Re: flags, beams and stem length in forced directions - output improvement

[Carl Sorensen]

On 12/27/10 9:01 AM, "Janek Warchoł" <address@hidden>
wrote:

> 2010/12/27 Carl Sorensen <address@hidden>:

> 
>>> Thanks for your answer :)
>>> And please say what do you think about scaling those flags.
>> 
>> So far, I don't know.  I want to see what the reference books have to say (I
>> have copies of Stone, Ross, and Read in my ofice).  I clearly prefer not
>> having the flags collide with the note head or the staff line.  But I'm not
>> sure that I prefer the particular method of making it work.  IIRC, the
>> references say to lengthen the stem to make room for the flags.  I might
>> prefer a solution of lengthening adjacent unflagged stems to match.
> 
> Ah, looks like i haven't made myself clear.
> The question whether to:
>   - use unchanged flags and lengthen the stem to make room for these flags
> or
>   - compress the flags and fit them on shorter stems
> 
> is whole another issue :) Now i only wanted to know the answer to the
> question "For a *given* stem length that is not subject to change (and
> is smaller than regular), what shall we do with the flag attached?".
> i understand that your answer to this particular question is "compress
> the flag" in case of downstem notes :)

No, that is not my answer.  I don't have an answer yet.  But my current
thought (without yet reviewing my engraving books) is "lengthen the stem".
That is, I (tentatively) reject the idea that there is such thing as a
smaller-than-regular-stem whose length is not subject to change in order to
accommodate beams and flags.  IIRC, the answer to the problem in the
reference books is to lengthen the stem to accommodate beams and flags.

> What about upstem notes? In case of upstem notes the flag isn't
> colliding with notehead, but it overhangs in an - imo - unpleasant
> way...

They are not colliding with the note head, but they are colliding with the
staff line, (that is, the extension of the leger line), so it's still a
problem.

Thanks,

Carl