Re: [Rosegarden-user] segments

[D. M. M. <mic...@ro...>]

On Monday 02 June 2008, Alex Stone wrote:
> But the latest feature that i'm really impressed with is the multiple
> segments per track component.

I like this too.  It isn't really anything I would have suggested as a 
solution for what to do about the problem of how horrible it was to work with 
overlapping segments before, but it certainly turned out to be a good 
approach, and an effective and useful remedy.

> 1. Optional midi device connect on startup. I don't really need RG
> automatically connecting to everything, or trying to.

This has been mentioned so many times of late that I really think we need to 
put it on top of the pile, and consider it a must for the next release.  
Though we can't promise any timeframe for that happening at the moment.

> 2. Explode segments. The ability to convert 1 track with multiple
> overlapping segments into a track each, ready for export as separate midi
> files.

For that matter, I don't think you can export a subset of a composition to 
MIDI, can you?  I think MIDI export itself is another good candidate for a 
must fix, given the recent rash of complaints about this, and its general 
longstanding brokenness.  (Though personally I'm more of a mind to abandon 
all hope and just eliminate the feature entirely, if it's up to me to do 
anything about the many MIDI export glitches, bugs, and limitations.)

> 3. An option to narrow the space between staves in a multiple segment
> selected notation editor layout. If i select a full score's worth of
> segments, then open the notation editor, there's a lot of scrolling
> involved to get up and down the score, so to speak. But if this is
> possible, i ask that the staves retain their current size. It's only the
> generous white space between that takes up a lot of space.

I think better whitespace management in general is called for here.  The space 
may seem generous in some situations, but in others, it isn't enough.  It's 
very easy to run into visual clutter conflicts with above- and below-staff 
texts, and extreme notes.

> 4.Glue all track. In preparation for exporting a midi file, the ability to
> glue the entire track in one go, form beginning to end, retaining the
> current time position of all segments within the track. (If this is already
> possible on a global or per track basis, then maybe someone could point me
> in the right direction. I haven't found this one.)

Click on the track label to select that track (only one track can be selected 
at a time) which also selects all segments on that track.  Then hit the join 
icon, or Ctrl+J, and that should merge all the segments into one without 
moving anything in time.  (Caveat utor: this could get messy very easily if 
you have multiple clefs, key signatures, etc. on the same track.)

> 5. Text track notes. a 'new' segment that enables text notes to be attached
> to tracks. Basically a text box where i can jot notes, with a limit of say
> 500 characters. In this instance i would add a track, entitled, i.e.
> "Strings", then use that as a text track, putting in notes and
> orchestrative directions. I do this currently with an empty segment and
> rename, but it limits the info one can add to a single strand of text. The
> ability to resize the text segment including multiple rows of text, means
> if i have a lot of directions in a confined space, I can increase the
> height, instead of increase length (zoom) just to read everything. (Useful
> for film work, and large scores where instrument doublings may need
> specific direction)

Interesting but comparatively difficult idea.

> 6. In relation to the above, the option of setting segment colours per
> track. I would have the text track an entirely different colour to the rest
> for quick visual ID...

Track Parameters.  You can pre-select the color for any segments you are about 
to create. Once created, segments have individual and persistent color 
properties that must be changed one by one.
-- 
D. Michael McIntyre