Text Type Converter
I put this on the "new features" list a couple of months ago and got no activity on the post. Then I got to thinking that it might qualify as a bug fix. The issue is the conversion between various text types. The inspector allows us to change the style of text. However, it does not appear to change the underlying text type. The issue is obvious when I import Music XML files created with other applications. Chord text is imported as staff text. However, staff text does not transpose, nor does it drive plugin's such as the one that generates actual chords from the text. So far, the only solution has been to reenter all the chords - a very time-consuming operation. Is this a bug or a "new feature?"
Comments
It changes version 2.3.2 system text to staff text if it's a user defined style. :(
Chord text imported as staff text may be a bug (it should be imported as a chord symbol). To investigate we need a file that demonstrates the incorrect behaviour. Please report a bug and include the file if you suspect MuseScore is behaving incorrectly.
In reply to Chord text imported as staff… by Leon Vinken
Create any custom text in a file with the system setting, import the file into version 3 and the system setting will be gone. The first problem is that there is no way to turn on the system setting for text like there was in version 2. This means there is no way to create custom system text. Import the attached file to version 3. Create parts and see that the custom text does not show up in the clarinet because all of the text is now staff text.
In reply to Create any custom text in a… by mike320
Maybe so, but I don't think that has anything to do with chord symbols. Those should be imported correctly and are for me. Probably they weren't created or exported correctly in the other software.
In reply to Maybe so, but I don't think… by Marc Sabatella
Mark,
You're probably right that the imported MusicXML file may not properly specify Chord Text (I haven't actually looked). I noticed the problem when using nwc2xml to convert old Noteworthy Composer files, going through MusicXML. That is why I originally submitted the issue as a 'new feature' request for a new tool that converted between text types (not styles). That way, it wouldn't matter what the XML file specified.
In reply to Mark, You're probably… by gregcote52
Apologies, I just noticed I spelled your name wrong.
In reply to Apologies, I just noticed I… by gregcote52
Click the 3 dots to the right of your name in the post, select edit and no one will ever know.😉
In reply to Click the 3 dots to the… by mike320
I try to own-up to my mistakes, but thanks for the suggestion. Now, the next step. In the meantime, since I don't have a text type converter, I looked at one of the xml files generated by nwc2xml and found that the chord symbols (and most other text) is tagged as words-relative. So I thought I'd write a quick filter program to scan the xml files and change the appropriate tags to whatever Musescore will Import as chord symbols. However, a cursory search of the MusicXML website didn't result in my knowing which tag I should use. Rather than search through the Musescore source code, does anyone know off the top of their head, what tag Musescore will look for?
In reply to I try to own-up to my… by gregcote52
Chord symbols are "Harmony" elements, I believe. But they aren't just another kind of text - they need to actually contain semantic information about the type of chord (whether it is major, minor, augmented, or diminished, and what additional extensions or alterations are present).
In reply to Chord symbols are "Harmony"… by Marc Sabatella
Chords in MusicXML are indeed encoded as harmony elements. This is required for the MusicXML importer to properly recognise them. Otherwise they are imported as plain text without semantics.
See http://usermanuals.musicxml.com/MusicXML/MusicXML.htm#CT-MusicXML-harmo…
In reply to Chords in MusicXML are… by Leon Vinken
Thanks guys. At this point we can probably close this item - I'll proceed with my own stand-alone utility to 'fix' the files to be imported. Still a generic text type converter might still be a good tool to have in the baseline.
In reply to Thanks guys. At this point… by gregcote52
There are only a few text types, and they are all fundamentally different enough that I'm not sure how it would make sense to convert them. Changing style while keeping the actual type seems far more practical. After all, what would it mean to turn a "fingering" on a note in the middle of a chord on beat three of a measure into a "measure number", or to a "repeat text"?
In reply to There are only a few text… by Marc Sabatella
Some conversions would make no sense, but others might. For instance, my original request (staff to chord symbol), staff to system and the reverse, staff to practice marker and the reverse. I admit that it is a selfish desire from my own efforts to convert files between applications. That's why I'm going ahead with my xml 'fixer.' I guess it all boils down to whether having one would increase Musescore usage by people who might be held back by having a large collection of files from other applications that need converting. If not, it's probably not worth the development team's time to consider it.