PDF sheet music/MIDI question

[DomesticExtremis]

The font currently used is the feta font, also used in the lilypond project. Currently MuseScore is not ready to use other fonts as well. It's a matter of finding more developers for improving the MuseScore project.

Found here

[DaleDe]

Originally Posted by DomesticExtremis

Found here

The effects musescore but not the SVG file. The SVG file contains path statements (graphics objects) which are converted by musescore. The only text in the results SVG file is the lyrics. And depending on where it appears even text may be done with path statements.

Dale

[dgatwood]

Originally Posted by Jellby

Another option is converting the fonts to paths with an SVG editor that does support embedded fonts.

Which would once again eliminate the size advantage of SVG.

[Psymon]

Originally Posted by dgatwood

Which would once again eliminate the size advantage of SVG.

But in the end we're still left with the compatibility issue, and if some devices don't support SVG then what's the point in even considering it? At least at this point in time, until all devices do. In the meantime, if I'm going to put sheet music in my book, then why not just go with PNG?

Of course, if you folks are basically just mulling over future possibilities, that's another thing -- but as far as my original question goes, I can't see why I shouldn't just go with PNG and forget about SVG (never mind all the tons of extra work it is for me to totally re-create the music from scratch, note-by-note).

[Toxaris]

Originally Posted by dgatwood

Which would once again eliminate the size advantage of SVG.

If you subset the font, the fontsize should not be an issue really.

[mrmikel]

I think it because they are all pursuing the holy grail of displays well on all size devices.
It is a bit nonsensical because real life books are laid out based on the size of the paper, but computer have not only inspired an upsurge in prayer (please let this work without blowing something else up), but also magical thinking.

[DomesticExtremis]

Originally Posted by Psymon

I can't see why I shouldn't just go with PNG and forget about SVG (never mind all the tons of extra work it is for me to totally re-create the music from scratch, note-by-note).

Can't you just convert your SVG to PNG using Inkscape or something?

[Psymon]

Originally Posted by DomesticExtremis

Can't you just convert your SVG to PNG using Inkscape or something?

Ha ha, I already have PNGs -- or, at least, I have my scans of the sheet music in Photoshop PSD format, and can make them into whatever I want -- so I don't need to make SVGs into PNGs. All this hubbub, so much hubbub, was in trying to create an SVG from those scans! Or re-do the whole, entire thing from scratch or however... and all to come up with an SVG that isn't compatible with all readers anyway.

And so, hence, I'm just going to go straight from PSD to PNG -- to heck with SVG (at least for now).

EDIT: It's definitely been a very interesting and informative/instructive discussion here, though, for sure! I've actually learned a few new things, including finding a reason to finally get around to installing/using Illustrator! And I'm most certainly intrigued with this whole SVG thing, but until it becomes more cross-platform/app compatible, I think I'll just backburner it for now.

[DaleDe]

You keep saying SVG is not compatible with all devices. It is part of the ePub standard. What device does it not work on?

Dale

[Psymon]

Originally Posted by DaleDe

You keep saying SVG is not compatible with all devices. It is part of the ePub standard. What device does it not work on?

I don't actually know, really -- I was just going by what somebody else said earlier in this thread here.

[Toxaris]

(Some?) Kindle(s) don't support SVG I believe.

[DaleDe]

Originally Posted by Toxaris

(Some?) Kindle(s) don't support SVG I believe.

Kindles don't support ePub. But you are correct MOBI format is too old to have SVG support.

Dale

[Psymon]

Yeah, that was it. And as for this book I've been working on, I had intended to just give it away for free, and while I was only going to bother to put it together in EPUB format, I'm sure there will no doubt be people out there who will want to convert it to MOBI format, too. So sure, I could do these images up in SVG because I do agree that it's "better" (for devices that support it), but the difference in visible quality of the images that you see is virtually negligible -- never mind the TON of extra work it would be to create an SVG version of this music from scratch, in order to bring the file size down -- so why on earth wouldn't I just go with PNG instead? Seriously, it looks pretty much just as good, and it's all-around compatible. I really don't understand the argument in favour of doing a TON of work just to make something that looks negligibly better, and is less compatible. :/

[Jellby]

Originally Posted by Psymon

I'm sure there will no doubt be people out there who will want to convert it to MOBI format, too.

So they will convert the SVG to PNG

So sure, I could do these images up in SVG because I do agree that it's "better" (for devices that support it), but the difference in visible quality of the images that you see is virtually negligible

For a given resolution, yes. Actually, for a given resolution PNG can actually look better (you take care of resizing and aliasing, rather that the ebook renderer). But next year we get devices with 1000dpi resolution, and suddenly all your PNGs look tiny, while the SVGs look as good as ever.

so why on earth wouldn't I just go with PNG instead?

Future proof. Make SVGs for the sheet music, and keep the source files (MuseScore or whatever). If you are concerned about support, create PNGs from the SVGs, they'll look much better than the scans. If higher resolution is needed in the future, you can create PNGs at higher resolution (or use SVGs if your concerns are gone). If there's anything to fix (and sometimes the scans have mistakes too, or misprints, o misalignments...), it will be easy to fix in the source files.

[Psymon]

Originally Posted by Jellby

Future proof. Make SVGs for the sheet music

Except that I already have scans for the sheet music, and already have PNGs from that -- the sheet music in MuseScore I've barely started, and found that I'm struggling to learn that program ("connecting the dots" -- literally!) and that would probably take me a whole week or more to figure out and do.

If only I was doing this for a client that I had free rein to charge by the hour for doing this -- that would take the headache away.