[BRAVURA] Organizing the font?

[OCTO]

Hello.

I have some questions about Bravura.

1. Why are there multiple symbols of the same shape but different position? Isn't it better to have just one position? And what does this positioning represent?
2.a. Why is it better to have one font (like Unicode) for the entire music symbols? Isn't it better to have one for just note-heads, one for clefs and so on? It would be much easier to find what you need.
2.b. Why aren't symbols organized by grouping, for instance first just clefs, than just note-heads? I find clefs and accidentals here and there... And which one is the best to use..?

[Alexander Ploetz]

Hi OCTO,

Bravura is designed as the first SMuFL-compliant font. You should find answers to your questions (as well as many more enlightening information) in the SMuFL documentation at smufl.org/download.

Best,

Alex

[Knut]

Hello.

I have some questions about Bravura.

1. Why are there multiple symbols of the same shape but different position? Isn't it better to have just one position? And what does this positioning represent?
2.a. Why is it better to have one font (like Unicode) for the entire music symbols? Isn't it better to have one for just note-heads, one for clefs and so on? It would be much easier to find what you need.
2.b. Why aren't symbols organized by grouping, for instance first just clefs, than just note-heads? I find clefs and accidentals here and there... And which one is the best to use..?

Each specimen of any duplicated symbol represent a unique category of symbols in SMuFL. Each such representation might have minute differences in appearance or different spacing or registration, even if Bravura (as a representation of the symbols in SMuFL), presents them as exact duplications. They also serve the purpose of completion of their respective symbol category to make sure font developers include them, even if they don't include the entire range of related symbols.

Given your interest in Bravura and SMuFL, I second Alex's suggestion to read through the SMuFL documentation.

[OCTO]

Ok, thank you. I will get more on it.

[MJCube]

Hi OCTO – If you’re seeing all the the rows of 16 identical symbols in the character set of Bravura Text, those are alternates accessed by the vertical shift characters. For example, see Implementation Notes for Time Signatures, U+E09E & U+E09F. The shifted glyphs don’t have their own codepoints, so they can only be accessed by vertical shift characters. See Combining Staff Positions (U+EB90–U+EB9F).

[dspreadbury]

The latest version of the SMuFL documentation is now found at GitHub, here:

https://w3c.github.io/smufl/gitbook/

This web-based version of the documentation is easy to share (just share the URL to the specific page on which the glyph(s) you're concerned with appear), and also contains a search feature (click the little magnifying glass at the top of the main pane on the right). It's pretty nifty.

Information about how SMuFL is organised into different ranges can be found here:

https://w3c.github.io/smufl/gitbook/abo ... nised.html

[John Ruggero]

There are symbols from Bravura that I would love to use in Finale 2014d; for example, the RH, LH bracket indications. Is this possible, and if so, how? I would need a step-by-step tutorial.

[Knut]

There are symbols from Bravura that I would love to use in Finale 2014d; for example, the RH, LH bracket indications. Is this possible, and if so, how? I would need a step-by-step tutorial.

You would have to create a font annotation file, but otherwise it's just like selecting a symbol from any other font outside of the selected default music font. There are probably instructions on all of this in the manual.

[RMK]

It's possible. I do it all the time.

There is also a font called Norfolk which is a version of Bravura optimized for Sibelius. You might have more luck with that if you want it for your default music font.

[John Ruggero]

Thank you, Knut and RMK. I'm not accustomed to using fonts that are not compatible with Finale, so I had a little catching up to do.

I did install both Bravura and Norfolk and can access them now. (But I had no luck loading any of the three .lib files that come with Norfolk into a file.)

Is it correct that one must set up each character for these fonts in the Document Options?