vArranger PDF Plug In

[Dan]

Here is a program to install in your computer to be able to display PDF files with vArranger !

It is working exactly like JPG files.

So for example, you can put the MySong.pdf file into the SCORE folder, close to the MySong.sty style file.

Then when you load your song, the first page of your PDF will be displayed too.

You can go to the NEXT/PREV PAGE of the PDF, clicking on the left and right side of the displayed image, or assign a controller (like a pedal or a PC key) in the OPTION/CONTROLLERS screen.

Enjoy !

[pax_eterna]

Brilliant!!!

Great work Dan. Thanks heaps

Dennis

[pax_eterna]

.........you can put the MySong.pdf file into the SCORE folder, close to the MySong.sty style file.

Dan can you explain this a bit more please? For example, does "close to"  mean as in close to a wall, or "close to" as in close the door....
Do I need to create a separate folder Scores, and does this go in the general data folder or inside the styles folder itself?

Further, do I also need to create another folder in the DATA main for songs? As in midis and mp3s?

And is there any reason the styles folder has them named as ROM1? Or can this be renamed?

Thanks
Dennis

[Dan]

Close to the wall...

Yes, you need to create a folder called SCORE inside every style folder, when displaying score is needed.

[pax_eterna]

Close to the wall...

Yes, you need to create a folder called SCORE inside every style folder, when displaying score is needed.

So just to clarify, it would be vArranger/Data/Styles/StylesRom1/Unplugged/Score/MySong.PDF ....................if I was using an unplugged style for the pdf file, and do I rename the style to be the same name as the the PDF and then have BOTH next to each other in the selected style folder?

As for a pdf linked to a midi or MP3 file.... Do you repeat the above process, except have the PDF and the song file together in a songs folder?

By the way, there is NO Songs folder on the default setup for vA...do I need to create one and where exactly does it go? In the main DATA folder, or where?

Thanks

[Dan]

If the song is :
vArrangerData/Styles/StylesRom1/Unplugged/MySong.STY

The score will be :
vArrangerData/Styles/StylesRom1/Unplugged/Score/MySong.PDF

It's not working only with styles, but it's exactly the same with midifile or mp3

If you right click on the Unplugged button, it will open directly the windows explorer, so you can create the SCORE folder.

You can decide to create a new folder for your songs, or many folders, grouped by song type or by "playlist". When you create a new folder in the vArrangerData/Styles/StylesRom1/    , a new button will come to access those files.

It's good to have all your files inside this folder, so the search feature will find them.

Also, right click on files displayed on the left vertical list, and you will have shortcut to move, copy, rename or delete the files.

[pax_eterna]

Cool,
Thanks Dan...by the way...are you still working on having  a dedicated "Playlist" option?  Where a user can create from the main screen a list of songs to play in order (non-alpha) for a gig? I think I have have raised this with you before in an email around July 12, 13.

This would be a tool, separate from the folders where one is committed to naming the files with a numerical prefix to get them in order...and then if you want to change the order, isntead of simply selecting another file, you would need to go and RE-number all the files again...gets a bit annoying after 2 or 3 re-writes of a playlist

Dennis

[Dan]

Thinking about it......

[pax_eterna]

That would be a really cool tool for gigging users I think m8....so one could even have MULTIPLE playlists, but as it is only "referencing" the source file as a resource, there is then no need to rename the resource, just the link in the Playlist!!  Make it a lot easier I reckon, not to mention efficient.

Just back to the pdf's topic...........it works quite well, and I see you are using whatever the OS system default PDF reader is...I suspect that a user will need to be careful on sizing, or try to keep the PDF reader at a default zoom...what I have found so far with Adobe Reader is it changes the zoom depending on the file and it's scanned proportions.....

I will also try Foxit Reader too...it also has a quasi-playlist function too - bit of a bonus

Dennis

PS: One last question (oops two).....can I rename the folders and move them to the root of the DATA folder? Or does the program have clearly defined paths that are fixed in the code?

And do audio songs and midis ALSO get put into the same ROM1 folder under styles, or do I create a new folder called Songs?

[Dan]

vArranger PDF Plug In does not need the installation of other pdf readers like Adobe...

About the re-sizing, vArranger tries to display your score in the screen at the maximum size possible, so you can read it well. It automatically adapts to your screen size.

You can also plug a second screen (horizontally or vertically) on your laptop to display the scores.

[pax_eterna]

Thanks Dan,

hmmm...interesting as when the PDF opened in vA it auto opened Adobe Reader....

Did you miss the PS I also added: with two final questions?

D

[Dan]

If you don't install the new plugin, vArranger will use your default PDF reader.

The vArrangerData/Styles/StylesRom1/ is the root of your songs folders of any type STYLES, SONGS, MP3, MIDIFILES, SCORES....

You can't rename this path, but inside this path, you can delete, rename, create everything as you want.

[pax_eterna]

Terrific Dan...yep, understand totally. Cool

Silly me re the PDF,  I forgot to install the plugin.... 

D

[pax_eterna]

OOPS - POSSIBLE BUG!!!

The pdf chart does NOT close automatically when a new style/ song is selected. It stays on top of the main vA window. Even if the new loaded style/song has NO chart associated, the previous chart stays on screen and has to be manually closed..

D

[Dan]

It's not a bug. I don't close the score displayed because you loaded another song without score.
You can open jpg or pdf files manually with the LOAD button, and then try many styles, and don't want the score to be closed everytime.
Also, some users are using a second screen, and want the scores to be always displayed....
So I am not sure that it should close... but I am ok to listen to users more

[pax_eterna]

Ahh okay no problems then...

FWIW, I think a score SHOULD auto close when a new song , style or whatever is selected...unless it is being used in a Playlist as I have described earlier in this thread. IN which case you will have each chart load up when the Playlist entry is chosen...After all all the tweaking and setup is all done at home not at the gig, so in this scenario then keeping the PDF view open would be handy.

I can see why if you have a score open to try out styles it would be handy, but there also must be a way to minimise the window while making selections form the main vA window as the score does take up most of the screen space...

Also I think the option to either keep the score open or auto close should be there for a user.

Just my view, not a criticism

Dennis

[Dan]

Yes, I will think about it. Also, I think to add a global ON/OFF for the score loading with the songs.

For now, you can assign a Pc key to the LYRICS ON/OFF

[pax_eterna]

Cool, thanks Dan

Dennis