim signs (< and >) (Read 9406 times) previous topic - next topic

Writing Cresc & Dim signs (< and >)

Pierre Schmidt submitted this user tip. I loaded the cresc.ttf into c:\windows\fonts folder and defined user1 as crescendos. Item 3 in his write-up says "Insert the text:........." Where and how? This has me stumped. I need some more info on how to do this. Thanks.

Re: Writing Cresc & Dim signs (< and >)

Reply #1
Where? Wherever you want a crescendo or decrescendo hairpin. Position the insertion point where you want it, usually before a note below the staff.

How? Press "X" or 'x' to insert text. In the text dialog box:

Text Expression tab: "Display Font" - select User1. "Text Expression" - type A, B, C, etc. for various sizes of crescendo, or a, b, c, etc. for decrescendo.

Expression Placement tab: "Staff Position" - can be used to move the item vertically. "Preserve Width" - off (unchecked). "Justification" - usually "left" is most appropriate. "Alignment/Placement" - "best fit" or (my preference) "at next note/bar".
Visibility tab: leave at default.

HTH

Fred

Re: Writing Cresc & Dim signs (< and >)

Reply #2
Thanks. There was no mention in the write-up about using "X" or "x" to insert text. I'm a new user (a few weeks) and not very proficient at this yet. I just received version 1.7 in the mail and I am impressed. My brother got me hooked on Noteworthy. I've tried a few others (demos) but thusfar this has the shortest learning curve.

Re: Writing Cresc & Dim signs (< and >)

Reply #3
In defense of Pierre and others who submit these tips: it's not possible for the tips to include every detail. Inserting text, for example, is a basic function of NWC and it would clutter the tips if each one had to include a set of instructions for doing it.

Remember that a lot of information can be gleaned from the Help file supplied with NWC. In the case of inserting text, though, it's even easier since there's an "Insert" pull-down menu on which one of the choices is "Text". You can learn a lot about using a product just by inspecting what's available via the pull-downs.

Re: Writing Cresc & Dim signs (< and >)

Reply #4
The command reference is the best cook-book for doing in NWC. Not only basic operations but also workarounds and "hacks" are defined with the help of embedded pictures.

You can download it from the NWC Scriptorium.

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Decode address...

Re: Writing Cresc & Dim signs (< and >)

Reply #5
Thanks again. I downloaded the entire book.

Re: Writing Cresc & Dim signs (< and >)

Reply #6
What might not be apparent is that the cresc and dim signs will not do anything to the actual playback dynamic.

You still have to put in a cresc or decresc (or dim) and a target dynamic to get any playback effect, but judicious use of the invisible attribute will hide these on the printed score.

Peter

Re: Writing Cresc & Dim signs (< and >)

Reply #7
Son of a gun!!! I had no idea that putting in a target dynamic would actually cause the dim and cresc to do something to the playback. I thought they were just text symbols. I tested this feature just now and it works. This is neat - thanks for the info.

Re: Writing Cresc & Dim signs (< and >)

Reply #8
I'm still investigating this but here's a warning "note".  I have installed Safari 3 for Windows Beta on my machine as my day job is software development... very wierdly and despite the suggestion that the browser apparently uses its own text rendering, not ttf, cresc.ttf appears to be picked up by Safari and letters are replaced by crescendo and diminuendo signs.  To see the problem in operation try http://www.google.co.uk through Safari 3 for Windows with cresc.ttf installed on your machine.

Re: Writing Cresc & Dim signs (< and >)

Reply #9
I'm still investigating this but here's a warning "note".  I have installed Safari 3 for Windows Beta on my machine as my day job is software development... very wierdly and despite the suggestion that the browser apparently uses its own text rendering, not ttf, cresc.ttf appears to be picked up by Safari and letters are replaced by crescendo and diminuendo signs.  To see the problem in operation try http://www.google.co.uk through Safari 3 for Windows with cresc.ttf installed on your machine.


If only certain fonts display correctly, maybe there is more than one "type" of ttf font.  There may be a string of data at the beginning that denotes whether Safari will support it.  In fact, it may be the same way that Microsoft Word decides whether to display the font names of the "dings" fonts in a more readable font.

Re: Writing Cresc & Dim signs (< and >)

Reply #10
Cresc.ttf is defined as a sans serif text font, not a symbol font so Safari is probably expecting it to have letters, not symbols...
I plays 'Bones, crumpets, coronets, floosgals, youfonymums 'n tubies.

Re: Writing Cresc & Dim signs (< and >)

Reply #11
I'm assuming then that Safari does not display the Wingdings, Webdings, and other dingbat fonts?  I don't use a Mac, so I am still trying to gather information about the problem.

Re: Writing Cresc & Dim signs (< and >)

Reply #12
Ummm, nooo Bob...  That's not it.

cresc.ttf is internally defined as a text font, so I think safari is expecting it to be text - it isn't.  Neither are the other fonts you mention, but they are at least internally defined as symbol fonts so are probably handled correctly.

However, my suspicion is that Safari is somehow selecting the crescendo font without Anthony's direction - this is a worse problem if it is using it as a text font when it shouldn't be using it at all!

I wonder did Apple define a text font with the same internal name as cresc.ttf and it couldn't install 'cos cresc.ttf was already there..?

Hmm, Anthony, I think some more information could help...

When is cresc.ttf showing up?  Is it automagic or are you doing something in particular?  Do you have control in the config of Safari to specify your display font?

I plays 'Bones, crumpets, coronets, floosgals, youfonymums 'n tubies.


 

Re: Writing Cresc & Dim signs (< and >)

Reply #14
Ahh, typical Apple.  The first link explains a lot - My interpretation: "You Must Do It Our Way - You Have No Choices In This World, You Must Do It Our Way And Our Way ONLY.  Nothing Else Will Work."

This is a big reason why this is a Wintel world and not a Mac one - In the early eighties Apple were:
a) far too greedy and
b) too insistent on not allowing user freedom.

Not that m$ haven't turned that way too...  20 years ago they were much better...  :(
I plays 'Bones, crumpets, coronets, floosgals, youfonymums 'n tubies.