Showing Meta-Data Fields from Score Properties in Footer of Every Page
Using the latest update (3.6.2.548021803) I'm having trouble showing meta-data fields from Score Properties in the footers printed at the bottom of each page. (When I give vocal lead sheets to the band at an event with multiple singers, so they'll know who they belong to, I want to show my name at the bottom left and my Email address at the bottom right. I thought I could use the meta-data fields "Poet" and "translator" for this purpose, because I always leave them blank and put notes about translators, etc. in the title frame at the top of Page 1). Attached are:
[1] LSheetWithScorePropertiesError.mscz = shows how the printed score appears
[2] MuseScoreProperties.jpg = Windows screen shot from File | Score Properties, which shows the meta-data Poet=my name and Translator=my email address, just as I entered them.
[3] MuseScoreStyleFooter.jpg = Windows screen shot of the pop-up displayed in Format | Style | Header/Footer when I try to fill in fields in the footer using $:p or $:t. It indicates that the poet and translator fields are blank.
I have tried doing this with a different lead-sheet file to verify that this is a consistent problem, and not some weird anomaly of this particular file.
Thanks in advance for any help anyone can offer. Which of course would include just telling me it's on the list of minor bugs to be fixed in a future release. [g] (I can work it around this glitch by typing constants into the footer fields in my score files.)
| Attachment | Size |
|---|---|
| LSheetWithScorePropertiesError.mscz | 35.18 KB |
| MuseScoreProperties.jpg | 70.58 KB |
| MuseScoreStyleFooter.jpg | 153.32 KB |
Comments
Those need "$:tag:", you left album the trailing colon
In reply to Those need "$:tagName:", you… by Jojo-Schmitz
Eureka! Thanks so much for your prompt and very helpful reply!!! Of course now that you pointed it out, I can see that all the meta-tag references in the header/footer end with a colon. I really had tried to read all the applicable on-line manual sections but just hadn't noticed that vital detail.
Would it be appropriate to add a sentence within the Header/Footer section of the manual
https://musescore.org/en/handbook/3/score-properties that EXPLICITY says something like:
When typing a meta tag, into a Header/Footer be sure that it starts with "$:" and ends with another colon ":". Also be aware that meta tag names are case-sensitive ("$:xyz:" is not the same as "$:Xyz:")
BTW, I got another benefit from reading a detail in the of 3.0 Manual I hadn't noticed before -- the capacity for adding NEW meta tags. Instead of using "poet" and "translator" as not intended, I will create my own "MMWname" and "MMWEmail" to save my name and Email.
Now that I know about that capability, possibly I will also add another meta tag for "MMWSource". Currently, I use the "Arranger" tag to record all the sources I've used to create a particular score, which can include: published sheet music or fake books {sometimes with different sources for verse, chorus and/or chords) and/or my own transcriptions of on-line audios of unpublished material). Previously I've been used the "arranger" tag for this purpose because MuseScore intends the "source" tag to identify a particular .mscz or .hml file that was downloaded to create the .mscz file.
Since I have over 800 mscz files, I don't think I'd want to do that unless there was a way to automatically transfer all the existing "arranger" meta tag contents to the new "MMWSource" meta tag. If such a utility doesn't exist, I'll take a look at the MuseScore developer group chats to see whether there's enough documentation of the .mscz file format in whatever programming language is used to maintain MuseScore to make that feasible.
Thanks again for your VERY helpful reply!!
In reply to Eureka! Thanks so much for… by MandyWh
It does read this already:
3. Add tags (e.g.
$:workTitle:)including the trailing colon
In reply to It does read this already: _… by Jojo-Schmitz
That's odd. Are we talking about the same page? What I'm looking at is:
https://musescore.org/en/handbook/3/score-properties
Using the Firefox capability to find specific text within a web page, I can't find any occurrences of the word "including" and the only occurence of "add tags" says: "Add tags (e.g. $:workTitle:) and macros (e.g. $M) to the appropriate boxes, as required;" See attached is a Windows screen shot for a more complete picture of what I see on that area of the page.
I'm not trying to be difficult, but just want to improve my ability to use the online manual (which is generally excellent) and thus avoid bothering you guys with nitwit questions [g].
Thanks again for your help.
In reply to That's odd. Are we talking… by MandyWh
That wording does include the trailing colon, in the example, nor the words "including the trailing colon"
The Tooltip includes it too.
In reply to That wording does include… by Jojo-Schmitz
Please don't let me waste any more of your time on this picky point. Perhaps because I'm nearsighted and somewhat astigmatic I did not notice the trailing colon in example and would have benefited from text that explicitly pointed out that a trailing colon was necessary. But if everybody else doesn't need that extra reminder, that's my problem, not MuseScore's [g].
You've been a great deal of help. Thanks.
In reply to Please don't let me waste… by MandyWh
I've tried to clarify the handbook, please check
In reply to I've tried to clarify the… by Jojo-Schmitz
Bravo! That's just the little extra hint that should bring those pesky little colons to the attention of any people like me who missed them. Nicely worded so the text is still short and to the point. Thanks a lot!!!
In reply to Eureka! Thanks so much for… by MandyWh
There is no automated tool yet to transfer arranger tags to MMWSource tags and there is (on purpose) no documentation of the mscz format.
What you can do though, is extract the mscx out of it (or save as mscx) and then do a text find-and-replace in that for your metatags.
In reply to There is no automated tool… by jeetee
If I create new meta tags in one score, is there a way to copy those tags (and their contents) into other scores? I thought that would happen if I saved the score as a template and then selected that template when I created a new score, but that doesn't seem to work. That is, the Score Properties in my new score don't include the new meta tags.
That doesn't seem consistent with Mark Sabatella Sep 2018 comment that: "When you create a new score from a template, you get basically an exact copy of that score with the actual measures removed and replaced with empty ones."
I guess I just don't clearly understand exactly how a template differs from a style. Maybe my best option, for now, is just to give up, and manually add the new meta tags to each score one by one. It's not efficient but it'll get the job done. As as the old engineering adage states: "Better is the enemy of good enough." [g]
Thanks for your help.
In reply to If I create new meta tags in… by MandyWh
A template is style plus instruments
In reply to If I create new meta tags in… by MandyWh
A style file is just that it says - the settings in the Format / Style (OK, also page settings) dialog. A template is the full set of instruments. So a template for string quarter is different from one for a jazz big band, etc.
But the metadata is meant to be per-score and indeed isn't copied either. That would kind of defeat the purpose if all scores ahs the same title and copyright info etc.
In reply to A style file is just that it… by Marc Sabatella
But for some categories of scores, there are meta tags that I would like to appear in all scores, such as:
-- MMWSource: I create vocal lead sheets from multiple sources (published sheet music or fake books supplemented by transcriptions from on-line performances if it's not published; sometimes additional lyrics from different editions). I want a place to keep track of all this. The default contents could be blank, but I'd prefer not to have to add a "new" tag for every score.
-- MMWName, MMWEMail: For lead sheets I give out the band at events with multiple performers (jams, concerts) it's convenient to have my name and Email address somewhere on the document, so people now who it belongs to.
I think I've decided that instead of using either a Style or Template, I will save one or two blank scores with all the settings I want but with the music and most meta tags blank or set to "????" Then when I want to create a new score, I will open, say, "Blank_Swing.mscz" and save it as "NewScore.mscz". I'll then edit those of the new file's Score Properties meta tags I want to change (title, composer, etc). I'll also alter the Key/Time signatures and tempo markings to fit the song. This will solve several things about the New-Score Wizard that don't quite work for me, such as:
-- The frame at the top of P.1 leaves a lot of space between the lines that show the title and copyright date and the line that shows composer and lyricist. This may be aesthetically pleasing to some, but imho it just reduces the space available for staffs and may be just big enough to prevent a lead sheet fitting on one page. I won't have to edit it in every new score to make more room.
-- The wizard defaults to "enable vertical justification of staves", which I don't want. To make room for a text frame at the end with performance notes, I have to disable it every time.
-- The wizard doesn't interrogate whether I want swing settings, which is something I want to vary. Using a blank-score approach, I could not only set the default swing setting I want but include staff text at the top of the first measure to display time feel (e.g. "Swing, Salsa, Samba, etc."
I really appreciate the modular design of MuseScore that allows each user to tailor it to fit his/her particular objectives and eccentricities.
In reply to But for some categories of… by MandyWh
Maybe I'm missing something, but from the way you describe the MMWSource field, it seems like a perfect example of why metadata should not be copied when creating new scores from a template, unless literally every single score you create from that template has the same source. But if you just mean, an empty field should be created, that I can see MuseScore adding someday.
Regarding the name and email though, why not simply add these to the header or footer directly if you want them to appear on the document? Here again, though, eventually I could also imagine there being a way to mark certain fields as ones to actually copy contents from.
I'm not understanding your comments about the other issues you are having, best to start a new post and attach an example and steps to reproduce. For me the frame and justification settings I make in templates work just fine when creating new scores. And swing text, like any other text, is easily added after the score is created, it really isn't something the wizard is supposed to be messing with. So probably there is a much simpler solution to whatever you are trying to do here, but again, best to start a new thread and attach your template so we can understand and assist better.