[disclaimer: I am not a finale user, I am a sibelius user]
I was looking at the sibelius pdf closely. I was quite surprised with the
curved lines with equal width: in sibelius it's possible to do only 1 type
of curved lines, those being slurs (there are several variations, of
course). It is possible to define the width of the slurs in the tips, but
it is NOT possible to define the width of the slurs in the middle - so,
unless you have extremely thick slurs, the look will always be of a line
that gets thicker to the center, and then thinner again. [but it's on
their "list": give them several years, and they'll build it in]
Having stated that, I was trying to see how on earth was possible to do
curved lines with stable width within sibelius. My guess by looking at the
pdf is: it isn't. If you look closely, the curved staff lines are quite
pixelated, indicating what I interpret as an imported graphic (by the way,
you can't import eps in sibelius). So, if someone asks me if such a curved
staff is possible in sibelius, I say that it is not; it is possible to
import something to fake it, but to do it only in sibelius isn't possible.
My guess is that the author did the graphic somewhere else (there is no
shape designer in sibelius) and then imported the graphic in the score.
[if I'm wrong, I would like the author of the file to correct me]
The previous paragraphs were only about the curved staff lines. Everything
else (staff division, ametrical elements, etc.) is quite possible in
sibelius, and not that difficult at all, if done with the proper planning.
Of course, dynamic parts with this material aren't possible here (as I
guess they aren't possible in finale as well)
About Mr. Fenton's remarks I find them quite biased, with no other concern
than to protect his "sacred cow". By saying "He didn't even enter the
music for the bottom half of the page." you're speaking about the user,
not about the program. So complain to the user, and not dismiss the
program just because the user has a living to earn and has more to do. I
propose to you: you pay me a good fee, and I produce the same example in
sibelius, how is that? If you don't like the font, it's possible to use
other fonts than Opus, we can work that out as well. Was the spacing of
the solo lines done automatically in finale, or did it, as I think it did,
had to be adjusted by the user? I'll adjust it for you as well, it's just
a question of time - and not of the lack of capability of the software.
(there are several details where finale is much better as sibelius, but
please next time do try to get them, it would be more productive than a
"buaa, the sibelius guy was so dumb he didn't noticed the there were notes
missing")
João Miguel Pais
I'm sorry people are taking this so seriously as an example that
Sibelius just isn't as capable as Finale because the person who made the
Sibelius "it can be done" example couldn't afford to lose a half-day's
work in the process. Especially comparing that to Dennis' effort, which
has flaws of its own, where he is getting paid to produce that output,
so any time he spent on it was time he is being paid for.
I agree with David. In response to a request by a composer considering
switching to Sibelius, I presented a work-in-progress Finale document and
wrote essentially, "From the demos I've tried, I don't think Sibelius can
do this." A few hours later a Sibelius document was produced with
precisely
those difficult features replicated.
This was not some sort of engraving challenge -- it wasn't even a
challenge, just my incorrect opinion being speedily corrected.
So it ends up being a lesson to me, but more important, I hope it's a
lesson to the Makemusic team that their advantages are slipping one by
one.
Sibelius handles contemporary notation, a realm where Finale ruled for
more
than a decade after Score faded.
That (non-)challenge was too easy, then. :) Here's something harder,
mentioned a week or so ago. If any of you can do June's "Lunar Cascade"
in
a GUI-based engraving (not graphics) program, I'll hand over the 50 bucks
that I got for this commission:
<http://maltedmedia.com/people/bathory/music/waam/lunar-cascade-june.pdf>
The original image is here:
<http://maltedmedia.com/people/bathory/music/waam/lunar-cascade-rose.tif>
Dennis
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