The explode/implode plugins

• Sep 16, 2013 - 13:52

Here's a link to a presentation of the plugin in concern.

Exploding and imploding is an extremely important feature when writing orchestral stuff. I've enjoyed using the plugin that is available for this, although it includes some steps that you have to perform manually. One disadvantage in the manual steps deals with MuseScore's inability to copy and paste dynamics along with the notes. Yes, that's impossible (in version 1.3). No p, mf, sfz, no crescendos or diminuendos get pasted.
So I can't write my full score with all 3 flutes on one staff, all 3 clarinets on one staff, all 3 trumpets on one staff et.c. with all their dynamics, and then just explode each part to its own staff. I have to manually copy the dynamics.
So I thought of hacking around a bit in the plode plugin code to be able to work like this:

  1. When I've written my score with three parts on one staff, including the dynamics and whatnot, I extract the staff from the score.
  2. I save the staff as three separate files, like tr1, tr2 and tr3.
  3. I open each copy, which holds all three parts and the dynamics. With the modified plugin I delete two of the three parts, leaving the desired part and all the dynamics.

Comments

• Sep 18, 2013 - 11:16

Of course this is all about the old plugin api. I have no idea of how all this works in the 2.x world of MuseScore.

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• Sep 18, 2013 - 16:04

I got the plugin working. So far it looks good. It's working just as I explained above. From an orchestral score with three trumpets on one staff, including dynamics and crescendos and whatnot, I end up in three separate one staff sheets with each trumpet part on each sheet. With all the dynamics etc.
At this point I have no use for a corresponding implode function. The original implode plugin might work well enough, if I ever need it.

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• Sep 21, 2013 - 02:09

Of course this plugin, as well as the original one, only operates on block chords that get exploded to several staves. A perfect plugin would also check for voices. I might write my three trumpets so that tr1 and tr2 form block chords in voice 1, while tr3 is written in voice 2 with stems down. I might even have three-note block chords in one measure and in the next measure two-note block chords plus the 3rd part in the 2nd voice. So when the plugin tries to delete all but one part, it should be able to detect all these different ways of writing several parts on one staff. Tricky!

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• Sep 29, 2013 - 18:03

To set up my question:
Three trumpets - tr1,tr2 and tr3 are all playing block chords (triads) written in a single voice. Topmost note of each triad is played by tr1. Middle note played by tr2. Bottom note, by tr3.
Contour lines:
Now starting from the first triad, suppose a pencil is used to draw a continuous line to connect all the topmost notes.
Next the same is done with all the middle notes. Then with all the bottom notes.
As these are all block chords, the pencil lines will never cross one another. Yes?

Now, suppose a trumpet needed its own voice (due to rhythmic differences in note durations). As you wrote: "I might write my three trumpets so that tr1 and tr2 form block chords in voice 1, while tr3 is written in voice 2 with stems down. I might even have three-note block chords in one measure and in the next measure two-note block chords plus the 3rd part in the 2nd voice."
Presumably you are using voices because you need different note durations for the third part, and use three-note block chords in one voice wherever note durations are the same.

My question:
In your experience writing voices for tr1, tr2 and tr3 (and even using three voices where necessary).
If you were you to draw melody 'contour lines' for each trumpet part, would the lines ever cross one another? (eg. if tr2 played a note whose pitch was higher than tr1's note - so the voices 'cross' each other as opposed to strictly 'parallel' motion.) Just curious...

Regards.

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