Pushing the PDF envelope

[dj]

Hi, guys:

What I'm trying to do admittedly pushes the envelope for PDF export further than you may have envisioned.

I am assembling the orchestrated score for a show. In order to have a legible conductor's score, I have had to go big: 11X17 (tabloid) pages. A bit cumbersome for the conductor, but a lot of show scores come in that size.

I love the quality of the PDF export included in the new Composer 3.0.2. I found a work-around for the lack of export options with Composer's PDF print driver by exporting the Vocal and Piano/Vocal scores, one file at a time, then re-assembling them by printing each file to the freeware PrimoPDF driver and using the "Append" option to build the scores into complete books. This was with 8.5 X 11 (letter) size pages.

Now, with the Conductor's score, I've got a problem.

Exporting the large pages to PDF from Composer's Export options, I am only getting one or two pages exported at a time. Usually. Every once in a while, the complete piece exports, but I cannot find any rhyme or reason for it.

After Exporting and getting one or two pages only, I can then advance the Page View to the next un-exported page and get another file with the same number of exported pages. And so on through the complete piece. I could then assemble each of those files into a complete piece and then assemble the whole score, but that's a huge pain and I'm sitting on the place where the pain is.

The problem is obviously related to the large page size, but I can't think how. The output that I do get is very high quality, much better than printing straight to PrimoPDF or Bullzip, so I want to use the Export if I can.

Attached are a .not file of a piece that is only exporting a page at a time (No 3 Sunny Day.not) and an example of the truncated PDF export (No 3 Sunny Day.pdf).

Note that, to see the Page View displayed properly in the .not file, you have to set your printer's page (in Print Setup) to Tabloid or 11 X 17 size. Otherwise, it's all garbled.

David

[Sherry C]

Hi David,

I thought I'd posted a response here, but apparently the Shockwave crash earlier also led to the demise of my reply.....

I opened your attached file which was very helpful. In short, I think the issue has to do with the formatting of the file, and can be worked around for now.

On opening your file, I used Format/Setup, and selected Paper Size 11"x17" and "Portrait" orientation. I noticed in Layout/Page layout that there are a number of measure locks in place, and the score is "scrunched" - technical term is it has a lot of "collisions" as you can see in the screen shot:

Scrunched.png

Trying to use File/Export PDF gave the problem you described: only one page would export.

If I used Layout/Default, which removes the measure locks, the score looks much better:

Default.png

AND more importantly for this thread, using File/Export PDF for the Conductor's score results in the full file being saved as PDF.

So, we now have a new task in your honor (Task 2835) and there is a workaround for the short term.

Sorry for the bother...

ttfn,
Sherry

[dj]

Thanks, Sherry.

On my screen, I don't see the collisions in the notation that you highlighted, so it's interesting that it comes up differently on different systems.

The formatting was locked in order to force Composer to keep the page layout for compiling the score with proper pagination.

I've re-formatted without the page locks (had to do one Keep Measure With Previous On Same System to keep the paging the same) and now it has successfully exported to PDF.

Mark first added the Layout lock feature at my request because I was being driven nuts in trying to keep the same paging from one load of a file to the next. Without it, I had to re-format each file every time I wanted to print out a score.

The output from the Haru Free PDF Library driver is exceptional. I think I've tried all the other PDF print drivers out there (free ones, at least) and Haru is far above them in result. I hope this feature can be developed further in future, as it will become an important option, I think.

So, now to go back and re-format!

David

[Sherry C]

Hi David,

Thanks for the added information - it all helps when trying to nail down and squash a bug.

I can certainly empathize with wanting to have everything formatted just-so when working with large groups of folks, and we certainly want you to not have to pull out any hair because the feature isn't working correctly

I've assumed that real paper-printing of the file as you posted it (ie. with the measure locks) works ok, but just want to verify that it does, right?

ttfn,
Sherry

[dj]

Hi, Sherry:

Actually, the Haru Free PDF Library is the driver that Reinhold is using for Composer. I was just saying that its output is exceptional, making me want to persevere with it, even if it's a little quirky right now.

I haven't done any real paper printing from the files, yet. I'm trying to compile complete scores into PDFs that can be printed by a pro shop on better equipment than I have. We just got a very nice price on a very nice colour laser printer when the Staples (I believe it's called Business Depot where you are) near us closed, but I can't handle tabloid size at home, yet. A few more years, maybe, as ten years ago, who figured on affording a colour laser printer?

I'm actually working on the score right at the moment and I am running into the same problem with some of the later files in the score. Several exported very nicely, then I started running into the same situation, even after removing the locks. So, I don't think it's entirely to do with the locks.

No substantive info to pass along at the moment, though.

Victoria Day weekend, here in Canada, when we celebrate the British Empire. You probably don't.

David

[Sherry C]

Hi folks,

Another pdf item I should mention is PDF Tools. It's a free "suite" of pdf tools that allows you to join, split, and do other things with PDF files. You can get it free from http://www.sheelapps.com/ Simple interface, easy to use, and I have used it successfully for lots of manipulations.

Enjoy,
Sherry

[Sherry C]

Hi David,

Originally Posted by dj

Actually, the Haru Free PDF Library is the driver that Reinhold is using for Composer.

Yeah, I remembered that after my post - what can I say, it was before my morning cuppa

I haven't done any real paper printing from the files, yet. I'm trying to compile complete scores into PDFs that can be printed by a pro shop on better equipment than I have.

No problem - I was able to force a couple of errors with messages that are directly from the Haru code, so that should get us in the correct area of code that is at issue.

I'm actually working on the score right at the moment and I am running into the same problem with some of the later files in the score. Several exported very nicely, then I started running into the same situation, even after removing the locks. So, I don't think it's entirely to do with the locks.

Thanks for that bit of info, too.

Victoria Day weekend, here in Canada, when we celebrate the British Empire. You probably don't.

Hardly, though at my house we do swill an awful lot of tea, beers, and ales

ttfn,
Sherry

[dj]

Sherry said: "PDF Tools"

BINGO!!!!!

To quote Danny Kaye:

GET IT! ==> http://www.sheelapps.com/

GOT IT!

GOOD!