Hi, Danai-- I'm really glad you mentioned the 3rd bar in your text, because when I compiled your source after simply cutting and pasting it from the email without looking at it in detail, it came out with just 2 bars that looked awful. I soon realized that in the email process the first two "/r2d"s had been stuck on the end of their preceding lines, and therefore ignored (since PMX ignores everything after the first "/" in a line.)
Anyhow, there is an explanation for what you're seeing and a fairly effective work-around, none of which is explained in the manual. The key fact is that from PMX's perspective, default beam stem directions and lengths are what they would be if you ignore the "z" chord notes. So in your example the default direction was up, and the stems are only as long as needed for the low F's. If you make the highest note in each chord the main note, like this: d82a zd+ [u d8 o. za zf e+ o> za- zf ] [u f+ o_ za- zf e+ o. za- zf d+ op za zf ] / it comes out much nicer. Now you do need to force the beams to be upward because the default would now be downward since the main notes are now all on or above the middle line. As you can imagine, the code logic for beamed, ornamented chords as it stands is quite complex, involving computing the heights and angles of the beams and then the vertical positions of the ornaments. Of course it could conceivably be enhanced to automagically select more pleasing positioning regardless of which note is entered as the main chord note, but that would make the coding even more complicated, plus it would create backward incompatibilities, so I'm not inclined to pursue it. But don't hesitate to raise more questions as they arise! I'm always happy to see people using PMX. --Don > -----Original Message----- > From: TeX-Music [mailto:tex-music- > bounces+dsimons=roadrunner....@tug.org] On Behalf Of Danai SAE-HAN > (???) > Sent: Friday, May 10, 2019 10:38 PM > To: Werner Icking Music Archive <tex-music@tug.org> > Subject: [Tex-music] Bug in PMX with chord stems > > Hi > > I have recently rekindled my interest in MusiXTeX / PMX with the sole > purpose of publishing the works of one of my distant forefathers > (Ernemann) in the public domain. > > I think I found a number of bugs, but it is more likely that my understanding > of PMX and MusiXTeX is severely lacking or a sad case of RTM. In due course > I will be sending a few emails to seek enlightenment from some friendly > souls. > > Anyway, the first problem I would like to point out, is a strange default > behaviour in PMX: some chord stems are positioned wrongly (too short), yet > some ornaments seem to be positioned much higher than the beam. > > Attached you will find an example. The first measure shows no issues if the > chords are an octave higher. The second one shows PMX's default > behaviour: the stems are too short, and some ornaments are not positioned > accordingly. > > The third measure shows my manual overrides. > > I am not sure whether it is worth exploring why PMX has this as a default > behaviour. > > =========================== > % nv,noinst,mtrnuml,mtrdenl,mtrnmp,mtrdnp,xmtrnum0,isig, > 2 1 6 8 6 8 0 -1 > % > % npages,nsyst,musicsize,fracindent > 1 1 16 0.07 > Piano > bt > ./ > d82au zd+ f8 za zd o. f8- za zd o> f8- za zd o_ f8- za zd ou f8- za zd op / > r2d / > > d82au zd+ f8- za zd o. f8- za ze+ o> f8- za zf+ o_ f8- za ze+ ou f8- za zd op > / > r2d / > > d82au zd+ [+4 f8- za zd o. f8- ] za ze+ o> [+5-1 f8- za zf+ o_ f8- za > ze+ ou f8- ] za zd op / > r2d / > > %% Local Variables: > %% mode: plain-tex > %% End: > =========================== > > > Best regards > > > -- > Danai ------------------------------- TeX-music@tug.org mailing list If you want to unsubscribe or look at the archives, go to https://tug.org/mailman/listinfo/tex-music
