Transparent bars

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Transparent bars

2023-12-22 10:59 am

Lawrie,
since you wrote here that you use transparent bars, can you please remember me what are they useful for?
I though I got it but I discovered I forgot all. Probably I never grasped it completely.

Re: Transparent bars

Reply #1 – 2023-12-22 11:15 am

Hi Flurmy,
I use them to control positioning of other objects, and to start new systems where you want to leave the end of a staff open.
The example below is not exhaustive, just a couple of uses that I have need of occasionally.

Code: (nwc) [Select · Download]

!NoteWorthyComposerClip(2.751,Single)
|Clef|Type:Treble
|Key|Signature:C|Tonic:C
|TimeSig|Signature:4/4
|Note|Dur:4th|Pos:-6
|Note|Dur:4th|Pos:-5
|Note|Dur:4th|Pos:-4
|Note|Dur:4th|Pos:-3
|Bar
|Note|Dur:4th|Pos:1
|Note|Dur:4th|Pos:0
|Note|Dur:4th|Pos:-1
|Note|Dur:4th|Pos:-2
|Bar
|Note|Dur:4th|Pos:-4
|Note|Dur:4th|Pos:1
|Note|Dur:4th|Pos:-2
|Note|Dur:4th|Pos:-6
|Bar
|Note|Dur:4th|Pos:-4
|Note|Dur:4th|Pos:1
|Note|Dur:Half|Pos:-2
|Bar|Style:Double
|TimeSig|Signature:2/4
|Bar|Style:Transparent|SysBreak:Y
|TimeSig|Signature:2/4
|Note|Dur:4th|Pos:1
|Note|Dur:4th|Pos:1
|Bar
|Note|Dur:4th|Pos:-2
|Note|Dur:4th|Pos:-2
|Bar
|Note|Dur:4th|Pos:-6
|Note|Dur:4th|Pos:-6
|Bar
|Note|Dur:Half|Pos:-4
|Bar
|Note|Dur:4th|Pos:-4
|Note|Dur:4th|Pos:-3
|Bar
|Note|Dur:4th|Pos:-1
|Note|Dur:4th|Pos:-2
|Bar
|Note|Dur:4th|Pos:-4
|Note|Dur:4th|Pos:-2
|Bar
|Note|Dur:Half|Pos:1
|Bar|Style:Double
|TimeSig|Signature:4/4
|Bar|Style:Transparent|SysBreak:Y
|TimeSig|Signature:4/4
|Note|Dur:4th|Pos:-6
|Note|Dur:4th|Pos:-5
|Note|Dur:4th|Pos:-4
|Note|Dur:4th|Pos:-3
|Bar
|Note|Dur:4th|Pos:1
|Note|Dur:4th|Pos:0
|Note|Dur:4th|Pos:-1
|Note|Dur:4th|Pos:-2
|Bar
|Note|Dur:4th|Pos:-4
|Note|Dur:4th|Pos:1
|Note|Dur:4th|Pos:-2
|Note|Dur:4th|Pos:-6
|Bar
|Note|Dur:4th|Pos:-4
|Note|Dur:4th|Pos:1
|Note|Dur:Half|Pos:-2
|Bar|SysBreak:Y
|Text|Text:"This text centre justified"|Font:User6|Pos:15|Justify:Center|Placement:AtNextNote
|Text|Text:"at the transparent barline"|Font:User6|Pos:10.5|Justify:Center|Placement:AtNextNote
|Text|Text:"for controlled positioning"|Font:User6|Pos:7|Justify:Center|Placement:AtNextNote
|Bar|Style:Transparent
|Note|Dur:Half|Pos:1
|Note|Dur:Half|Pos:-2
|Bar
|Note|Dur:Half|Pos:3
|Note|Dur:Half|Pos:1
|Bar
|Note|Dur:Half|Pos:-2
|Note|Dur:Half|Pos:-6
|Bar
|Note|Dur:Half|Pos:-4
|Note|Dur:Half|Pos:1
|Bar|Style:SectionClose|SysBreak:Y
!NoteWorthyComposerClip-End

Re: Transparent bars

Reply #2 – 2023-12-22 01:57 pm

I would ask the question slightly differently: why are they preferred over a regular bar line which has Visibility set to Never (other than not being able to see them in the editor)? What situations would I choose one over the other?

Re: Transparent bars

Reply #3 – 2023-12-22 09:57 pm

Hi Mike,
transparent ones use horizontal space, invisible ones do not. For positioning purposes you need the transparent one because it takes space. An invisible one is not useful for positioning control. Or at least that's been my experience.

I have a similar problem with invisible rests: Many moons ago invisible objects did use horizontal space. I don't recall why this was changed now though I believe it was to improve some aspects of layout when using layering, but it it did cause me some angst.

I use what I call a "Lyrics" staff when I'm writing/transcribing parts. This staff contains the melody (but the notes are invisible - actually, almost everything is invisible), lyrics, chord symbols, and often other objects common to many staves. I'll create parts, and can then layer the parts with the lyrics staff for printing. Each part gets lyrics that appear in the correct place (but not necessarily lining up with notes in the part), chord symbols etc. BUT it is often necessary to use rests in the lyrics staff for correct horizontal placement of chord symbols and other objects. This does not work anymore if the rest needs to be invisible. So, a workaround was found. The NWC UI does not permit a "rest offset" of greater than +/- 15, BUT using "Global_Mod" it is possible to move the rest completely off the page (I use +/- 2000). This was discovered by RickG. I still use this workaround to this day.*

*There was some argument that I no longer needed to due to some other change, but I can't remember what the change was... What I do remember is that it didn't suit my particular use case.

Re: Transparent bars

Reply #4 – 2023-12-22 10:39 pm

I found my old notes.

Quote

It is recommended that you use a transparent bar line after the boundary change gap width. This will allow:
a system change immediately after the gap width
the bar line to orphan at the end of a system and not be visible
The system connection will no longer be shown when the gap width is at the end of the staff.
The transparent bar line has position, whereas an invisible one doesn't.

So far so good, but I don't understand the example i recorded:

Code: (nwc) [Select · Download]

!NoteWorthyComposerClip(2.751,Single)
|Clef|Type:Treble
|TimeSig|Signature:Common
|Key|Signature:F#,C#|Tonic:D
|Bar|Style:Transparent
|Tempo|Tempo:120|Text:"Allegro"|Pos:7|Placement:AtNextNote
|Note|Dur:Whole|Pos:0
|Bar|Style:Double
|Key|Signature:F#,C#|Tonic:D
|Tempo|Tempo:120|Text:"Allegro"|Pos:7|Placement:AtNextNote
|Bar|Visibility:Never
|Note|Dur:Whole|Pos:0
!NoteWorthyComposerClip-End

Re: Transparent bars

Reply #5 – 2023-12-23 12:45 am

Sorry mate, I'm not sure what you were trying to show either... Perhaps the example wasn't completed?

Re: Transparent bars

Reply #6 – 2023-12-23 12:14 pm

Ok, then the best is to drop the example.

Where do I grabbed it? Who knows.