Copyright: Copyright ® 1998 by NoteWorthy ArtWare, Inc.
Citation: Copyright ® 1998 by NoteWorthy ArtWare, Inc.


Introduction
NoteWorthy Player Help

[Intro]   [General Questions]   [Technical Help]   [Authoring Tips]   [License]

NoteWorthy Player is a freeware player for NoteWorthy Composer song files. The player will load and play files created by registered users of the NoteWorthy Composer program. It will also load, notate, and play standard MIDI files, so it can be used a standard MIDI player. Additional information about NoteWorthy Composer files and how to create them can be found at http://www.ntworthy.com on the world-wide web.

For more information, click on any of the topics listed at the top of this window.

NoteWorthy Player Copyright © 1998 by NoteWorthy ArtWare, Inc.

All Rights Reserved

    NoteWorthy ArtWare, Inc.
PO Box 995
Fuquay-Varina, NC 27526-0995
USA

http://www.ntworthy.com


General Questions

[Intro]   [General Questions]   [Technical Help]   [Authoring Tips]   [License]

This section includes answers to a number of general questions often asked by new users of the player. For an answer to a listed question, click on the answer hot spot to the right of the question:

-	What is NoteWorthy Composer? Answer

-	How can I create my own song files? Answer

-	How does the version number compare to the version number in NoteWorthy Composer? Answer

-	Where can I find more song files? Answer

-	Why do some songs display in a split screen? Answer


Technical Help

[Intro]   [General Questions]   [Technical Help]   [Authoring Tips]   [License]

We have supplied a number of technical descriptions in this section. They are intended to provide insight into how the product works, and thus assist in diagnosis of any problems that you may be experiencing. Click on any of the following topics to get more information:

-	Supported file types (details)

-	Song playback using a sound card (details)

-	Changing the display sizes for a file that is already open (details)

-	Starting playback as soon as a file is loaded (details)

-	Setting up playback to repeat at the end of a song (details)

-	Dropping a file onto the player (details)

-	Viewing comments from the author (details)

-	How to turn off one or more stuck notes (details)


Authoring Tips

[Intro]   [General Questions]   [Technical Help]   [Authoring Tips]   [License]

This section is intended for current, registered users of our NoteWorthy Composer program. The following tips may be useful if you are composing a song which may be played back via the NoteWorthy Player. Click on the details hot spot to get more information about any of the tips.

-	Use the MIDI Mapper, mapped to a single device, for testing playback (details)

-	Add title, author and copyright information (details)

-	Add a bibliography or other comments to your file (details)

-	Give your staves meaningful names (details)

-	Use a second staff group when it is needed (details)

-	Use more than two staff groups in order to hide some details of your music (details)

-	Use short titles and standard fonts (details)


License Agreement
Software License Agreement

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Your use of this software indicates your acceptance to the terms and conditions as defined in this license agreement. Please carefully read these terms and conditions prior to the use of this software.

The enclosed NoteWorthy Player software program and the accompanying support materials are owned by NoteWorthy ArtWare, Inc. and are protected by United States copyright laws, by laws of other nations, and by international treaties.

NoteWorthy ArtWare, Inc. grants to you the right to use the software on any computer in your possession. However, you may not reverse engineer, decompile, or disassemble the software.

THIS PROGRAM IS FREEWARE. IT MAY BE FREELY USED, COPIED AND DISTRIBUTED, BUT MAY NOT BE ALTERED IN ANY FASHION. THIS SOFTWARE IS PROVIDED AS IS, AND IS NOT UNDER WARRANTY OF ANY KIND.

If you have any questions concerning this agreement or wish to contact NoteWorthy ArtWare, Inc. for any reason, please write: NoteWorthy ArtWare, Inc., PO Box 995, Fuquay-Varina, NC 27526-0995, USA, or contact support@ntworthy.com by electronic mail.


What is NoteWorthy Composer?

[Intro]   [General Questions]   [Technical Help]   [Authoring Tips]   [License]

NoteWorthy Composer is our music composition and notation processor for Windows. It provides for the creation, play back, and printing of your own musical scores. It will also export your compositions to other MIDI applications, thus making your compositions available to a wide variety of music software on the market today. Additionally, NoteWorthy Composer imports and automatically notates songs contained in standard MIDI files, so you can start your works from an existing MIDI collection.

An evaluation version of NoteWorthy Composer can be found at http://www.ntworthy.com on the world-wide web. If you like it, ordering details can be found in its packaging, and at our web site.


How can I create my own song files?

[Intro]   [General Questions]   [Technical Help]   [Authoring Tips]   [License]

You can create your own compositions using our NoteWorthy Composer program. This program adds editing and printing capabilities to the notation display technology used in the NoteWorthy Player.

You can find out more by visiting NoteWorthy ArtWares web site at http://www.ntworthy.com. A few other details can also be found in this help file (see question What is NoteWorthy Composer?).


How does the version number compare to the version number in NoteWorthy Composer?

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NoteWorthy Player uses the same version number as is used in NoteWorthy Composer. Whenever the NoteWorthy Composer file format is changed in a new version, a new version of the NoteWorthy Player will also be made available via our web site. Use the Help, About box in each product to determine the current version.

If a file is opened that was created by a newer version of NoteWorthy Composer, an error message will probably be reported, and the file will not be loaded. If this happens, try checking our web site to see if a newer version of the player is available.


Where can I find more song files?

[Intro]   [General Questions]   [Technical Help]   [Authoring Tips]   [License]

A number of samples are included with the player. Click their names below to open and view them in the player now:

Jingle Bells

Mozarts Sonata in A

Scot Boyds A Rose in June

Beethovens Moonlight Sonata

You may want to visit our web site (http://www.ntworthy.com) for links to NoteWorthy Composer user pages and other online content that might be of interest to you.


Why do some songs display in a split screen?

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In some cases, an NWC song will open up in a split screen mode. The music in the upper portion of the screen can be viewed independently from the music in the lower portion of the screen. A split screen appears when the original author includes multiple sections, or staff groups, within the song. Song authors generally use this when including percussion parts, where the repeat sequence does not necessarily match the melody line of the song.

You can control the split between the upper and lower portions of the screen. Press and hold the left mouse button while the cursor is over the split point. Now drag the split bar into the desired position.


Supported file types

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NoteWorthy Player supports files that have the following extensions:

NWC	NoteWorthy Composer song files

MID	Standard MIDI files

KAR	Standard MIDI files for karaoke

RMI	Standard MIDI files using the standard Interchange File Format

For best results in loading midi performances, the MIDI file should be in type 1 format, with each staff represented by a single track. However, the player also will import MIDI sequences that are in type 0 format, and it will make an effort to split the sequence into the appropriate staff notation.


Song playback using a sound card

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Unlike our NoteWorthy Composer product, NoteWorthy Player does not include a method for selecting one or more MIDI devices which should be used during playback. NoteWorthy Player uses the Microsoft MIDI Mapper device exclusively (provided with the Windows operating system software) for all playback. For playback to work correctly, the MIDI Mapper device must be installed and working correctly. The MIDI Mapper is installed and modified from the Windows Control Panel.

If you are having trouble with setting up playback on your system, the remainder of this section may help in your diagnosis.

Playback problem description/diagnosis

The first thing to note is that sound cards support a variety of sound generation methods. For starters, the audio out from a CD player may be run through the amplifier in your sound card to generate sound. In addition, almost all sound cards include a digital audio section that works with audio samples, such as *.WAV files. Neither of these sound types are MIDI sound. Your card, and your Windows system, must be configured for MIDI, whether by you, or an installer provided with your card.

When setting up NWC for MIDI, it is important that your system already be configured for MIDI support via a sound card or MIDI interface. In most cases, you need to make sure that MIDI synthesis is supported by the card, and is operational within Windows. You can test to see if MIDI is supported by your system by doing the following:

1 - Open the Windows Media Player program

2 - Open the "CANYON.MID" file, which comes with Windows and should be in your \WINDOWS directory (or \Windows\Media is you are using Windows 95).

3 - Press the play button

If no sound is heard, or some other problem prevented play back, then MIDI is not properly setup on your system, or it is not supported. If sound is heard, then NoteWorthy Player should be able to play back files on your system.

If it failed, you may need to re-install the software that came with your sound card. If this does not work, you may have a IRQ or DMA conflict in your system. Most sound cards provide a diagnostic utility that can help you solve problems like this. Please refer to your sound card's instructions for additional details.


Changing the display sizes for a file that is already open

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The zoom commands can be used to view more or less of the music inside the view window. A closer look at the notation can be achieved by using Zoom In on the View menu. A wider angle on the music can be achieved by selecting Zoom Out from the View menu.

When a split view of the song is provided, the split point can be adjusted by grabbing and dragging the movable split line between the two views. The line is grabbed by pressing and holding the left mouse button. The line can then be moved up or down. The move is completed when the left mouse button is released.


Starting playback as soon as a file is loaded

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By default, a song file is simply loaded into memory when it is opened. If you prefer, songs can automatically start playback when they are opened. This is set via the Options command on the Tools menu. When the dialog opens, place a check on the Auto Play box, and then press OK. Any new songs that you open will start to play as soon as they are loaded into memory.

A song can also be automatically played back when opened by specifying the /play option on the command line. If the /play option is present when the player is started, then the file specified on the command line will automatically be played, even if Auto Play is not enabled in Options. You can also specify the /close option on the command line to force the player to shut down after play has finished, or is stopped by the user.

When the player is installed onto a Windows 95 or Windows NT 4.0 system, a number of menu commands are added for MIDI sequences and NWC song files. They are accessible by right clicking on a song file in the Explorer. For MIDI files, the NoteWorthy Player command can be used to load a MIDI file into the player. The Notate and Play command also loads a song into the player, but will automatically start play when the song is loaded, and will close as soon as play is stopped (unless another song is opened). For NWC files, the Play command can be used to open an NWC file in the player and play it back. If you are not a NoteWorthy Composer user, the Open command also applies to the player.


Setting up playback to repeat at the end of a song

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By default, a song file is played only once and then stops after the Play command is selected from the Tools menu. If you prefer, song playback can automatically be repeated until you issue a Stop command. This is set via the Options command on the Tools menu. When the dialog opens, place a check on the Auto Repeat box, and then press OK. The next time you press Play, the song will continue to play back until you press Stop, or you close the program.


Dropping a file onto the player

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You can drop a file onto the NoteWorthy Player at any time. If the program is open, simply drag a song file onto the player from the File Manager (or Explorer for Windows 95 users). Click on the file, then while holding down the left mouse button, drag it over the player window. When the mouse button is released, the file is dropped onto the player. The song file will be loaded and displayed automatically. If the automatic play feature is enabled, the song will also be played, without any additional steps on your part.

The same procedure also works when the NoteWorthy Player program has not yet been opened. In this case, simply drag the file onto the NoteWorthy Player icon, and the program will be started and the file will automatically be loaded.


Viewing comments from the author

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In many cases, an author may have included additional comments about a song. If additional information is available, it can be viewed from the Info command on the File menu. This may include such interesting tidbits as information about the author, or the origins and/or source of inspiration for the song.


How to turn off one or more stuck notes

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After playing a song, or when stopping a song in the middle of its playback, one or more notes will occasionally continue to sound. If this occurs, simply press the Escape key (or F6, as in NoteWorthy Composer) a second time, and a series of note off events will be transmitted to all channels of the MIDI Mapper. This should clear the problem.


Use the MIDI Mapper, mapped to a single device, for testing playback

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NoteWorthy Player only play song files via the Microsoft MIDI Mapper. When composing songs in NoteWorthy Composer for distribution, make sure that you test the song with the MIDI Mapper selected by itself. Try to avoid using more than one device in your configuration, as this will not playback correctly on other users machines.

Make sure to add a sound patch assignment for each MIDI channel used in your song. This also means that only General MIDI sound patch setups should be used. This ensures that the song will sound as intended for the widest possible audience.


Add title, author and copyright information

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Make sure to use the Info box in NoteWorthy Composer to mark your creations. If you are composing original works, it is generally a good idea to assert your copyright, even if you intend to distribute your song freely. This information will be displayed in the player at all times.

The default copyright provided by NoteWorthy Composer is intended to provide a basic level of copyright protection under the law. For maximum protection, you should consult a copyright attorney, and register your work with the copyright office in your country.


Add a bibliography or other comments to your file

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You can also use the Info box in NoteWorthy Composer to add comments to your song. This is a good place to add a little information about yourself, and anything that you think is appropriate as accompanying information to your song.


Give your staves meaningful names

[Intro]   [General Questions]   [Technical Help]   [Authoring Tips]   [License]

If you have enabled Staff Labels in the Print dialog, then the NoteWorthy Player view of your song will include your staff names at the beginning of the song. If you do not currently use staff labels, consider enabling them in the copy of your song that you distribute. This will help the listener/viewer of your song to appreciate your work and the intended players.


Use a second staff group when it is needed

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It is no longer necessary to keep a staff in the primary staff group when it does not line up with the other staves due to a different repeat structure. For example, if your song includes one or more percussion parts which do not line up with the melody, you can move these parts into a second staff group. NoteWorthy Player will automatically show the second staff group when the song is loaded. This will enable the listener/viewer to see both staff groups during playback.

The order for staff group display is determined by the order of the staves in the Score Builder dialog. NoteWorthy Player will display the first two staff groups that it encounters, as they are shown in the Score Builder. When a split view is present, the staff group associated with the top-most staff will be the one shown in the upper view. If you do not want your second staff group to appear in the player, then name it Hidden, and the player will not display it.


Use more than two staff groups in order to hide some details of your music

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NoteWorthy Player will only show the first two viewable staff groups in a NWC score file. The first staff group is identified by the first staff in the score. The player always displays this group. A second, when it exists, is generally displayed in the lower notation window. However, if the second group is named Hidden, then it will not be displayed in the lower notation window. You can also use additional display groups (beyond the first two viewable groups) in your score, but only the first two viewable groups will show up in the viewer. Note that all groups and their parts can be seen if loaded by NoteWorthy Composer itself. Sound effects, tempo changes, or other effects such as chord appregios could be added in these hidden areas, and they would not clutter the view of the score seen by the listener.

Note that the view of your score in the player is similar to a print preview. The listener will not see you hidden items, such multi-point controllers, sound patches, or hidden tempo marks, even if they are present in the viewable staff groups.


Use short titles and standard fonts

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NoteWorthy Composer allows you to define all of the text fonts used in your song. If you plan to distribute your song, you should only use typefaces that have a reasonable likelihood of existing on your viewer's system. If you limit your typeface to Arial, Times New Roman, and Courier, your score will probably appear correctly on other user's machines.

The title, author, and copyright text is handled is a special way within the player. The player will use the typeface and formatting that you specify from within NoteWorthy Composer. However, the size is ignored. The title, author, and copyright text are shown in a standard size within the player. It is your responsibility to ensure that the length of your title is viewable by all monitor sizes used by your target audience. It is usually a good idea to test using a 640x480 viewable resolution to make sure everything fits nicely.