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Topic: Is it possible to scale down some of the staffs in a score? (Read 5259 times) previous topic - next topic

Is it possible to scale down some of the staffs in a score?

Hello everybody,

even if I suppose this isn't possible, I just wanted to ask you to be sure.

My problem is: I'm actually editing a score of a piece for choir and piano. In order to reduce the number of pages, I would like to scale down the two piano staffs (to perhaps 60% or 70% of its actual size). Is there any object plugin or user tool which allows me to do just that? To have the four choir staffs at normal size, and under it the two piano staffs in a smaller scale?

I'm curious what the answer would be... Thnaks anyway! :-)

Re: Is it possible to scale down some of the staffs in a score?

Reply #1 –
No, it is not possible. It has been "wished for" often, but to no avail.
I would think that it would be a large undertaking.
Registered user since 1996

Re: Is it possible to scale down some of the staffs in a score?

Reply #2 –
Are there sections where the choir could use just two staves?  You would need to create an extra Alto and Tenor staff (one to be layered, the other not), one staff would be collapsed and the other not.  On a system break where you need to change from one to the other, matching staff collapse and end staff collapse commands would make the switch for you.
Since 1998

Re: Is it possible to scale down some of the staffs in a score?

Reply #3 –
I would like to be able to do this as well. Come on brilliant  programmers, we believe in you! You can do it! Make that plug-in!

I was wondering if there was a way where we can put two different scores on one page. I think I remember this being possible. Then the piano staves could be smaller but prepared in a different file and then merged with the choral file. Maybe I am just dreaming?

Re: Is it possible to scale down some of the staffs in a score?

Reply #4 –
Quote from: SEBC –
I was wondering if there was a way where we can put two different scores on one page.
What I would do:
Write them separately (two NWC files), open Preview in each (Alt-F-V) and copy them (Ctrl-C/Ctrl-V) to one's favorite document editor ... where one can position and resize and modify them in arbitrary ways.
Or one can save the scores as .emf (Windows Enhanced Meta-) file (click on the 3 horizontal bars in the upper right of the preview dialog and select "Copy ..." there - it will open a small dialog), which can be included in documents. This might (I have never tried it) allow for a simpler re-import in case the scores change.

It boils, it seems, down to the question: Is one creating
  • a "text document with some [possibly many] musical staffs in it"
  • or a "musical score with a few text parts"?
The former gives you more possibilities to format all the pieces (text, scores, images, table of contents, ...), but of course it is more work because of the necessary "assembly work".

H.M.