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a little more PDF help


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I'd like to made a desktop folder to hold all the Turlough O'Carolan music. It is a large volume. I'm guessing that if the actual "Folder" is in PDF, I could just grab that folder and transfer all. But the folders I've made are all just plain folders, and I have had to transfer tunes one at a time (with the exception of a few pre-made ones like from the Spuds site). Is it possible for a non-geek to make a holding folder into PDF--not just the files inside?? Thanks for help or a point to source with these directions. Michelle

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I'm not sure what you are talking about. To me, a folder is a place to put a collection of related items, just as a file folder is in a file drawer. What it holds might be documents of many sorts including PDFs and others.

 

And, some questions

 

1) From where to where are you trying to transfer things?

2) In what format are the documents you are trying to transfer? PDF? ABC? GIF? JPG? or something else?

3) What program or app is going to read the files once you have transferred them??

 

Maybe with that info we can be a bit more helpful.

 

Don't worry about lack of knowledge here, just keep providing us info and eventually someone here will be able to help you out.

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I'd like to made a desktop folder to hold all the Turlough O'Carolan music. It is a large volume. I'm guessing that if the actual "Folder" is in PDF, I could just grab that folder and transfer all. But the folders I've made are all just plain folders, and I have had to transfer tunes one at a time (with the exception of a few pre-made ones like from the Spuds site). Is it possible for a non-geek to make a holding folder into PDF--not just the files inside?? Thanks for help or a point to source with these directions. Michelle

 

Once you have got your files in a single folder, of course, you can just copy that folder and your operating system will then move all the files within it.

 

Or you can combine PDF files into one larger file, with suitable software. Adobe sell a version of Acrobat which allows you to do this, or these days you might be able to get third party software. Adobe are not cheap.

 

Malcolm

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I'd like to made a desktop folder to hold all the Turlough O'Carolan music. It is a large volume. I'm guessing that if the actual "Folder" is in PDF, I could just grab that folder and transfer all. But the folders I've made are all just plain folders, and I have had to transfer tunes one at a time (with the exception of a few pre-made ones like from the Spuds site). Is it possible for a non-geek to make a holding folder into PDF--not just the files inside?? Thanks for help or a point to source with these directions. Michelle

 

If you have your Carolan tunes in ABC, you may be able to print them as one single pdf file (depends on the software that you have). Though that will mean that you have to page through the thing looking for the tune you want.

I'm veering towards having a folder full of individual pdfs and a clickable document to act as an index. (this is for my eReader, so the index is a work in progress - I think I know how to do it, but haven't managed it yet!). If you have the below mentioned very expensive Adobe software, you can make a clickable pdf file and even annotate tunes, so I may see if we have a site license for this at work, in which case it will be a lunchtime project).

 

Chris

 

 

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I would like to translate the ABC files into dots and then compile them into one folder. Then grab that folder and shove it into my IPad. (I am still laptop dependent to do these activities--I just not acqainted enough with the IPad system) So, for instance: paul hardy's general music was in a folder with all his individual tunes. The folder itself had the red PDF notation on it. And I was able to do just what I describe above: I grabbed the whole folder and loaded it onto the Pad. When "I" make a folder to recieve ABC translations, my folder is a plain vanilla folder. This is what I did for all the tunes in "something for the weekend". But when I tried to transfer that folder the entire folder would not go; I had to put individual tune files, which are PDF, into the Pad. So, my presumption was that the outside of that folder needed to also be in PDF language??? And I do not know how to do this. Help?? Incorrect conclusions? Michelle PS I have never tried putting a whole ABC book into tune-a-trone. I assume you need to do individual tunes. It would not translate a whole book of tunes to dots would it?? mmh

Edited by shelly0312
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Hi Michelle,

 

Having just looked on Paul's website, Paul's tunes are in biggish PDF files each containing a number of tunes, eg Sessions, Xmas, Basic.

If you open any of these you are presented with each tune in turn, and you can scroll up and down to the one you want. That's how it looks to me on a PC but a Mac should see the same thing. However, the "container" that they are in is a single file, not a folder, as far as the computer is concerned and you move/copy/delete the whole lot in one go.

 

I use ABCExplorer software, and with this I can create a new file, then create new tunes (by several methods including copy and paste) in this file, starting with the abc files. I can view each tune as a score, or I can view the abc (or,indeed, both).

 

Once I have all the tunes I want, I can then export the file to PDF and get one PDF file with all the scores in it.

I think that's what you're trying to do. The finished file should be portable on any machine that supports PDF.

There are lots of ABC programs, and if you want to fill your inbox you could ask for recommendations :D! although (I think) there was a fairly recent thread about it. And most are free or shareware, and allow annotation and editing if you can speak abc.

 

Cheers

 

Malcolm

 

PS Obviously, once you have created your file you can just put it on you desktop and double click to open it and view the tunes - apologies if that is too obvious.

Edited by malcolmbebb
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The program abcm2ps will convert a file with multiple tunes in abc into one ps file. You can then use ghostscript to convert the .ps file to .pdf. This sounds harder than it is. Have a look at the abcplus pages and its manual. Look at

http://abcplus.sourceforge.net/

The program (free) does amazing stuff with typesetting music.

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PS I have never tried putting a whole ABC book into tune-a-trone. I assume you need to do individual tunes. It would not translate a whole book of tunes to dots would it?? mmh

Yes, you can put a whole collection of abc tunes into the tune-o-tron. The preview only shows the first tune and the midi player will only play the first rune but the pdf generated will have all the tunes, one per page.

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Yes, you can put a whole collection of abc tunes into the tune-o-tron. The preview only shows the first tune and the midi player will only play the first rune but the pdf generated will have all the tunes, one per page.

I didn't know that.

 

Thanks.
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the "container" that they are in is a single file, not a folder

 

oh yeah, that was way too obvious for me; that's why I come to you guys, so you can smak me on the side of the head and go "da" in unison!!! Thank-you. It is a fine nugget also, that I could load numerous ABC tunes into Tune-a-trone and get them all translated at once. You folks are just a fount of good information and news! 2 thank-yous! shelly

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the "container" that they are in is a single file, not a folder

 

oh yeah, that was way too obvious for me; that's why I come to you guys, so you can smak me on the side of the head and go "da" in unison!!! Thank-you. It is a fine nugget also, that I could load numerous ABC tunes into Tune-a-trone and get them all translated at once. You folks are just a fount of good information and news! 2 thank-yous! shelly

Well, feel free to keep asking until you have what you want - one day, someone will ask a question and you'll be the first one with the answer...

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OK I think I understand what you want. Here's some information in addition to what is mentioned above:

 

EasyABC is a free program that will allow you to load your ABC files and create a single PDF file from it. It will also let you sort the tunes in a variety of ways which might be important to you. If you are working on a PC the resulting file will have built in bookmarks for all the tune titles allowing most of the PDF readers on an iPad to find the tunes quickly and easily. If you are working on a Mac you need to go through some extra effort and use some extra software to get the built in bookmarks. I use Adobe Distiller (available free for the Mac) for that purpose. If you need help with this let me know and I'll contact you off line with the details. I find this a quick and easy way to get collections of tunes to my iPad.

 

Most of the readers will allow you to transfer the PDF file easily. I suspect you know how to do this. Let me know if you do not (but tell me the reader...the approach may vary).

 

If you are using one of the music related PDF readers they also have ways to create bookmarks and set lists for quick use of your files. ForScore does it and so do some others.

 

Hope this helps

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Have you considered using the Tunebook app. It handles ABC files on the ipad. You can load all the Paul Hardy tunes directly into it, plus thousands of others, sort them, make your own songbooks, display as dots, playback etc etc. All without going near a pc, a folder, or a PDF, I put a video on youtube a while ago showing how the iphone version works, the ipad version is rhe same, but designed for the ipad. Just search on youtube for tunebook.

What you are trying to do, file management, is not a task easily done with the ipad, and the concept of folders is not really used in the same way on the ipad. Its deliberately designed that way. If you use the apps designed for ABC like tunebook or Tunepal, you'll do all you want plus a lot more.

Feel free to pm me if you need help getting set up and getting tune collections into tunebook. Apologies if i've misinterpreted your needs, i was trying to see the wood for the trees.

 

Simon

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You can load all the.... tunes directly into it, plus thousands of others, sort them, make your own songbooks, display as dots, playback etc etc

 

So, Simon, I did purchase the app "forScore" which does have a lot of nice features--but not the ABC to dots translator. I looked at the Tunebook app. and just want to confirm before I spend a whole 2 bucks--this app is like c.net's tune-a-trone: it will tranlate ABC to dots and also play some sort of midi?? This would be excellent. App description does has picture of dots but does not say so specifically. This would stream line the downloading of all music scores for me to carry around. Thanks for pointing out this direction. Michelle

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OK I think I understand what you want. Here's some information in addition to what is mentioned above:

 

EasyABC is a free program that will allow you to load your ABC files and create a single PDF file from it. It will also let you sort the tunes in a variety of ways which might be important to you. If you are working on a PC the resulting file will have built in bookmarks for all the tune titles allowing most of the PDF readers on an iPad to find the tunes quickly and easily. If you are working on a Mac you need to go through some extra effort and use some extra software to get the built in bookmarks. I use Adobe Distiller (available free for the Mac) for that purpose. If you need help with this let me know and I'll contact you off line with the details. I find this a quick and easy way to get collections of tunes to my iPad.

 

Most of the readers will allow you to transfer the PDF file easily. I suspect you know how to do this. Let me know if you do not (but tell me the reader...the approach may vary).

 

If you are using one of the music related PDF readers they also have ways to create bookmarks and set lists for quick use of your files. ForScore does it and so do some others.

 

Hope this helps

 

That looks very promising. I've being using ABCNavigotr and a pdf writer so far but can't figure out how to get a bookmarked PDF file.

I can do that on Easy ABC ... but I can't see how to change the Export to PDf to landscape rather than portrait, any ideas (the Page settings" doesnt' seemt o effect the Export format.

 

(Windows in case it varies)

 

Chris

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I can't see how to change the Export to PDf to landscape rather than portrait, any ideas (the Page settings" doesnt' seemt o effect the Export format.

 

(Windows in case it varies)

 

Oh good, I thought I was the only one who couldn't do that. I can't figure it out either, and I'm on a Macintosh.

 

It gets old having to print them in portrait and then flip them into landscape on the office copier. If anyone has a solution I would also love to hear it.

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