In PDFs: The staff line length spans each measure individually, rather than the full width of the system
After creating a PDF from MuseScore—via its built-in File>Export>PDF or MacOS CUPS—I open the PDF in Affinity Designer and find staff lines extending only from bar line to bar line, rather than across the full length of the system.
I'd like to have an easy way to select the staff lines for the full system when editing the exported PDFs in a vector editing app. Unfortunately, to reach that goal I have to carefully select the staff lines of each measure.
Has anyone has previously proposed that the staff lines in PDF exports extend the full width of the system? If not, I'm requesting that ... at least as an option.
I've attached some sample PDF "exports."
| Attachment | Size |
|---|---|
| Staff Lines - 6 bars - MS3 Export.pdf | 12.4 KB |
| Staff Lines - 6 bars - MS3 MacOS CUPS.pdf | 12.37 KB |
| Staff Lines - 6 bars - MS4 Export.pdf | 8.92 KB |
| Staff Lines - 6 bars - MS4 MacOS CUPS.pdf | 8.88 KB |
Comments
Sorry, are they supposed to look different?
In reply to Sorry, are they supposed to… by bobjp
Indeed the four PDFs look identical, indeed. But when you edit the PDFs in a vector app, like Affinity Designer, the MS3 and MS4 staves behave differently.
The v3 PDF has staff lines assembled together in some kind of ungrouped object. You can see that when I dragged the lines all five moved, and they're only the width of the bar.
The v4 PDF has five individual staff lines per bar, and you can see that dragging one does not drag the rest.
In other notation apps the line are either individual, or grouped, but the extend the full with of the system. I'm requesting that MuseScore can export staves in this manner.
In reply to They all look identical,… by scorster
Just curious. What is it you are trying to do?
In reply to Just curious. What is it you… by bobjp
bobjp asked > What is it you are trying to do?
Sometimes I need exacting notational precision (and/or special effects) that are impossible, difficult, or too time consuming to achieve within a notation app.
In such cases I export to PDF—hopefully a final version—and open it in Adobe Illustrator or Affinity Designer for detailed vector editing.
During editing I'll encounter situations where selections or edits are more easily accomplished if I first I lock or move the stave lines—BUT I have to select the staff lines to do so. That's usually quite easily done when the lines extend the full length of the system. It's much more difficult if I have to select the lines" of each measure. Even in a simple uncluttered score the task is likely four times effort in. And when measure are dense with objects, selecting staff lines can prove beguiling.
Regardless of measure density, generally there are quiet areas at the start and end of a system. And when staff lines extend the full width of the system they are usually easy to select in one of those locations. Hence the request for full system width lines in PDFs ... or at least that it's an option on export.
scorster
In reply to bobjp asked > What is it you… by scorster
OK then. Makes sense.
Attached is a PDF from Sibelius 7.5. I'd be curious to see if it behaves as you request.
Also, possible dumb question. Can some of the edits you need be done by magnifying the score? I know you said something about the PDF being the final version. But what if you want the edited PDF to be part of the score, again? That would involve Not only a good PDF reader, but a way to reintegrate it with the score? More time consumed, especially if elements are not read properly.
In reply to OK then. Makes sense… by bobjp
bobjp Attached is a PDF from Sibelius 7.5. I'd be curious to see if it behaves as you request.
Thanks. I'll check your Sibelius PDF for staff line structure and selection ... but I don't see it attached.
bobjp Can some of the edits you need be done by magnifying the score? I know you said something about the PDF being the final version. But what if you want the edited PDF to be part of the score, again? That would involve Not only a good PDF reader, but a way to reintegrate it with the score? More time consumed, especially if elements are not read properly.
All understood and previously considered. Naturally I look to the notation app at hand and try to manage all edits therein and certainly with the aid of magnification but, as mentioned, some changes are not possible nor reasonably feasible in terms of time and effort.
Lastly, I'd probably never try to reintegrate ... but I get a product that meets the current need. Beyond that, perhaps the evolution of the score editor will allow me to update issues automatically, or manually as needed as I see fit at the time.
In reply to bobjp Attached is a PDF from… by scorster
Believe it or not, I know how to operate a computer.
stone2test (2).pdf
In reply to Believe it or not, I know… by bobjp
> Believe it or not, I know how to operate a computer.
Hey, it's easy to forget to attach. I do it all the time!
I opened your Sibelius PDF in Affinity Designer and the staff lines extend for the full length of the system. So that's good to know.
The lines are ungrouped—i.e. they select individually with the standard arrow tool.
scorster