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Topic: Metafile Output (Read 5666 times) previous topic - next topic

Metafile Output

I recently upgraded from Coreldraw4 to Coreldraw 5.
(I know I'm way behind but this version was dirt cheap - less then $20US and I'm mean ).

In the past the metafiles I exported from the NWC print preview copy where distorted (notes displaced vertically - ties appearing as filled ellipses) making the use of Coreldraw impractical.

I'm happy to say CD 5 handles NWC metafiles quite well.
Now I can add marks from the CD music symbol library, make my own and use stretchable dynamic hairpin symbols.

Saves a lot of time adding marks as text and fiddling with their alignment.

I'm sure other users have used Coreldraw to enhance NWC scores but I thuoght I'd pass this on if your seriously producing performance parts.

Re: Metafile Output

Reply #1 –
You intrigue me.

I'm looking for a cheap way of creating _portable_ metafiles (for web access) from NWC scores. What formats does CD5 create?

Re: Metafile Output

Reply #2 –
NWC already creates placeable metafiles from copy in the print preview and the copy special option in the editor.

Coreldraw has comprehensive import/export and conversion on output that handles most graphic formats.

Re: Metafile Output

Reply #3 –
Stephen,

>I'm looking for a cheap way of creating _portable_ >metafiles (for web access) from NWC scores.

I'm not sure if this is what you mean. There's a rather
good freeware utility called "IrfanView" which seems to
be able to convert just about any graphic format into
anything else. The home page is http://stud1.tuwien.ac.at/~e9227474/

I tried reading a WMF file from NWC, there was no apparent
distortion or displacements and I was able to convert it
into GIF and JPG formats, again with no apparent
distortions. Since it's not a picture editor, it won't let
you modify anything. Obviously once the score is in GIF
or JPG format, you won't be able to get it back into NWC.

Even if this isn't what you're after, have a look at this
utility, it's really very good, and the price is right :-)

Re: Metafile Output

Reply #4 –
Stephen,

If you plan to give a web access to scores, don't forget that proprietary formats are not portable to non microsoft viewers. If you really want portability, use JPEG or GIF, maybe PostScript or PDF, but I don't think that other formats can be understood by unix systems, for example.

Re: Metafile Output

Reply #5 –
Thanks, all.

>don't forget that proprietary formats are not portable to non microsoft viewers. If you really want portability, use JPEG or GIF, maybe PostScript or PDF.

I don't. I really want. And I use a non-M$ viewer. (I briefly used an earlier M$ viewer (back when they called it a "browser". I got tired of the documentation lying about what it would do. I used to use a M$ editor. I got tired of them changing file formats on me. I say, come da revolution, there gonna be a real rope shortage in Redmond.)

I know that MS-Wind metafiles are not portable, and Adobe metafiles are (but their generators are expensive.) I don't know about other possibilities.

Re: Metafile Output

Reply #6 –
> I know that MS-Wind metafiles are not portable, and Adobe
> metafiles are (but their generators are expensive.) I
> don't know about other possibilities.

I use PostScript. Full platform compatibility, there's a great (and completely free) viewer/ manipulator (Ghostscript/ GSview), the writer is probably already on your system (Applewriter printer driver on FILE) and it can include any desired objects, metafiles, fonts, etc.

I have an info page on GSview at my site at:

http://www.netidea.com/~fredn/gsinfo.htm

Re: Metafile Output

Reply #7 –
Hmm.. maybe it has to do with the unregistered copy, but I rather think not. Check the Properties of your "virtual printer", in the "Details" tab (assuming Win95) it should say "Print to following port": this should be "FILE (Creates a file on disk)". Sending output to this printer should behave just like sending to a "real" printer, except that the output is diverted to a disk file.

btw - Some apps (e.g. ms word) don't let you specify a .ps extension. You have to use the default .prn extension, then rename it later.

Another caveat: in the "PostScript" tab, set PostScript output tab to "Optimize for speed." If you set it to "Optimize for portability (ADSC)" your PS files will end up about 3-5 times as big, with no advantage to offset their mammoth size.

Last tip of the day: if you're publishing your PS files, I suggest compressing them using either PKzip (Winzip) or gzip. (You'll typically get a 5-8 times reduction in size.) The advantage to gzip is that your audience won't even have to unpack them, GSview will decompress them on the fly.

Re: Metafile Output

Reply #8 –
Just wanted to add that Fred led me to Ghostview. Very good utility.

Because of my (real)work, I also use Acrobat 4.0 (the full version). Offers a lot of the features I see folks occasionally want such as adding text, longer titles, etc. Essentially you can insert text, sound clips, pencil sketchings, whatever else you want. Can also edit the text and materials already on the pdf page. The program can be obtained fairly economically on the net through ebay (although I expect there is probably some freeware or shareware that will do the same thing).

Re: Metafile Output

Reply #9 –
... and I in turn was turned on to Ghostscript by marsu, for which I'm forever grateful. I should add that GSview does _not_ allow such insertions as Steve mentioned, though I have had some success in importing entire pages (e.g. score title pages) into PS files generated out of NWC using another lovely free program called PFE (Programmer's File Editor), which happily handles very large text files.

Re: Metafile Output

Reply #10 –
Thanks again. I've installed ghostscript, and it looks as you say: it should do everything that I need. I have a postscript printer installed, and have created PostScript files to test the procedure, _but_:

When I print to my (HP6) PostScript printer from Netscape Navigator, I get a "Print to file" checkbox.

When I print to the same from Noteworthy Composer, I get no such checkbox. Huh?

The checkbox appears/vanishes similarly on a native HP6 printer driver, so it's not something squirrelly in this printer driver installation

One possible caveat: my registered copy of NWC is not on another machine, so I downloaded an evaluation copy for this testing. Is this a limitation of the evaluation copy? (If so, I can just swap software around a bit.)

Re: Metafile Output

Reply #11 –
This was posted in the newsgroup, but thought I would post it here as well in case it is of help.

At least in Adobe Acrobat 4.0, I have discovered a utility called the Distiller which automatically converts the nwc files into pdf without the hassles and need to create, paste and convert metafiles. I just select the "distiller" printer, and it creates the new pdf file neat as a pin.

Not sure if the other Adobe Products have similar utilites, but folks could check.