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PhotoScore Issues that I have not resolved.

Posted: Tue Jan 22, 2019 5:27 am
by jerryi
I have been using photoscore for nearly 10 years, mainly to render mp3 vocal scores from pdf files. Here are the principal aggravations that I have wrestled with for a long time. If anyone can point me to useful instruction, I would appreciate it.

1) I use a lot of TTBB music and find it frustrating that PhotoScore has not yet addressed the issue of detecting and rendering the typical tenor clef (treble clef with 8 beneath). Consequently I routinely go through every new score and change hundreds of erroneous treble clefs. This seems like a no-brainer for PhotoScore programmers to fix, but each new edition ignores the problem. I do not remember ever seeing PhotoScore detecting these clefs immediately.

2) I do not know how to insert first and second endings, or how to create a functional sign and coda system when PhotoScore botches the translation, and I do not ever remember scanning a score wherein photoscore has managed to interpret these features correctly. Consequently, I have to go in and splice mp3 file segments into a single file.

Re: PhotoScore Issues that I have not resolved.

Posted: Tue Jan 22, 2019 12:37 pm
by KJ_Palmer
Here are some possible answers, others may have better solutions. Assume you have a fairly recent version, mine is 2018.

1. I've not had to use the tenor clef, but I think this is how you can do it in two steps for the whole score, assuming PS has put your tenor instruments into treble clef:

Right click on the treble clef, scroll down and the select the tenor clef, make sure Rewrite notes is ticked, press OK
This transposes the notes up an octave, so go to Notes > Transpose > [Your tenor instrument] > Down > Major/Perfect Octave > Ok

2. To get repeat endings; Right click on a note (not a rest) in an ending bar > Lines > Repeat Ending. Change repeat number to 2 for second repeat > Ok.
Drag the line above the bar. If the ending covers more than one bar you can extend it by hovering over the line and dragging the white arrow to the next bars.
Don't forget to have an end repeat barline for the last bar of the first repeat. I also normally put in a beginning repeat barline at the start if there's more than one repeat section.
Also, you can notate a 3rd, 4th etc repeat section, though I'm not sure whether PS will play them back properly.

Segnos and Codas are (even) more troublesome.
To add a Segno/D.S. al fine/coda: Right click a note > Symbol > [Segno] > Delete the text or change text to D.S. al fine/coda or Fine > Ok
Similarly for Codas
This often doesn't work very well as you mention, to the point where beyond notating them I've given up trying to get them to play back in Photoscore.

The general approach is to scan, tidy as much as you can and export to a more fully fledged notation program, such as Sibelius or the free Musescore (via Music XML or maybe Midi), etc.

Photoscore programmers don't seem to be spending much time on developing/improving these issues, sadly.

Re: PhotoScore Issues that I have not resolved.

Posted: Fri Jan 25, 2019 5:05 pm
by bobp
Ah, PhotoScore. It is what it is.
I have seen it work with poor quality (blurry and dark) jpegs turned into PDFs and the result be almost perfect. I've seen it read great looking PDFs and turn out just loads of mistakes. As already stated, do what you can in PS, but some things are done faster in regular notation. I seldom have PS play anything. I'm just after fixing the notes. Seems to me that a tenor clef is fast and easy in notation. Should it be in PS? Sure, but it probably won't ever be.

Re: PhotoScore Issues that I have not resolved.

Posted: Fri Jan 25, 2019 7:43 pm
by MikeLyons
I usually find it best, to avoid a world of pain with incorrect clefs and keysigs is, to make sure all of these are correctly recognised in PS before going into sibelius. PS might take some of the drudgery out of copying stuff into sib, but it has its quirks as well.

One of its favourite tricks is to place a KS or TS at the start of a system, low down on the page, suddenly and for no good reason, so it is much harder to spot. Due diligence here can save hours of unpicking in Sib.

What you have to do with 1st/2nd endings is place the 1at ending at the correct place then when you get into sib replace it with a proper closed 1st ending which extends to the end repeat barline. Then make sure you have an OPEN 2nd time ending for the 2nd time bar.

Sign and coda I usually just mark the spot in PS (in tempo text) and then put the proper ones in in Sib. PS has a limited number of text styles that it uses and repeat/dc/ds isn't one of them.