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Topic: View question (Read 4751 times) previous topic - next topic

View question

I only just found NWC and am still evaluating. I am interested in writing out single line bass parts. The line just keeps on going.. and going.. and going off the right side of the page which makes it a bit difficult to navigate. I have searched the FAQ's and forums and have not  found an aswer to my question, whic is this:
Is there a way to view multiple lines while composing, sort of a WYSIWYG mode? When I get to the right side of my computer screen I would like the staff to wrap around to the next line. Is this possible?

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Reply #2 –
But if you did that you couldn't use the playback function.

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Reply #3 –
But if you did that you couldn't use the playback function.

There's a way to do it, as was once demonstrated by someone  on the newsgroup; basically you add (hidden) local repeat loops at the beginning of all but the first staves, pregressively larger on each staff. It's more of a novelty than a workable alternative, though.

Is there a way to view multiple lines while composing, sort of a WYSIWYG mode?

Jeff, this aspect of NWC can be disconcerting to new users. However, in practise it proves to be very workable; on any but the smallest scores, it's actually much easier to deal with than if you had to page-down or scroll vertically. I came to NWC from Cubasis, which has a score editor such as you describe. After the initial necessity to "rethink" how the score was structured in the editor, it became very natural and I now find the other approach extremely awkward.

But, your mileage may vary. If you find that you just can't seem to get comfortable with NWC's UI, perhaps a suggestion to allow a "WYSIWYG mode" might be worth posting to the wish list.

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Reply #4 –
Two possible issues I think.
1/  If you're writing a single line bass part, without a workaround such as the one described above, you can't see more than one screen width of the staff at a time, but you can move right or left using the scroll bar at the bottom of the screen, or press ctrl-shift-directionarrow to move a bar at a time either way.  Let's say you've written 96 bars - you can only view about 6 bars or so in the edit window.  However, if you want to see it as it would appear on the printed page, just hit print-preview.

2/  For playback, if you're working from a template that has more than one staff but you're only writing one staff of music, you'll have a whole bunch of short staves at the left of your score.  The playback will only move visually as far as the staff that is active.  If by chance you've moved to one of the short ones (easy to do by mistake) your screen won't change even though the music moves on.  You can solve this by deleting the redundant staves, or simply clicking the staff you've been working on, to make it the active one. (I'd get rid of the ones I don't need - everything becomes simpler that way.)

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Reply #5 –
Forgot to mention - Carl's suggestion works if you're only doing a single line, as you've said you are.  It becomes very awkward if you add other lines for other instrumental parts.

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Reply #7 –
The only real problem I have with a "single scrolling line" is that I can't see the clef and key sig. Otherwise, everything else is minor.

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Reply #8 –
I agree. It would be good to have the option to 'freeze' the clef & key signature while the rest of the stave(s) scroll. Rather like the 'Freeze Panes' option in Excel.

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Reply #9 –
I think I've put that on the wish list.

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Reply #10 –
Might I suggest a possible workaround to this problem which I have tried.  It is far from elegant and still has shortcomings.  However, if the composer just wants to keep the clef, the key signature and time signature visible for reference, as the NWC screen scrolls to the right,  it may have some usefulness.

1. Create a second score with the same number of staves as the one on which you are composing.  Insert the clefs, key signature and time signature.

2. Have both scores open simultaneously, with the newly created score to the left of the screen.  Ensure that View, Zoom settings are the same for both scores.

3. Overlap the windows by dragging the left-hand side of the main score window to the left so that only the information you want is visible on the underlying window.  It is possible to align everything quite easily so that as the main score window scrolls to the right the signatures remain visible in the left-hand window.

Clearly this solution has some  major flaws, like what to do if there are more than  three or four staves, as it would be impossible to vertically scroll the two windows simultaneously.  However, I offer it as a possible help to those who compose on a more modest scale.  I agree that it would be a great advantage to be able to freeze the information at the left-most edge of a score, but then what about pieces where the key signature and time signature change ?

Cheers,
EF

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Reply #11 –
...then what about pieces where the key signature and time signature change?
(Don't forget the clef.  Some instruments change clef as they play.)

These items would need to be updated for different sections in the music.
Just imagine the code that needs to be written for that!

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Reply #12 –
Just imagine the code that needs to be written for that!

The screen has to be refreshed every time the score is moved anyway. It also already keeps track of what the current key signature is anyway, since you can start playback at any point. Don't know about the time sig, it probably would have to look that up.

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Reply #13 –
Whew! What a relief!
Everyone: To the Wish List!

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Reply #14 –
There's a way to do it, as was once demonstrated by someone on the newsgroup; basically you add [hidden] local repeat loops at the beginning of all but the first staves, pregressively larger on each staff.

To give credit where due, it was Peter Edwards who developed this. The technique is very useful if you want different staves to play on different repeats, as can occur when only one instrument of many executes variations on each pass.

An example is this excerpt  from The Magic Flute (watch the Glockenspiel staves).

However, it might also have applicability for specific cases where you want a short piece with only one or a few staves to play on a single screen.