Changing the size of the note-heads in abc... Hi, I am currently using abcedit and abcexplorer (although more the former) and I was wondering if it is possible to change the actual size of the note heads. I realize that it is is quite possible to alter the overall size of said note heads - both the "X" and "Y" coordinates... but I wish to stretch the heads on the "X" field, or whichever is the right-to-left coordinate, be it x or y, without altering the size of the up-and-down measurements. Is there an ABC code which solves this easily, or do I have to open up in a font editor whichever font it is that abc grabs it's notation glyphs from and do it myself. If I've got to go the font editor route, which font is it that abc uses? I am assuming it's some sort of postscript font?
The answer, if there is one, certainly doesn't lie in the ABC language itself - so no "ABC code to solve this easily." And ABC doesn't use any fonts - that's the whole point of the language! So you'll have to look to your editor and what fonts it uses.
I continue to use clunky old ABC2Win precisely because it does allow a lot of control over the print layout (scaling, spacing, etc.) - but not the property you are asking about, just checked.
Phil Taylor's Barfly seems to be the best way.
For Windows users that means we have to wait for somene like Joop Coolgem to really tweak his program.
I have received an email from Hudson Lacerda who is well informed on tweaking the abc2ps code:
~
abcm2ps [in AbcEdit] does not use any music fonts. All music symbols are defined as PostScript operators inside the output file.
%%postscript /shd{gsave T .6 dup scale 0 0 hd grestore}!
The operator ``scale'' takes two arguments: the factors for axises X and
Y. In the code above, the factor 0.6 (60%) is used for both dimensions.
The code below is for a horizontal strecth of factor 120%:
%%postscript /whd{gsave T 1.2 1 scale 0 0 hd grestore}!
%%postscript /wmhd{gsave T 1.2 1 scale 0 0 Hd grestore}!
%%deco head-w 0 whd 0 0 0
%%deco head-wm 0 wmhd 0 0 0
U: s=!head-w!
U: m=!head-wm!
X:1
M:none
L:1/4
K:none
c sd sc B A [L:1/2] d md
If you want to change the note heads for the entire file (rather than using decorations for individual notes), you should redefine operators
like /hd, /Hd and /HD* ; it is not ``so'' simple.
The adjustments of the note heads to the stems can be a issue.
. . .
Hudson Lacerda has a manual which describes user - defined decorations, noteheads are described at the end of the PDF.
As Hudson said, you can stretch the note but there are issues with its' placement on the stem.
I used his code below. The horizontal scale is exagerated & I omitted the half - note [L:1/2].
%%postscript /whd{gsave T 1.8 1 scale 0 0 hd grestore}!
%%deco head-w 0 whd 0 0 0
U: s=!head-w!
X:1
M:none
L:1/4
K:none
c sd sc B A sd/sd/
* The operators in abcm2ps that draw note heads are:
hd ~ Black head, for fourth notes and shorter notes
Hd ~ Half note
HD ~ Whole note
HDD ~ Breve (rounded)
Size of note heads in ABC
Size of note heads in ABC
Changing the size of the note-heads in abc... Hi, I am currently using abcedit and abcexplorer (although more the former) and I was wondering if it is possible to change the actual size of the note heads. I realize that it is is quite possible to alter the overall size of said note heads - both the "X" and "Y" coordinates... but I wish to stretch the heads on the "X" field, or whichever is the right-to-left coordinate, be it x or y, without altering the size of the up-and-down measurements. Is there an ABC code which solves this easily, or do I have to open up in a font editor whichever font it is that abc grabs it's notation glyphs from and do it myself. If I've got to go the font editor route, which font is it that abc uses? I am assuming it's some sort of postscript font?
thanks for any help in this matter
Cheers
Ian
# Posted on August 7th 2008 by arundonax
Re: Size of note heads in ABC
The answer, if there is one, certainly doesn't lie in the ABC language itself - so no "ABC code to solve this easily." And ABC doesn't use any fonts - that's the whole point of the language! So you'll have to look to your editor and what fonts it uses.
I continue to use clunky old ABC2Win precisely because it does allow a lot of control over the print layout (scaling, spacing, etc.) - but not the property you are asking about, just checked.
# Posted on August 7th 2008 by Jeeves Tones
Re: Size of note heads in ABC
won't be much help to you but FYI, the Mac ABC application Barfly has set of various dot shapes and an dot shape editor, too.
# Posted on August 7th 2008 by greybeardd
Re: Size of note heads in ABC
Changing the scaling is about the only way to change anything.
# Posted on August 7th 2008 by geoffwright
Re: Size of note heads in ABC
I posted a message on abcusers regarding your question.
I will let you know what I hear.
http://tech.groups.yahoo.com/group/abcusers/message/1304
# Posted on August 9th 2008 by Random_notes
Re: Size of note heads in ABC
Phil Taylor's Barfly seems to be the best way.
For Windows users that means we have to wait for somene like Joop Coolgem to really tweak his program.
I have received an email from Hudson Lacerda who is well informed on tweaking the abc2ps code:
~
abcm2ps [in AbcEdit] does not use any music fonts. All music symbols are defined as PostScript operators inside the output file.
%%postscript /shd{gsave T .6 dup scale 0 0 hd grestore}!
The operator ``scale'' takes two arguments: the factors for axises X and
Y. In the code above, the factor 0.6 (60%) is used for both dimensions.
The code below is for a horizontal strecth of factor 120%:
%%postscript /whd{gsave T 1.2 1 scale 0 0 hd grestore}!
%%postscript /wmhd{gsave T 1.2 1 scale 0 0 Hd grestore}!
%%deco head-w 0 whd 0 0 0
%%deco head-wm 0 wmhd 0 0 0
U: s=!head-w!
U: m=!head-wm!
X:1
M:none
L:1/4
K:none
c sd sc B A [L:1/2] d md
If you want to change the note heads for the entire file (rather than using decorations for individual notes), you should redefine operators
like /hd, /Hd and /HD* ; it is not ``so'' simple.
The adjustments of the note heads to the stems can be a issue.
. . .
Hudson Lacerda has a manual which describes user - defined decorations, noteheads are described at the end of the PDF.
http://br.geocities.com/hfmlacerda/abc/decomanual-en.pdf
As Hudson said, you can stretch the note but there are issues with its' placement on the stem.
I used his code below. The horizontal scale is exagerated & I omitted the half - note [L:1/2].
%%postscript /whd{gsave T 1.8 1 scale 0 0 hd grestore}!
%%deco head-w 0 whd 0 0 0
U: s=!head-w!
X:1
M:none
L:1/4
K:none
c sd sc B A sd/sd/
* The operators in abcm2ps that draw note heads are:
hd ~ Black head, for fourth notes and shorter notes
Hd ~ Half note
HD ~ Whole note
HDD ~ Breve (rounded)
# Posted on August 11th 2008 by Random_notes