ETF files

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LariRudi
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Post by LariRudi » Wed Jan 19, 2011 7:49 am

I've done a search on this, and the threads/posts are from previous years, and I think they all related to "saving as etf", or exporting as etf.

My question relates to the opposite. I've found some interesting titles on the internet, I UNZIP them [thanks miker] and they come out to be ETF extensions.

Of course, my Finale PrintMusic says invalid format; can't read, [or etc].

I saw that somebody suggested CHANGING, or RENAMING the extension to MUS and ask Finale to read it THEN. Nope, doesn't work; just says invalid format.

The files I'm trying to read WERE CREATED with Finale sumpin' albeit some years ago.

So, my question is, with my PrintMusic 2010, is there any way that I can READ these ETF files? I can't "re-save" them to "save as" anything, because, of course, it won't open them in the first place.

What is MusicXML all about? I'll search and study that. Is it associated with my question? Does it pertain to me?

[Edit; ok, so I find that XML can be imported AND exported, under the File Menu Item. So I presume THAT helps my friends "read" MY stuff, and I'd be able to read "their" stuff that does not "happen" to be in MUS format.............. is there more to it than that? does that affect my question on EFT, or have no relavence to it?]

thx,

LarryR : )
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Peter Thomsen
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Post by Peter Thomsen » Wed Jan 19, 2011 1:57 pm

1) ETF (Enigma Transportable Format) is Finale's "old" format for transfer between different Finale versions.
ETF is no longer supported since it has been replaced by MusicXML.

To open ETF files (and convert them to .MUS files) you will need any version of Finale (all Finale versions - even the oldest versions - can open ETF files).

However, somebody may be able to do the conversion for you.
Read on:


2) MusicXML is the new file format for transfer, not only between different Finale versions, but also between many other music applications.

Today the MusicXML format is supported by far more than 100 music applications.

MusicXML has no relevance to your problem with reading ETF files.

BUT:
The MusicXML file format is developed by Recordare.
Recordare also runs a file translation service.
I don't know, whether that service can translate ETF files, but it couldn't hurt to try.

URL to Recordare:
http://www.recordare.com/company/consul ... on-request

If Recordare doesn't offer ETF translation, try asking MakeMusic.
Last edited by Peter Thomsen on Thu Jan 20, 2011 9:43 pm, edited 2 times in total.
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LariRudi
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Post by LariRudi » Wed Jan 19, 2011 4:58 pm

Thank you sooooo much.

This is an EXCELLENT response; I consider it an excellent "mini-lecture"; it ought to be made into a "sticky", as I imagine this same question is lurking in the back of other [beginning] users minds.

But I wonder why Finale, as it "improves" over the years didn't "retain" the ability to "read" "older" Finale things [EFT for example]. Why do all those THOUSANDS of Finale creations have to lie dormant, unused, unaccessible to us "modern" users?

Just a suggestion, NOT a criticism.

So THEN, as you suggest getting an "older" version of Finale to "read" those older EFT files, I'm imagining that if an EFT file was created by Finale2008, then IT WOULD read EFT's created by Finale2006, 2005, 2003, etc?

thx,

LarryR : )
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Peter Thomsen
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Post by Peter Thomsen » Wed Jan 19, 2011 9:11 pm

LariRudi wrote:...if an EFT file was created by Finale2008, then IT WOULD read EFT's created by Finale2006, 2005, 2003, etc?...
The ETF file format has remained the same through the years, so it should not matter, in what version the ETF file was created.
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miker
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Post by miker » Wed Jan 19, 2011 9:31 pm

Was there any time in the past that Finale could both read ETF, and export XML? Or was the one dropped when the other was adopted, with no overlap?
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Peter Thomsen
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Post by Peter Thomsen » Wed Jan 19, 2011 11:10 pm

There was an overlap.

At first (from Win Finale 2001 and from Mac Finale 2004) Finale could only import/export MusicXML via the Dolet plug-in.

Later versions of Finale got "built in" MusicXML import/export.
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miker
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Post by miker » Thu Jan 20, 2011 12:32 am

But at what point did Finale stop recognizing ETF?

My point is, if there is such an overlap, and if Larry can get a program from that year, he can open his ETF files, export them as XML, and reopen them in something current.
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musicxml
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Post by musicxml » Thu Jan 20, 2011 7:55 am

Finale 2011 can still open ETF files. If you can't do this in PrintMusic 2010, perhaps that's a PrintMusic restriction? Are you trying to open the file by going to the File menu, choosing Open, and then choosing the ETF option for file types? If the ETF option for Enigma Transportable Files isn't there, it seems like it may be a PrintMusic issue.

Yes, Recordare's file translation service can translate ETF files into MusicXML or Finale .MUS files.

LariRudi
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Post by LariRudi » Thu Jan 20, 2011 9:22 am

miker wrote:But at what point did Finale stop recognizing ETF?

My point is, if there is such an overlap, and if Larry can get a program from that year, he can open his ETF files, export them as XML, and reopen them in something current.
So I await an answer to your question, too.

thx,

LarryR : )
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miker
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Post by miker » Thu Jan 20, 2011 3:24 pm

musicxml wrote:Finale 2011 can still open ETF files. If you can't do this in PrintMusic 2010, perhaps that's a PrintMusic restriction? Are you trying to open the file by going to the File menu, choosing Open, and then choosing the ETF option for file types? If the ETF option for Enigma Transportable Files isn't there, it seems like it may be a PrintMusic issue.

Yes, Recordare's file translation service can translate ETF files into MusicXML or Finale .MUS files.
Thanks! I wasn't specifying the ETF option in OPEN. I was looking in the IMPORT command.

So, I can answer Larry: It's a PM restriction, again. I guess you could look into Recordare's translation service, but, if you have enough files, it might be cheaper to buy Finale.
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Peter Thomsen
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Post by Peter Thomsen » Thu Jan 20, 2011 9:42 pm

miker wrote:But at what point did Finale stop recognizing ETF?...
The last Finale version that could save as ETF, was Finale 2006.

Finale 2007 and later versions can open ETF files, but they can't save as ETF.
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miker
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Post by miker » Thu Jan 20, 2011 10:04 pm

Peter,
Thanks for that clarification! That's what I was looking for.
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mdriscoll
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Post by mdriscoll » Wed Nov 02, 2011 2:27 am

Can ETF files be opened in Finale 2012? If so, how?

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Peter Thomsen
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Post by Peter Thomsen » Wed Nov 02, 2011 6:19 am

Yes, via File menu > Open
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mdriscoll
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Post by mdriscoll » Mon Dec 12, 2011 2:44 am

Peter Thomsen wrote:Yes, via File menu > Open
File->Open does not work for me (using Finale 2012). When I go to open the file, I get a message that says: "invalid file type..."

It's REALLY important that I be able to open ETF file. Hundreds and hundreds of Choral Public Domain Library (cpdl.org) files were saved in ETF format!

Please help!

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Peter Thomsen
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Post by Peter Thomsen » Mon Dec 12, 2011 6:21 am

mdriscoll wrote:
Peter Thomsen wrote:Yes, via File menu > Open
File->Open does not work for me (using Finale 2012). When I go to open the file, I get a message that says: "invalid file type..."

It's REALLY important that I be able to open ETF file. Hundreds and hundreds of Choral Public Domain Library (cpdl.org) files were saved in ETF format!

Please help!
I suspect that the ETF file is corrupted.
As a test, try to open some of the other ETF files.

You could also attach an ETF file here.
Before you can upload the ETF, you have to compress it - I think.
Try e. g. compressing the ETF as a .zip file.
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mdriscoll
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Post by mdriscoll » Mon Dec 12, 2011 12:09 pm

Peter Thomsen wrote:
mdriscoll wrote:
Peter Thomsen wrote:Yes, via File menu > Open
File->Open does not work for me (using Finale 2012). When I go to open the file, I get a message that says: "invalid file type..."

It's REALLY important that I be able to open ETF file. Hundreds and hundreds of Choral Public Domain Library (cpdl.org) files were saved in ETF format!

Please help!
I suspect that the ETF file is corrupted.
As a test, try to open some of the other ETF files.

You could also attach an ETF file here.
Before you can upload the ETF, you have to compress it - I think.
Try e. g. compressing the ETF as a .zip file.
Attached are two different files (zipped up). I get the same error for both. Thanks for your help!
Attachments
hass-dix.zip
(35.36 KiB) Downloaded 418 times
jos-ave3.zip
(71.28 KiB) Downloaded 401 times

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Peter Thomsen
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Post by Peter Thomsen » Mon Dec 12, 2011 4:00 pm

I, too, could not open the ETF files in Finale 2012.

However, the ETF files opened fine in Finale 2011, as you can see in the attached files.

You should contact MakeMusic's Tech Support about this.
I suspect that you have found a bug in Finale 2012.
Attachments
hass-dix.mus.zip
(27.16 KiB) Downloaded 422 times
jos-ave3.mus.zip
(45.16 KiB) Downloaded 379 times
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mdriscoll
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Post by mdriscoll » Mon Dec 12, 2011 9:09 pm

Peter Thomsen wrote:I, too, could not open the ETF files in Finale 2012.

However, the ETF files opened fine in Finale 2011, as you can see in the attached files.

You should contact MakeMusic's Tech Support about this.
I suspect that you have found a bug in Finale 2012.
I've just been on the phone with Tech Support. Unbelievably, Finale discontinued support of the ETF file format - THEIR OWN FILE FORMAT! There are literally hundreds of ETF files on the CPDL.org website - and they're completely useless if you have Finale 2012. Frankly, I'm really mad about this. At the very least, they should offer some sort of conversion utility. I hope lots of people will contact them to complain about this change.

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Peter Thomsen
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Post by Peter Thomsen » Mon Dec 12, 2011 10:50 pm

Two ideas:

1) The company Recordare had a file translation service that could translate ETF files into MusicXML or Finale .MUS files.
Since MakeMusic has just bought Recordare, it might be reasonable to expect makeMusic to take over Recordare's file translation service.
You should ask MakeMusic about that.

2) Since Finale 2011 can translate ETF files, then perhaps NotePad 2011 can do that, too?
NotePad 2011 is only 10 $.
You should ask MakeMusic about that.
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miker
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Post by miker » Tue Dec 13, 2011 12:43 am

No. I checked all of the 2011 products. Only Finale shows ETF as an accepted format. Sorry.
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Peter Thomsen
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Post by Peter Thomsen » Thu Dec 22, 2011 4:37 pm

mdriscoll wrote:…I've just been on the phone with Tech Support. Unbelievably, Finale discontinued support of the ETF file format - THEIR OWN FILE FORMAT! There are literally hundreds of ETF files on the CPDL.org website - and they're completely useless if you have Finale 2012. Frankly, I'm really mad about this. At the very least, they should offer some sort of conversion utility. I hope lots of people will contact them to complain about this change.
I think that this is a misunderstanding.
Facts:

The last Finale version that could save as ETF, was Finale 2006.

Finale 2007 and later versions can open ETF files, but they can't save as ETF.

Due to a bug, Finale 2012 can't open ETF files, but Finale 2012a can open ETF files.
The 2012a Finale maintenance update was released today (2011-12-22).
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mdriscoll
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Post by mdriscoll » Thu Dec 29, 2011 1:44 am

It appears that the Finale 2012a install corrected the problem - ETF files can now be opened in 2012. What a relief!

Mike

Peter Thomsen wrote:Two ideas:

1) The company Recordare had a file translation service that could translate ETF files into MusicXML or Finale .MUS files.
Since MakeMusic has just bought Recordare, it might be reasonable to expect makeMusic to take over Recordare's file translation service.
You should ask MakeMusic about that.

2) Since Finale 2011 can translate ETF files, then perhaps NotePad 2011 can do that, too?
NotePad 2011 is only 10 $.
You should ask MakeMusic about that.

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