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Topic: Adjusting page layout - shortening bars. (Read 14994 times) previous topic - next topic

Adjusting page layout - shortening bars.

Hi,

I've just started using NWC and have been comparing it to my free Finale Notepad download.

Over all, I find it's much easier to use NWC, particularly entering the notes via the keyboard.

I have 2 questions.

I have a piece of music that overshoots the page by just one bar, i.e. the last bar is printed on the second sheet. 

Is it possible to shorten the last bar(s) on the first sheet in order to fit the last bar on?


I'm currently putting together some children's Christmas carols - -specifically for 2 trumpet/clarinets and piano.  Thus the typical piano staves and 2 for the trumpets above.

The piano part automatically has the nice 'squiggly brackets' (sorry - correct term?) around the 2 staves at the beginning of each line to indicate they go together.

Is it possible to put the same thing at the beginning of the 2 trumpet parts? 

Any suggestions very much appreciated. 

Steve

Re: Adjusting page layout - shortening bars.

Reply #1 –
Quote
I have a piece of music that overshoots the page by just one bar, i.e. the last bar is printed on the second sheet.  Is it possible to shorten the last bar(s) on the first sheet in order to fit the last bar on?

You can't actually squeeze an extra bar onto a line, but you can prevent orphan bars a number of ways.

The easiest is to adjust the staff size - default is 16, but if you use 14 or 12, you'll get more bars per "system" (one staff on one line is one system).  That will likely do the trick.  Do this with File/PageSetup/Options/StaffSize(in points).

Another way is to reduce the distance between your staffs.  Do this by adjusting staff properties for each staff, using  F2/Visual/Vertical Size. 

Finally, you could try adjusting your margins - I've never had much luck, but it should work.

Quote
The piano part automatically has the nice 'squiggly brackets' (sorry - correct term?) around the 2 staves at the beginning of each line to indicate they go together.  Is it possible to put the same thing at the beginning of the 2 trumpet parts?

If you want a separate brace for the two wind instrument staffs, just adjust their staff properties F2/Style to Upper grand staff and Lower grand staff. 

If you want just one brace encompassing all 4 staffs, you need to add two additional staffs to make this work.

Turn off Allow Layering in the View menu.  Press Control-A twice to add two staffs.

Set Staff 1 style to Upper grand staff and Layer with next staff. 

Write your music on staffs 1, 3, 4 and 6.

Set Staffs 2, 3 4 and 5 style to Orchestral.  Enable Layer with next staff only on Staff 5.

Set Staff 6 to Lower  grand staff and do not enable layering.

Staffs 2 and 5 are spacers to cause the orchestral bar lines to extend to the top and bottom staffs.  Fill these with hidden whole rests (visibility never) and normal bar lines.  Then turn on Allow Layering

This should do the trick.

Welcome to NWC, by the way.  You'll enjoy its simplicity. Try upgrading to the version 2 betatest (details from NWC's home page) if you want more features.


Re: Adjusting page layout - shortening bars.

Reply #2 –
David,

Excellent!  I've just had a go and it works very well.  Thanks a lot.

I must confess to having NWC for at least 2 years, but it's only recently I've started using it.

I've also just discovered some free programs for producing pdf files which will be extremely useful.

In the future I'd like to be able to scan music and edit it.  I read that Sharpeye is supposedly the best program for music recognition and now it's possible to import .xml into NWC.

Looking forward to seeing the next version!

Steve

Re: Adjusting page layout - shortening bars.

Reply #3 –
Steve,

You should note that importing mxml into NoteWorthy is not default functionality (yet), but has been provided through a third party utility provided by Nicolas Hatier.

Having said that, it works very well. There are a few issues around the Grand Staff, but this is because of the way sharpeye converts it.

It's certainly far superior to a midi import.

Rich.

Re: Adjusting page layout - shortening bars.

Reply #4 –
Hi Richard,

I'm sure that xml import will be default very soon.  It's fast becoming an expected feature on most notation programs.  The new Printmusic, Harmony Assistant and Lilypond (free) all have it.

The scanning software is a different matter. Printmusic now includes it and H.A. has it as an 'add on' but both have pretty awful reviews.

I must admit to not liking NWC at first.  However, I'm starting to appreciate it a lot more.  Especially now I've discovered this forum!

Steve

Re: Adjusting page layout - shortening bars.

Reply #5 –
Steve,

Consider upgrading to the NWC2 public betatest.  It's cheap, it's fully functional, and it gives you a lot more than version 1. 

I use Sharpeye2 - I liked it so much I bought it.  It wasn't cheap, but I think it was worth it.  Scanning music is time consuming but that's more because a higher resolution scan takes up to a minute a page on my equipment.  Sharpeye processes the images quickly and the result can be exported to XML.  Mr. Hatier's utility loads it into NWC2 in the blink of an eye.

Sharpeye will make errors, but flags them for you.  However, I find it easier to edit after importing it into NWC2.

While Sharpeye says to scan at 300 dpi in black and white or greyscale, I find 600 dip is more reliable, although slower.

David