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Topic: Composer <--> Sibelius file conversion? (Read 9827 times) previous topic - next topic

Composer <--> Sibelius file conversion?

Please:

Is there any way to convert .NWC files to the
.SIB format or .SIB files to the .NWC format?

If not, aside from the less-than-satisfactory option of
using a MIDI-file as an intermediate step, is there
any OTHER file format that both Composer and Sibelius
can import and export?

Is this a problem worth anybody's effort?

Thanks! :-)

Steve

Re: Composer <--> Sibelius file conversion?

Reply #1 –
Clarification question: are you also talking about import and export of lyrics? If so, I suspect NWC may be a bit unique as to its mode of "holding" lyrics, and that particular item may not convert or be carried over through conversion (although it may certainly be possible to copy paste into the Finale lyric box).

Re: Composer <--> Sibelius file conversion?

Reply #2 –
Copy and paste of lyrics would present no great problem.
If that were the only incompatibility, I'd be "as
happy as a clam". ;-)

Lyrical questions aside, is it possible in any way to convert most of the other parts of scores, in either direction, between .SIB and .NWC files?

Re: Composer <--> Sibelius file conversion?

Reply #3 –
I'm not sure of any way to directly convert the files... any time I want a Sibelius file from a Noteworthy file, I just print the score and input again. It's usually faster going to Sibelius because I have already written what I want either in an original composition or arrangement.
Sorry I couldn't help
-joe

Re: Composer <--> Sibelius file conversion?

Reply #4 –
As a Sibelius user and a former NWC user (though I still use it on some occasions, since it has got features Sibelius hasn't got), I think this would be very practical. Somebody could write a conversion program. Sibelius is able to import Finale scores, for example. Why wouldn't it be possible for NWC to import scores then? I really hope the NWC staff could think about this.

Re: Composer <--> Sibelius file conversion?

Reply #5 –
Unless there is a big need for that conversion, I doubt that it would be a productive use of NWC's effort. Those of you who have observed the difficulties converting from one common word processing application to another, know what I mean.

In fact, the current NWC format is not the same as that of version 1.55. Keeping up with format changes is always a difficulty.

Someone suggested NIFF, but I don't know whether that is really an emerging standard or not.

Re: Composer <--> Sibelius file conversion?

Reply #6 –
In response to Martin in Reply 4,

I use finale for my compositions here at school, but my friend in Chicago uses Sibelius. I've tried to have him look at some of my scores, but he can never get Sibelius to open them properly. This goes for choral and instrumental both. How are you able to do this? It'd help the both of us out greatly.

Re: Composer <--> Sibelius file conversion?

Reply #7 –
If I understand the above reply correctly, it underscores my prior comment that file format conversions are often less than expected.

Generally, it is only possible to "convert" from one format to another if the underlying file contains the same information, and if both programs are capable of handling that kind of information. Otherwise, there will be information loss (at best).

Re: Composer <--> Sibelius file conversion?

Reply #8 –
Actually, one of Sibelius' biggest marketing ploys is that it is /supposed to/ be able to open Finale files, much as for instance MS Word and Corel WP are /supposed to/ be able to open each others' file formats... and it's commonly known that such conversions are not always successful, and are usually quite version-dependant.

Leland - you might have a look to see which version of Finale you have, and if the version of Sibelius your friend has does indeed support files from this version. If it says it should, it might be worth a trip to Sibelius support. (Now whether you get an answer is another matter.)
 

Re: Composer <--> Sibelius file conversion?

Reply #9 –
I would also like to see a Sibelius to NWC and NWC to Sibelius conversion option for music files. It would be a big help.

Re: Composer <--> Sibelius file conversion?

Reply #10 –
Has anyone considered using MusicXML as an intermediate file type?  You can translate both Noteworthy and Sibelius files both into and out of musicXML, although I don't know how well these all work.  See www*recordare*com/musicxml/community/software (*) for further information.

* - replace the asterisks in the link with dots.

Re: Composer <--> Sibelius file conversion?

Reply #11 –
I believe there is work going on by another user to creae a MusicXML to/from nwctxt conversion utility.
I plays 'Bones, crumpets, coronets, floosgals, youfonymums 'n tubies.

Re: Composer <--> Sibelius file conversion?

Reply #12 –
Sibelius and Finale, and many other notation programs, have supported Music XML for some time now, for use in file sharing between notation programs:
http://tomrudolph.berkleemusicblogs.com/2008/05/17/sharing-files-between-finale-and-sibelius-via-musicxml/

If you use both another notation program (which supports Music XML) and NWC, please send me a Music XML version of a favorite song you've created in your other program.  If you can send me a PDF version of the same song, it would be even more helpful!

I will use these files only to test my Music XML importer user tool for NWC, and I will send you back the NWCTXT that the tool created for your song.  You can then judge for yourself how well Music XML served as an intermediate for Sibelius (etc) to NWC file conversion.

Thanks for your help!
Randy Williams

Re: Composer <--> Sibelius file conversion?

Reply #13 –
I use mxml2nwcc.exe to convert from MusicXML created by Sharpeye into NWC.  Do you think your user tool does a better job?

Re: Composer <--> Sibelius file conversion?

Reply #14 –
Hi Phil,

I am not at all familiar with mxml2nwcc.exe, but I will look into it for you.  Ideally, both tools would generate identical output for any possible Music XML input, but this is unlikely, given the complexity of Music XML.  [Note that my program is not a standalone compiled program, but is instead an NWC user tool, using NWC's PHP and wxWidgets "API", and designed to simulate "native" support of Music XML import from within NWC itself.]  Is there no "nwcc2mxml.exe" analog out there, supporting export of NWC to Music XML?

If you would send me some of your Music XML samples, preferably with their corresponding original PDF scans, I would be much obliged!

Thanks,
Randy