What's New in NoteWorthy Composer This file outlines all changes that have been made to NoteWorthy Composer since its original release in October 1994. The newest changes are listed first, followed by the new additions made in earlier releases prior to this latest version. Features Added for Version 1.21, This Release --------------------------------------------- 1. Undo/Redo Facility The editor now allows you the safety of correcting/undoing an operation performed on the staff. Each open editor window can support up to 100 reversable edit actions. You can control this number in the Options dialog, available from the Tools menu. 2. Expanded Lyric Support Each staff can now have up to 8 lines. As with version 1.20, each lyric line will automatically be aligned in the score. 3. Centering of Whole Rests When you print a score, any measures consisting of a whole rest will centered in the measure. 4. Dotted Notes in Chords Tightly packed chords that contain dotted notes are now displayed better. All dots are now visible in the chord. 5. Windows Meta File Support The Print Preview Copy feature now supports *.WMF files. Once you create the WMF file, make sure that NWC is still open when working with the meta file, or the NWC notation font will not be available to other applications on your computer. 6. Easier Opening of NoteWorthy Composer Scores NoteWorthy Composer now allows one or more *.NWC files to be specified on the command line at program startup. This means you can also open a file directly from the Windows 3.1 File Manager or the Windows 95 Explorer. 7. Standardized File History The file history stored on the File menu now uses a last in, first out scheme. This makes it more consistent with the way other applications implement this feature. The first file in the history is always the last file which was closed after an edit session. 8. Integrated Upgrade Support The NoteWorthy Updater program is now included in the standard NoteWorthy Composer package. This program provides a standard way of upgraing NoteWorthy Composer without downloading a whole new package. 9. Reduced Download Size We have reduced the overall binary footprint of the NWC package, while adding more features and sample files into the package. Proof that bigger is not always better. Features Added for Version 1.20 ------------------------------- 1. Lyrics Support for lyrics has now been added to NoteWorthy Composer. Each staff in your score can be assigned up to 4 lyric lines which will aligned and displayed on the lower boundary of the staff. You enter lyrics from within the lyric editor tabbed dialog, which you can access by pressing Ctrl+L while in the notation editor. 2. Measure Numbers You can now enable measure numbers for a score from within the Score Builder tool. You can control the starting number in the sequence, and how the numbers are displayed. Your display choices are the following: Plain, Circled, or Boxed. In the editor, all bar lines that constitute a measure boundary will display its measure number (except the local repeat bar, which already as a repeat count which it displays). When printing, the front of each system will display the current measure number. 3. Goto Measure Command You can now jump to a specific measure in the active score partition without having to scroll around to find specific places. Simply press Ctrl+G and enter the measure that you want to locate. 4. Enhanced Slurs Slurs have been changed in this version to behave in a similar fashion to the outward note tie. You now assign an outbound slur attribute to notes, which is then extended to the next note in the score. NWC even detects if the next note is elsewhere in the score due to a repeat or flow direction change. This means you can extend a slur into multiple special endings and other directional changes. The direction of slurs are now determined by the first note of the slur: if the stem of the first note is upward, then the slur will be underneath the notes. If the stem of the first note is downward, then the slur is extended above the notes. If the first note is a split direction chord, then these rules are reversed. 5. Expressions Marks Many new style expressions, including Fermatas, Breath Marks, Crescendo, Decrescendo, Accelerando, Legato, and many other Italian expressions are now included in NWC. Many of these items are recognized and performed during MIDI play back. In many cases, you can specify that the item not be included in the printout, or that it should not reserve any width on the staff when it is placed. In addition, you can now override MIDI key velocities and volume directly from within a dynamic mark. These overrides are especially useful when combined with dynamic variances like crescendos. Lastly, a new generic text expression item has been added which enables you to write your own expressions. You are no longer confined to conventional Italian expressions or predefined expressions created by us. Now you can add your own. The expressions are generally grouped into three categories: dynamics, tempos, and performance styles. In general, you have more flexibility over how the expression will be placed and formatted into the printed score. For example, you can specify that a tempo that you insert not be included in the printed score. You can also specify that an expression should not reserve any width in the printed score so that it does not create a large white space in the middle of notation. 6. Edit Selection You no longer need to delete old symbols and replace them with new ones just to make a small change. You can now change existing notation on the staff simply by selecting it and pressing Ctrl+E. This is the new Edit Selection functionality. You can change previously inserted clefs, time and key signatures, and any of the performance expressions using this new method. 7. Clefs with Octave Higher/Lower Indicator You can now specify octave up or down marks on all clefs. This is most common with the treble clef, where an 8 appears either above or below the staff. This indicates that the performance should be played higher or lower in pitch by an octave. 8. Note Stem Direction Controls A note's stem direction is now just another attribute that you can assign, just like an accidental or dotted duration. You can set up note entry such that notes use their default note stem direction, or you force them in either an upward or downward stem direction. A new audit is also introduced which will assist in cleaning up a staff after it has been transposed and has note stems going in directions inconsistent with the new note positions. 9. Enhanced Chords You can now combine a note with a previously placed rest into a chord. The rest must be of a smaller duration than the note that you are adding to it. You can also combine notes of the same duration but with differing stem directions to achieve a split stem look for the chord. Please be aware, however, that NWC continues to only recognize a single, dominant voice when formatting a staff. In other words, only the smaller duration in a chord is utilized when aligning a staff in the editor and when printing. Completely dual, independent staff voicings are not supported by NWC, but notation which has the appearance of dual voicings can often times be obtained by using the new chord functionality added in this release. 10. File Type Change NoteWorthy Composer now uses the file type of *.NWC, rather than the original *.NTW type used in earlier versions. You can continue to open and save your existing *.NTW files, but we recommend making the change over to the new extension. The easiest way to do this is to use the File Manager's File Search function to locate all of your existing *.NTW files. You can then rename them to *.NWC files as a collective group, and never be bothered again by this change. 11. Conversion of Notation Fonts to True-Type Technology We have upgraded the notation technology used by NoteWorthy Composer to include True-type capability for all elements of the displayed score. In previous versions, we relied on a static library of bitmapped images for most notational elements, which created difficulties for some high-resolution printers and postscript devices. It also forced you into a few discreet print sizes when printing out your score. You now specify the score font by defining the point size for the italic font used in the printout. NWC then decides on the sizes for all other elements in the score based on this sizing. As a consequence, your notation size selection, as well as any custom margin settings, are retained after each of your NWC sessions, and between different printer device selections. These metrics were formerly reset after selecting a new printer or exiting the application. 12. Spin Buttons for Numeric Fields All numeric fields in NWC now include a corresponding spin control so that you can change their values with the mouse. You can now also enter negative numbers directly, as the minus sign is no longer overridden to decrement the value in the control. 13. Retention of Edit Position When Zooming In and Out You can now increase or decrease the font size in the editor and your edit position is retained. The editor no longer resets back to the beginning of the partition as was done in earlier releases. You also can access the font size selector tool when in the editor by using the backslash (" \ ") key. Pressing this key will change the input focus to this tool. 14. Note Entry Enhancements By default, the dotted note parameter is now reset after each note or rest is placed onto the staff. This makes the dotted note attribute behavior similar to that of the accidentals. It eliminates the need to explicitly turn off the dotted parameter after a note is placed. You can disable this function from the Options command in the Tools menu. You can now combine additional note combinations are into triplets. In previous releases, some valid note combinations were not permitted to be grouped into a single triplet. This is now enhanced to support any note grouping which has a total non-triplet duration which is a multiple of 64th notes. You can now control whether the right mouse button changes the position of the insertion point. This is done from the Options command of the Tools menu. 15. Fixes and General Maintenance The following General Protection Faults have been corrected: - clicking to the far left of an inactive staff - assigning a print page range with the "from" value larger than the "to" The Gravis Ultrasound (GUS) card, and any other cards which require patch caching, are now supported. Patch and drum caches are automatically set-up and loaded prior to playing a score. If a device fails to open when starting NWC, the error should now be reported correctly, without causing an unusual initialization behavior within NWC. A bug in MIDI import triggered by a series of whole measure rests contained in a staff has now been corrected. A staff containing triplets will no longer cause a bar line audit to disengage unless the triplet grouping crosses directly over a place where a bar line should be assigned. The default note velocity for a staff is now louder, so songs which do not include dynamic marks will probably sound louder. The print logic now detects when the score title is too large for the printer page, and it reports this prior to printing. The author text for a song is now expanded to allow more words, so you can include phrases such as "Words and Music by ..." or other text of your choice. The score is no longer audited when saving a score to a file. It is done when loading a file. You also can access the staff and score audits easier through Ctrl+F9 and F9 accelerator keys, respectively. The help file no longer forces a background color of light gray. The file now uses the default color specified by Windows. 16. Changes in Version 1.20.1: Slurs extending through time and key signatures, as well as other notational elements, is now displayed better. A slur is now only interrupted when extending backwards into a special ending which is not a first ending. Features Added for Version 1.10 ------------------------------- 1. New Notation Display Capabilities A number of new notational display symbols have been added in this release. They include: - Alto and Tenor clefs - Common Time and alla breve time signatures - Tempo marks based on eighth, quarter, and half note and dotted note beats In addition, many enhancements to the notational display capabilities have been made. These include: - Better looking time signatures through the use of True-Type fonts - Key signatures now include the naturalization of the previous key in the staff - Better looking sustain pedal markings in all sizes - Better looking dotted notes in some of the notation sizes - Better looking slurs 2. Print Enhancements The following improvements have been made when printing the active score: - Staff labels optionally attached to staves The name of each staff can now be inserted in front of each staff in a system. This can be turned on and off, as well as controlling whether it should be done only on the first system on the title page, the first system on each page, or on every system in the print job. - Formatting Logic Improvements The formatting logic for printing contained several problem areas where the print operation could cause the application to abort, or freeze up and not return control to the user. These have been corrected. As a result, some score print jobs may be formatted better in this version. - The last system in a score print is not justified to fill the page The formatting logic for printing automatically justifies all score systems so that the left and right sides of each successive system is aligned evenly on the page. The last system in a score print out is no longer right justified, to prevent spreading out just a few measures over a large amount of space. - New approximated fonts, providing more large notation sizes You can now select several new font sizes which are enlargements of existing font sizes. These new approximated fonts are distinguished by the first letter in their name: they all start with an "A" instead of an "X" (A = Approximate, X = Exact). 3. New Menu Structure The menu system has been completely revised to provide more ease-of-use features. These include: - New file management capabilities, including: >> Automatic save recovery through use of BAK files on replaces >> Revert to saved version of the active score >> Import/Export of MIDI files >> History tracking of the last 10 songs used - Symbols are added via the Insert menu, which is divided into: >> high runner items (such as notes, rests, and bar lines) >> notational symbols (such as clefs and key signatures) >> and midi controls (specifically the multi-controller and patch changes) - The Score menu has been removed, and a new Score Builder tool replaces it - A new Tools menu provides access to many new utilities, including: >> Automatic beaming function for the active staff >> Transpose function for the active staff >> Tools to assist in changing the key signature within the active staff >> Audit tools for the active staff and the whole score >> Bar line audit of the active staff, aligning all bars at measure boundaries >> Score builder tool - Notes menu now includes Staccato and Accent commands - Window menu now used for visibility control of the tool and status bars - Editor speed menus now include Note, Rest, Chord and Bar line commands 4. Tool and Status Bar Enhancements The following enhancements have been made to the tool and status bars: - All tool buttons now include mouse fly-over hints within the status bar - New tool button access to important functions: >> Tool button access to the Score Builder tool >> Tool button access and display for the Audit Staff tool >> Change editor font sizes straight from the tool bar >> Change the active score partition straight from the tool bar >> See when the active staff needs auditing straight from the tool bar >> Status bar indicator of current play buffer when active score is playing - Notation editing straight from the note tool bar: >> Change note accidentals by selecting notes and pressing a button >> Add or remove a note tie by selecting a note and pressing the tie button >> Add or remove dots, staccato, or accent marks from the corresponding button >> Get immediate visual feedback on the availability of a particular button >> Get immediate visual feedback on whether a button will add or remove an attribute - Right mouse support in the note tool bar for changing its orientation 5. MIDI Play Back Enhancements The following improvements have been made for playing back the active score: - Configurable starting point for play to begin Play back can now be configured to start either from the beginning of the score, or from a configurable number of measures behind the insertion point. All imbedded patch, volume, tempo, and pitch bend information is properly tracked for the point where play back begins. - Staff mute no longer disables tempo and other controller changes You can now mute a staff in the Score Builder tool and its global performance parameters will still be included in the play back, even though its note events will not. - Very short staccato notes should now still be heard on your equipment When notes smaller than an eighth note were made staccato, they would no longer be audible with some sound gear in situations where they should have. Staccato notes are now handled better by MIDI play back. 6. Score Editor Enhancements The following improvements have been made in the editing of score data: - Dynamic changing of selected note's attributes As mentioned in the tool bar enhancements, many more note attributes can be added and removed to a group of selected notes simply by selecting the notes, and pressing the appropriate tool button. - Double-click editing of midi data controllers (patch and multi-point) The multi-point controller and patch data inserted into a staff can now be changed by double clicking on its symbol. The symbol looks like a target (several circular rings). - Right mouse button changes The right mouse button now repositions the insertion point prior to presenting the speed menu. The speed menu now allows for adding notes, rests, chords, and bar lines, thus allowing efficient mouse-based note entry (without ever having to hit the Enter key). - Cut, copy, and paste fixes In some situations, key signatures could be displayed improperly when they were added to the staff via the NoteWorthy Composer clipboard. This has now been corrected. Also, the Audit Staff tool automatically determines if an audit may be required after cut or paste operations.