(EE) Q&A Thread - Quick questions go here

[OTʜᴇB]

Anyone here using LaTeX? I'm thinking about how I should go about putting in vector images for the writing system, but keeping them together and out of the way. If someone else here has done such a thing, how did you do it?

[Adarain]

As far as I'm aware, it isn't very easy to get vector graphics into a LaTeX doc. You're probably best off converting them into pngs of a desirably high resolution and scaling them down in the document to the appropriate size. Alternatively, you could probably hack something together in tikz, but I expect it to be too much of a pain to be worth the effort. Perhaps there are svg to tikz converters though, i haven't looked into it.

Edit: It appears that indeed there are. This one seems to allow you to export tikz straight from inkscape.

[gach]

You better read the Wikibooks entry on importing graphics in LaTeX. The graphicx package is the way to include graphics in LaTeX documents. I use it all the time to do larger figures, mostly from graphic files in the PS or EPS formats, but I see no reason why you couldn't use it to typeset short snippets in a conscript as inline figures in the middle of normal text. Just make sure that the figures have a proper size to line well with the rest of the text.

Very basically, you should add the line

Code: Select all

\usepackage{graphicx}

to the preamble of your document and then include the images at their correct places with something resembling

Code: Select all

\includegraphics[height=<suitable height for the image>]{<image file>}

You'll probably have to try a few times to find good sizes for the images.

This approach should work fine for the most simple tasks of piling script block one after another, but if you want to achieve anything more complicated than that, I'd say that you are immediately better of spending the time to create an actual font.

[OTʜᴇB]

You better read the Wikibooks entry on importing graphics in LaTeX. The graphicx package is the way to include graphics in LaTeX documents. I use it all the time to do larger figures, mostly from graphic files in the PS or EPS formats, but I see no reason why you couldn't use it to typeset short snippets in a conscript as inline figures in the middle of normal text. Just make sure that the figures have a proper size to line well with the rest of the text.

Very basically, you should add the line

Code: Select all

\usepackage{graphicx}

to the preamble of your document and then include the images at their correct places with something resembling

Code: Select all

\includegraphics[height=<suitable height for the image>]{<image file>}

You'll probably have to try a few times to find good sizes for the images.

This approach should work fine for the most simple tasks of piling script block one after another, but if you want to achieve anything more complicated than that, I'd say that you are immediately better of spending the time to create an actual font.

Yeah I think a font would probably be the best approach. I'm fine with including the graphics, but the problem I'm facing is getting them lined up with correct spacing - and then the challenge of getting them vertical (vertical script) and having the text go around it and not leave a huge gap in the page where this vertical line of symbols is.

[Dezinaa]

This is probably the wrong website to ask this, but I don't know where to even start looking. I'm looking for software that lets me play music using custom frequencies in Hz for each note in the scale, and that also lets me create equal tempered scales with different numbers of notes. I just calculated the notes for a 7-tone equal tempered scale and a 10-tone equal tempered scale, but I have no easy way to play them. I can generate waveforms of specific frequencies, then arrange them in an audio editing program, but I can't "play" music. I also have no way of tuning an electronic instrument to play these custom scales. Maybe I'm rambling, or this is just wishful thinking, but any and all help would be appreciated.

[Salmoneus]

This is probably the wrong website to ask this, but I don't know where to even start looking. I'm looking for software that lets me play music using custom frequencies in Hz for each note in the scale, and that also lets me create equal tempered scales with different numbers of notes. I just calculated the notes for a 7-tone equal tempered scale and a 10-tone equal tempered scale, but I have no easy way to play them. I can generate waveforms of specific frequencies, then arrange them in an audio editing program, but I can't "play" music. I also have no way of tuning an electronic instrument to play these custom scales. Maybe I'm rambling, or this is just wishful thinking, but any and all help would be appreciated.

How I've done this in the past is use an ordinary music program to create a midi file, and then use a programme someone pointed me to to tune the pitches to the ones I want. I believe the programme was aimed at changing temperaments, so that might be a key word for you to look for - because of course if you change the temperament radically enough you're essentially changing the scale/tuning. But this was all a long time ago, so I'm afraid I can't tell you the name of the specific programme, even if it's still around.

[elemtilas]

This is probably the wrong website to ask this, but I don't know where to even start looking. I'm looking for software that lets me play music using custom frequencies in Hz for each note in the scale, and that also lets me create equal tempered scales with different numbers of notes. I just calculated the notes for a 7-tone equal tempered scale and a 10-tone equal tempered scale, but I have no easy way to play them. I can generate waveforms of specific frequencies, then arrange them in an audio editing program, but I can't "play" music. I also have no way of tuning an electronic instrument to play these custom scales. Maybe I'm rambling, or this is just wishful thinking, but any and all help would be appreciated.

MuseScore has a function that allows you to change the tuning of notes. I haven't played with it enough to know how suitable it would be for you.

As I understand it, Sibelius 8 allows you to tune each note individually as well.

If you really want to "play" the music you're writing, invest in a fretless guitar or an oud (if you're a string person) or a zither or psaltery (if you really like lots of strings!) or a clavichord (if you like lots of strings ánd a keyboard!). Any of these can easily be tuned to whatever scale you're working on.

Zithers and psalteries are also relatively inexpensive (like $20 to $50 on Ebay), are easy to restring and relatively simple to tune and maintain.

Another good choice is a hurdy gurdy.

[Dezinaa]

How I've done this in the past is use an ordinary music program to create a midi file, and then use a programme someone pointed me to to tune the pitches to the ones I want. I believe the programme was aimed at changing temperaments, so that might be a key word for you to look for - because of course if you change the temperament radically enough you're essentially changing the scale/tuning. But this was all a long time ago, so I'm afraid I can't tell you the name of the specific programme, even if it's still around.

That seems like a good system. And "music temperament software" just turned up quite a few Google results, so I'll see what I can use. I don't know why I didn't think of using that exact phrase yesterday. In particular, Scala looks good.

MuseScore has a function that allows you to change the tuning of notes. I haven't played with it enough to know how suitable it would be for you.

As I understand it, Sibelius 8 allows you to tune each note individually as well.

If you really want to "play" the music you're writing, invest in a fretless guitar or an oud (if you're a string person) or a zither or psaltery (if you really like lots of strings!) or a clavichord (if you like lots of strings ánd a keyboard!). Any of these can easily be tuned to whatever scale you're working on.

Zithers and psalteries are also relatively inexpensive (like $20 to $50 on Ebay), are easy to restring and relatively simple to tune and maintain.

Another good choice is a hurdy gurdy.

I've heard of MuseScore and Sibelius before, so I'll check them out. Especially MuseScore, since it's free. I hadn't thought of buying a physical instrument (as opposed to digital), but if I get serious enough about playing, that also seems like a good idea.

Thanks for the help, Salmoneus and elemtilas!

[Salmoneus]

I can't find the function elemtilas mentions in MuseScore. Unless he means adding a tuning offset to each note individually, which I can see how to do - you can select a bunch of notes and add an offset to all of them at once, but I don't see how to change the tuning of a particular pitch all at once, which would be much more useful.

[I also note that they have visual korons and soris, which would theoretically let you have 24tet, but so far as I can see they don't actually change the audible pitch, so far as I can see...]

[elemtilas]

I can't find the function elemtilas mentions in MuseScore. Unless he means adding a tuning offset to each note individually, which I can see how to do - you can select a bunch of notes and add an offset to all of them at once, but I don't see how to change the tuning of a particular pitch all at once, which would be much more useful.

Yes, that I think is the one I was thinking of.

I've never gotten into it, but I think in the synthesizer is where the tuning of a particular pitch is. Having not tried it, I can't speak to its actual function. A digital tuning hammer would be a Good Thing in deed!

[Salmoneus]

I can't find the function elemtilas mentions in MuseScore. Unless he means adding a tuning offset to each note individually, which I can see how to do - you can select a bunch of notes and add an offset to all of them at once, but I don't see how to change the tuning of a particular pitch all at once, which would be much more useful.

Yes, that I think is the one I was thinking of.

I've never gotten into it, but I think in the synthesizer is where the tuning of a particular pitch is. Having not tried it, I can't speak to its actual function. A digital tuning hammer would be a Good Thing in deed!

Just looking at it now, it seems as though the synth lets you set a concert pitch (i.e. you can raise or lower the pitch of everything at once) but no more than that.

[elemtilas]

Just looking at it now, it seems as though the synth lets you set a concert pitch (i.e. you can raise or lower the pitch of everything at once) but no more than that.

Ah well --- not what's needed! Looks like Sibelius or zither would be the way to go, then!

[Frislander]

Is anyone keeping on top of the ranks? Because it doesn't look like there have been any awarded since 2012, and yet I'm sure there are many people on this forum who have earned one or more of those ranks since then.

[shimobaatar]

Is anyone keeping on top of the ranks? Because it doesn't look like there have been any awarded since 2012, and yet I'm sure there are many people on this forum who have earned one or more of those ranks since then.

Assuming you're talking about the Usergroup banners:

I joined after 2012, but I was given one. Otherwise that's pretty much true. The thing is, you have to contact a Mod and ask to be evaluated to see whether or not you qualify for any of the banners. I talked to Ossicone about mine, but that was before sangi39 and Dormouse559 were made mods, so maybe they'd be the best ones to talk to about that now?

I definitely agree that there are many people who have earned them, though.

[Frislander]

Is anyone keeping on top of the ranks? Because it doesn't look like there have been any awarded since 2012, and yet I'm sure there are many people on this forum who have earned one or more of those ranks since then.

Assuming you're talking about the Usergroup banners:

I joined after 2012, but I was given one. Otherwise that's pretty much true. The thing is, you have to contact a Mod and ask to be evaluated to see whether or not you qualify for any of the banners. I talked to Ossicone about mine, but that was before sangi39 and Dormouse559 were made mods, so maybe they'd be the best ones to talk to about that now?

I definitely agree that there are many people who have earned them, though.

Right OK, yes that was what I was referring to.

[GamerGeek]

Where can I find my bookmarked threads?

[qwed117]

Where can I find my bookmarked threads?

User Control Panel in the top right corner of the screen. Then click "Manage Bookmarks" on the left side of the screen.

[Frislander]

Just a quick question which has just sprung to my attention; is the future of the CBB secure? http://www.aveneca.com/ just brings up a blank page, which leads me to wonder if this could ever share the same fate?

[qwed117]

Just a quick question which has just sprung to my attention; is the future of the CBB secure? http://www.aveneca.com/ just brings up a blank page, which leads me to wonder if this could ever share the same fate?

Nope. Never was, hasn't been, isn't and will not be [secure]

[GamerGeek]

Just a quick question which has just sprung to my attention; is the future of the CBB secure? http://www.aveneca.com/ just brings up a blank page, which leads me to wonder if this could ever share the same fate?

What was it originally?