The Sibelius version is the far superior one, clearly. I too prefer the older engraving look it embodies here.
Magnus, I have no idea why Igor, which was discontinued in 2007, did it this way. It certainly looks odd. But it's also quite irrelevant at this point, as Igor only runs on obscure emulators and is of historic interest only nowadays. Fact is, you were in contact with NoteHeads longer than I was! Rest assured that Ooloi (https://ooloi.org) will do it much better and give you full control of the positioning options. That's one of the reasons I'm here.
PeterBengtson wrote: ↑09 Oct 2025, 05:45
Magnus, I have no idea why Igor, which was discontinued in 2007, did it this way. It certainly looks odd. But it's also quite irrelevant at this point, as Igor only runs on obscure emulators and is of historic interest only nowadays. Fact is, you were in contact with NoteHeads longer than I was! Rest assured that Ooloi (https://ooloi.org) will do it much better and give you full control of the positioning options. That's one of the reasons I'm here.
I actually still use Igor Engraver today, most often via CrossOver on Debian GNU/Linux, but you are correct that I struggled with Noteheads longer, or at least later, than you did. It sounds good that Ooloi will take care of also these aspects of engraving; I assume there will be beaming styles to choose between. Maybe we can work on them together.
Magnus, I'm genuinely touched that you still use Igor after all these years - these occasional messages from people who remember it, or still rely on it, mean more to me than I can express.
Regarding the beam placement: I haven't touched Igor in nearly 24 years, and honestly, you know the program far better than I do at this point. I'm working entirely from memory, and even then, my memory of Igor's specific implementation decisions has faded considerably.
But here's what I'm actually trying to achieve with Ooloi: it's not an attempt to recreate Igor, but rather a reimagining using modern techniques. Where Igor made specific choices, Ooloi will offer house styles - users will be able to switch between different engraving traditions with complete control over the rules governing each style. The goal is that engravers have absolute authority over the appearance of their scores. (I'm particularly fond of that European style around 1920, Universal Edition especially, but that doesn't mean my personal preferences should dictate Ooloi's approach.)
This is exactly why I'm here on Notatio - I genuinely want dialog with the community about what's considered essential today. What are the must-haves? Which engraving traditions matter most to working professionals? What flexibility do people actually need? Your continued use of Igor and deep knowledge of engraving software makes your perspective valuable, and I expect there'll be plenty of opportunities for discussions like this as Ooloi develops.
Once we have something concrete for people to use, I imagine you'll have strong opinions about what works and what doesn't - and I'll be keen to hear them.
Rest assured that Ooloi (https://ooloi.org) will do it much better and give you full control of the positioning options. That's one of the reasons I'm here.