Skip to main content ↑ ↓
Topic: Crescendo/diminuendo signs (Read 16560 times) previous topic - next topic

Crescendo/diminuendo signs

Is there a possibility to insert a crescendo/diminuendo sign.
i.e. no text s.a. cresc. / dim. but the sign itself :

< for crescendo
> for diminuendo

If the answer is yes, how do I do that.
I want this question to be solved before I buy the program.

Re: Crescendo/diminuendo signs

Reply #1 –
Simply aid, the answer is No. But don't be desperated, CbB ("See BeLow")

But I'd add : for now. At the time I discovered NWC, I deeply needed the lyrics feature (which did not exist at that time). The time to think of a solution, and the new NWC version (1.20) get out, with the lyrics feature :-)

I don't say that next version of NWC will have full support for cresc/decresc. signs. Only God (and Eric) know. And maybe He wonders ;-)

But I wrote a solution 2 years ago which should be satisfactory --if you have a poscscript driver. Look at https://forum.noteworthycomposer.com/?topic=125, https://forum.noteworthycomposer.com/?topic=131, https://forum.noteworthycomposer.com/?topic=149 or directly at http://www.geocities.com/Paris/LeftBank/1357/cresdecr.html which I just updated.

Lemme know what you think of it --if you use it !
But the principles is good I think, and maybe this could help for implementation... ;-)

NWCly yours,
                    MAD

Re: Crescendo/diminuendo signs

Reply #3 –
I'd imagine that support of cresc/dim signs may be a little more difficult than we imagine. What happens if the marks "wrap around" (ie span more than one "line" of the staff)?
Marsu, what does your ps version do?

wrt: Barry's fonts, they are a text workaround and because of their limited size, are of limited use (but still better than greater-than and less-than signs!)

A

Re: Crescendo/diminuendo signs

Reply #4 –
When a cres/decresc. sign is splitted on 2 lines, I'm afraid the result ain't what you expect.
In fact my program draws lines from the starting point to the ending point. And if they're on different lines... then you'll get a cres. sign that crosses over the staff. Hard to explain, without a drawing. Anyway, in that case, I usually insert two cres/decresc. signs (one before the line jump, one after).

Guess it's time to make a more clever solution :-)

MAD

Re: Crescendo/diminuendo signs

Reply #5 –
This raises another issue.
Because we compose on an "infinite" (left to right, no line-break) script, we don't know where "line-breaks" are to facilitate things like Marsu's dec/cresc work.
Maybe NWC should mark "breaking" barlines in another colour as a cue (since NWC MUST know where these boundaries are).
Alternatively, if NWC took on hairpins, the problem would be solved, as it already copes with ties and slurs around linebreaks, doesn't it?

Andrew

Re: Crescendo/diminuendo signs

Reply #6 –
I think that NWC would only know where they are when formatting for printing. I can't imagine trying to keep track of that information on the fly when there are so many variables for a line break (font size, margins are two big ones that come to mind). It might be possible to mark the line breaks after doing a print preview or perhaps a line break audit tool.

Re: Crescendo/diminuendo signs

Reply #7 –
My vote is for the Barry Graham "Boxmark" font that Nachbaur mentions (see below.) I had it operational in minutes.
You add the symbols as text. Use extra spaces to reposition the symbol if necessary. For something like multi-bar rest marker or single bar repeat symbol, be sure to check "Preserve Width" and insert a few spaces on either side.

Re: Crescendo/diminuendo signs

Reply #8 –
To Peter:
I guess that's what I meant. NWC would deal with line-breaks at print time.

A
 

Re: Crescendo/diminuendo signs

Reply #9 –
My lines don't break in the same place all the time. If I print a conductor's score, there will be more line breaks than if I just print a flute part or a horn part. And when each part is printed individually, their line breaks will occur in different places.