TG Tools harmonics not directly on top of its note

[Koben]

Hi,

For some reason, on some of the notes, the harmonic fourth is kind of slanting to the side (both score and parts) and I can't seem to move it back to the middle.

Any thoughts?

harmonics.JPG (22.48 KiB) Viewed 2597 times

[Peter Thomsen]

I suppose that you are not talking about the halves (where the notehead should touch the stem) - right?

You only mean the whole notes - right?

The issue looks like a matter of stem direction - even if there is no stem on a whole note.

Just flip the stem direction, and the diamond moves to the middle.

[zuill]

For me, flipping the stem on a whole note only moves the diamond to the other side, where the stem would be when flipped. To center the harmonic diamond, I use the Notehead Position Tool.

Zuill

[motet]

Flipping the "stem" seems to work for me, and is much easier than the Notehead Position tool. What am I missing?

[Peter Thomsen]

motet,

Please a (small) Finale sample document here.

By examining your document we might be able to find out why Zuill gets a different result.

[motet]

Allrighty:

[Koben]

Yes, flipping the stem did the trick.

Thanks guys!

[zuill]

I suppose I should have said it's closer when you flip the stem, but not exactly centered. I was saying that the only way I know to truly center the diamond over the whole note is with Special Tools/Notehead Position Tool. I suppose close enough works. The reason Finale gets somewhat close is that the diamond on a Whole note is actually not exactly where the stem would be, but to the left, so when you flip the stem, it's also slightly left of where the stem would be, which appears closer to being centered. However, if you examine more closely, it's actually slightly right of center.

Zuill

[zuill]

Follow-up:

I created a JW Change plugin sequence that does the correct positioning I just described. It is created just for whole notes. It has only 3 simple steps, but once the Sequence is created, only one click. It takes the same amount of time as the TG Tools plugin, but no flipping stems manually to get "almost there". It does it all in one click. Part of the sequence is to flip stems for what would be up stems. However, it's all bundled into one click.

Zuill

P.S.: Gets even better. I added a fourth step so it can be used for all notes. It adjusts the Whole Note diamonds and leaves all the others the same Properly aligned with the stem). It can be applied to all notes (fourths and thirds) at once. It doesn't give a warning like TGTools does if you try it on any other interval, but the user should already know that and avoid other intervals.

[motet]

It is a little right of center, but it's pretty darn close. It also looks different to me at difference screen magnifications. That may be an artifact of either Windows, Finale, or my brain. Here it is printed to PDF (to take it away from Finale) and enlarged 400% in CutePDF.

[zuill]

It is close. But since I took the time to make it more precise, I know have a JW Change sequence that does it all in one click. So, even if it is close, it still requires several steps. And each one has to be done manually, unless you use JW Chane to flip the stems.

Zuill

P.S.: Both of the samples in your file were down stem shifting to up stem. With up stem notes, the default result is like the flipped down stem notes, which is a bit to the right.

[David Ward]

For me at least, this problem exists with the version of TGTools that comes with Finale, but not with the full version of TGTools which centres them correctly without my needing to do anything extra.

[wessmusic]

I would suggest a simple method, however not "pain-killer".

Here are three screen shots from "Document — Document Options... — Stem Connections..."

https://www.linkpicture.com/q/Stems-1.png
https://www.linkpicture.com/q/Stems-2.png
https://www.linkpicture.com/q/Stems-3.png

All values are in EVPUs.

These setting may help for (solo) violin (viola, cello & d.bass) notation, however entering chords involving seconds requires additional editing, using "Notehead position tool".
Taken as a whole — it depends on music texture.

For scores inc. Harp, Pno, Org, Synth etc. this trick is useless, unless second music font is assigned for these staves (Staff Atributes: Independent Elements: Notehead Font) or vice versa.
Maestro+Tamburo is common combination.

For temporary usage — "Staff Style" presets with aforementioned setting are also a kind of practical option.

Cheers,
Wess


(if the links do not work correctly, please replay)

[motet]

Ah, stem connections! Great idea, Wess!

For me at least, this problem exists with the version of TGTools that comes with Finale, but not with the full version of TGTools which centres them correctly without my needing to do anything extra.

I compared the two. The full version saves you from flipping, but once the lite version is flipped, the results are the same (a skosh off-center).