Selectors and their care and feeding...

2014-09-06 01:16 pm

Hi guys,
I've been having a hunt around trying to find some detailed information on selector modification and location of selector files.

What I've found is somewhat confusing...

First selectors seem to be in the config folder, then they're supposed to be in the ToolbarBitmaps folder (which I don't have), but there aren't any in config either.

Now I know the filenames: 100.nwc, 101.nwc etc. but where are they? A search of my entire machine does not disclose ANY selector files.., yet I have active selectors... The standard default ones from my 2.51 upgrade. And where in the folder structure are they supposed to be?

There is also a smattering of information about in the beta threads from before the release of 2.51, but no aggregation of information relating to selector management that I can find.

So... can anyone give me a quick and dirty guide to the care and feeding of selectors please?

Re: Selectors and their care and feeding...

Reply #1 – 2014-09-06 03:11 pm

ToolbarBitmaps is the right place to look, at least on my machine. It's a subfolder under Noteworthy Software/Noteworthy Composer 2 in the (x86) program folder. Could yours be hidden?

Re: Selectors and their care and feeding...

Reply #2 – 2014-09-06 04:05 pm

Not that I'm looking for any such thing, but I looked where you said and didn't even see a program folder. Don't know how I could tell if it was hidden.

Re: Selectors and their care and feeding...

Reply #3 – 2014-09-06 04:06 pm

In any case, I figure anything new I can learn, even if I don't plan to use it in the near future is worth learning.

Re: Selectors and their care and feeding...

Reply #4 – 2014-09-06 04:12 pm

Quote from: Lawrie Pardy – 2014-09-06 01:16 pm

Hi guys,
I've been having a hunt around trying to find some detailed information on selector modification and location of selector files.

What I've found is somewhat confusing...

First selectors seem to be in the config folder, then they're supposed to be in the ToolbarBitmaps folder (which I don't have), but there aren't any in config either.

Now I know the filenames: 100.nwc, 101.nwc etc. but where are they? A search of my entire machine does not disclose ANY selector files.., yet I have active selectors... The standard default ones from my 2.51 upgrade. And where in the folder structure are they supposed to be?

There is also a smattering of information about in the beta threads from before the release of 2.51, but no aggregation of information relating to selector management that I can find.

So... can anyone give me a quick and dirty guide to the care and feeding of selectors please?

On my system (Windows 8.1) they are in C:\Users\Mike\AppData\Roaming\Noteworthy Software\nwc2\Config. That is, the settings are per user. I don't remember the corresponding Windows XP folder location, but you should be able to find it based on the above information.

Re: Selectors and their care and feeding...

Reply #5 – 2014-09-06 10:14 pm

Thanks William and Mike.

It looks like my setup is likely to use:
C:\Program files\Noteworthy Composer 2\Config

Note that "ToolbarBitmaps" simply doesn't exist on my machine.

William, I wonder if you wouldn't mind telling me the contents of a registry key please:
HKCU\Software\Noteworthy Software\Noteworthy Composer 2\Folders

Mine contains entries for:
Backups, Config and Songs. What I'm looking for is:
a) what location you have for Config and
b) if you have a location for ToolbarBitmaps

I also simply have NO selector definition files on my machine - can I reasonably assume that the selectors I do have are built into NWC and don't need definition files unless I want to modify them?

Speaking of which - I really have no idea what the selector definition files should look like. I know there's a special case for staff groups, and I think I remember reading about a special case for song title but I don't remember it all and the forum search isn't working very well with my search terms...

Re: Selectors and their care and feeding...

Reply #6 – 2014-09-06 11:01 pm

Quote from: Lawrie Pardy – 2014-09-06 10:14 pm

can I reasonably assume that the selectors I do have are built into NWC and don't need definition files unless I want to modify them

Yes

Re: Selectors and their care and feeding...

Reply #7 – 2014-09-06 11:04 pm

Quote from: Rick G. – 2014-09-06 11:01 pm

Yes

Thanks Rick, that removes some of the confusion for me...

Re: Selectors and their care and feeding...

Reply #8 – 2014-09-07 07:04 am

If you want to see your config folder, go to Tools Options, tab Folders, click on 'Config Files' and then the button 'Explore...'
But you really don't have to know where the selector files are, if you want to customize them: you just have to right click on a selector and then click 'customize...'.
I have experimented a while ago and this is what I found out about the selector files:

The name of the selector that is showed when you hover over it, is the title in 'File Info'. For selector 6: "Bar Selector (&b)" , where (&b) is shown as (b), which is the shortcut key for the selector.
The first staff has as Staff Label 'glyph', and is the only staff in the group '_'. It contains the symbol that is shown in the toolbar.
The other groups of staffs are shown as colums.

I attached my customized file for selector 6

Re: Selectors and their care and feeding...

Reply #9 – 2014-09-07 10:00 am

Quote from: Opagust – 2014-09-07 07:04 am

If you want to see your config folder, go to Tools Options, tab Folders, click on 'Config Files' and then the button 'Explore...'
But you really don't have to know where the selector files are, if you want to customize them: you just have to right click on a selector and then click 'customize...'.
I have experimented a while ago and this is what I found out about the selector files:
The name of the selector that is showed when you hover over it, is the title in 'File Info'. For selector 6: "Bar Selector (&b)" , where (&b) is shown as (b), which is the shortcut key for the selector.
The first staff has as Staff Label 'glyph', and is the only staff in the group '_'. It contains the symbol that is shown in the toolbar.
The other groups of staffs are shown as colums.

I attached my customized file for selector 6

Hi Opagust,
Thankyou, thankyou, thankyou... I knew these thing were known somewhere but I couldn't find it all in one place.

As for the location of config files, I know of the Folers tab, but I was hoping that William might be able tell me of a registry key that defined the ToolbarBitmaps location.

Re: Selectors and their care and feeding...

Reply #10 – 2014-09-07 05:05 pm

I've checked that registry key, Lawrie, but I'm afraid it's not much help. It's only got entries for "Default" (which simply says "value not set" in the data column) and "Songs." There's also a separate "Toolbars" key, but it only stores the current locations of the active toolbars. Can't find anything else in the registry that looks to be of any use, either. Sorry.

Bill

Re: Selectors and their care and feeding...

Reply #11 – 2014-09-07 06:04 pm

Quote from: Lawrie Pardy – 2014-09-06 01:16 pm

So... can anyone give me a quick and dirty guide to the care and feeding of selectors please?

I'm not much for guides, but I can answer some specific questions about them.

Re: Selectors and their care and feeding...

Reply #12 – 2014-09-07 10:15 pm

Thanks Bill,
that means I still don't know how ToolbarBitmaps is defined - I shall have to assume it is a built in location but this doesn't really make sense...

I do know in the experiments I've done on my XP box over the weekend I cannot seem to cause my machine to recognise that location - will be checking my Win7 box today.

Re: Selectors and their care and feeding...

Reply #13 – 2014-09-07 10:16 pm

Quote from: Rick G. – 2014-09-07 06:04 pm

I'm not much for guides, but I can answer some specific questions about them.

Thanks Rick,
if I can manage the time I might write a little something and get you to vet it if you don't mind.

Re: Selectors and their care and feeding...

Reply #14 – 2014-09-07 11:32 pm

Quote from: Lawrie Pardy – 2014-09-07 10:15 pm

I still don't know how ToolbarBitmaps is defined - I shall have to assume it is a built in location but this doesn't really make sense...

I do know in the experiments I've done on my XP box over the weekend I cannot seem to cause my machine to recognise that location - will be checking my Win7 box today.

This User Tool will display the Config Folder:

Code: (php) [Select · Download]

<?php
#rg_ConfigFolder.php ver 1.0 07Sep2014 NWC2 Utility
# Ref: http://my.noteworthysoftware.com/?topic=8881.0
# Purpose: Display NWC's Configuration Folder
#Requires: Vista+
echo $_SERVER['LOCALAPPDATA'],'\Noteworthy Software\nwc2';
exit(99);
?>

Quote from: Lawrie Pardy – 2014-09-07 10:16 pm

I might write a little something and get you to vet it if you don't mind.

Sorry, but proofreading is not the best use of my time.

Re: Selectors and their care and feeding...

Reply #15 – 2014-09-08 01:01 am

Thanks Rick.

Re: Selectors and their care and feeding...

Reply #16 – 2014-09-08 01:09 am

Quote from: William Ashworth – 2014-09-06 03:11 pm

ToolbarBitmaps is the right place to look, at least on my machine. It's a subfolder under Noteworthy Software/Noteworthy Composer 2 in the (x86) program folder. Could yours be hidden?

Hi Bill,
I've messed around, creating and moving this folder to all kinds of places, starting with the location you specify, but no matter what my Win7 system just doesn't seem to use it - is there actually anything in there? And if so, is it actually current? I've done the same with my XP box and it doesn't use it either.

I'm testing by trying to edit the Colour selector which creates 121.bmp in the config folder, but never in the ToolbarBitmaps folder which would seem to be the logical place... and the clef selector which creates 100.nwc also in the config folder.

I wonder if the ToolbarBitmaps folder even relevant anymore?

Re: Selectors and their care and feeding...

Reply #17 – 2014-09-08 01:21 am

AhHa - got it!

Bolding mine:

Quote from: NoteWorthy Online – 2013-11-14 11:55 am

As of beta 37, customized toolbar image and selector files are placed in your Config folder. The earlier ToolbarBitmaps folder has been removed. If you have a ToolbarBitmaps folder, then you probably want to move those files into your Config folder.

Beta 37 includes two new mechanism to assist in working with your Config folder:

an Explore button has been added to the Tools, Options, Folders tab, which will open your Config folder
a Customize command has been added when you right click on a command button; this automatically creates a *.bmp or *.nwc file for the command and opens an Explorer window with the file selected; you can then edit this file as needed to customize the image or the selector