Brodhead Music Typography
LJ.EXE
LJ
—the most complete and powerful horizontal spacing system ever designed for use with Score!
"But wait—why should I need an LJ.EXE when Score comes with its own LJ and a separate JUST program that does the same?"
Score's LJ has many limitations—consider the following:
- Score's LJ employs a basic spacing routine that cannot be modified by the user.
- Score's LJ is not sensitive to the unique symbol libraries of the user.
- Score's LJ has no facility for allowing the user to prescribe an ideal minimum spacing between different types of items (or even items of the same type.)
- Score's LJ cannot create additional space for ties or tremolos.
- Score requires a separate routine for justifying lyric text, and this routine cannot be used at all when multiple files are tiled to make a single page!
- Score requires a separate and tedious procedure to create even spacing of note stems in cross-staff beams (the STUD procedure.)
- ...the list could go on and on!
For comparison, look at what LJ.EXE can do:
- LJ.EXE reproduces the same basic spacing routine of Score's LJ but is completely customizable by the end-user.
- By means of an extensive preference file, LJ allows the user to describe the exact size of notes, rests, clefs, meters, and accidentals from the user's personal symbol set (which may differ from the default symbol set that comes with Score.)
- LJ's preference file allows the user to specify the ideal minimum spacing between items of different types (or the same type) and in any order (i.e., clef followed by notehead vs. notehead followed by clef.)
- LJ handles multi-metric passages without a hitch (Score cannot do this.)
- LJ can perform JT (lyric text justification) while it justifies music.
- LJ can perform STUD (STems Up and Down, i.e. even spacing of note stems in cross-staff beams) while it justifies music.
- LJ can read in any number of files that comprise a single page of music.
- LJ can ensure there is enough space for ties between notes.
- LJ can ensure there is enough space for floating tremolos between notes.
- LJ will allow the user to control the spacing of grace notes.
- LJ can create "leading space" at the beginning of a line (i.e., between the last clef, key signature, or meter and the first note, rest, or repeat barline that follows.)
- LJ aligns clefs that appear before barlines on different staves. (Score cannot do this.)
- LJ creates smooth subdivisions between different voices (e.g. 4:5) regardless of whether the subdivision is on one staff or is on different staves (Score creates smooth subdivisions *only* when the voices are on separate staves; if the voices are on the same staff the subdivision is jagged and irregular after Score's LJ routine.)
- LJ "sees" notes and chords that are offset to different staves using p12 (Score does not recognize these offsets and often increases spacing during cross-staff passages where additional space is not necessary.)
- LJ allows the user to exclude any number of staves from a system during line-up and justify (helpful if there is a non-mensural staff included within a system.)
- LJ centers whole rests correctly after justification (Score's CW procedure centers a whole rest between its p3 location and the location of the next barline, which is a problem if a measure begins with a run of grace notes, etc.)
- LJ allows the user to create additional space anywhere on a staff through use of an original spacing item (a code 13 item with special parameter settings that the user can create directly in Score.)
- LJ correctly interprets the size and horizontal offset information for all notes, rests, clefs, arpeggios, barlines, key signatures, and meters.
- LJ recognizes irregular key signatures which mix different accidentals or which place accidentals in unconventional arrangements.
- LJ can "see" code10 numbers that are used for fingering in guitar music and make space for them during its Justify routine.
- LJ can recognize and Justify *any* Code9 item from the user's symbol library.
- LJ makes a backup copy of all files that it processes.
- LJ supports redirected text input as well as redirected screen output, so LJ may be run from a user-created batch file and all of its screen messages may be written to a text file rather than to the console (DOS) screen.
LJ can be used on scores of any type! From large orchestral scores comprising multiple files-per-page to single-staff instrumental parts, there is no score too large or too small for LJ!
LJ is a 32-bit console application...
"What does that mean?"
LJ looks and feels like a DOS application, and has a text type-out interface just like the JUST program. In reality, however, it is a true 32-bit program. Therefore, LJ requires Win95, Win98 or higher MicroSoft OS to operate, even though it can be run in a DOS box in those operating systems.
LJ is a program no Score user should be without—order your copy today!
Download order form for LJ!
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This page last updated 14 July 2007
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