AbcGhost 1.0
AbcGhost 1.0
http://anamnese.online.fr/abc/ -- anamnese2_at_laposte_dot_net
I've created a package for making the use of abcm2ps and abc2midi easier. You can download this package here : AbcGhost_setup.exe
It's for MSWindows(tm) only, and is no longer supported or recommended. You should try to use this Linux live CD instead : esclinux
The size for this installer is 3.2 Mb, and it contains Abc2midi, Abcm2ps, an old version of GhostScript for displaying the ps files resulting from abcm2ps, and a very easy to use laucher. It's rather small in comparison to what a normal download of GhostScript / GhostView would require.Moreover, it doesn't require further configuration because it is meant to be for computer beginners. When installed, after two menu selections you'll be able to create from an abc source a nice pdf file of the partition. It can be used with JedAbc for edition of the sources.
You should read the help file below to see if it can suits your needs.
Purpose
Using this package (starting up, bugs, commands)
Customisations
Credits and links
History
This package is an introduction to some advanced free tools for creating music in ABC : abcm2ps and abc2midi.
Sources and binaries of those programs can be found at http://abcplus.sourceforge.net/
The main problem with both of them is they are command line programs (requiring scripts / batch files), and in addition abcm2ps can only produce postcript files, used by printers only. Unless one is running Linux, it's not a common format for most MSwindows user. Ghostscript and Ghostview (http://www.cs.wisc.edu/~ghost/) can display postscript on a screen. It's not really difficult to set up all those applications to work together, but it requires a few job nevertheless. This package is making all that is necessary in only one step installation, and with a lighter download (using an old and modified version of GhostScript). It's only an introduction to those powerfull tools, you should learn more by yourself after you're getting used to them. Unless you know what you're doing, you shouldn't change the default installation folder : you'd have to reconfigure all the shortcuts by yourself.
If you need more help, you should download the full individual applications separately.
Starting up :
For this kind of applications, the easiest way is to use a temporary abc file (abc_temp.abc), from which you copy and paste your tune(s) into your main abc file. The laucher refers only to this abc_temp.abc file. You may prefer to use other way of working, it will be explained later, but it requires more configurations.
You start the main program by using the shortcut to abc.exe, created on your desktop or the one in start menu. This application is a laucher for several commands, making it rather easy to edit, display, and play abc files. It's a dos application and you can select the orders using the arrows on keyboard.
Bugs :
Some internal commands require to change directories in order to be executed. Later, other commands may not find the default directory and may not work correctly. If this happen (generally it doesn't create midi files for ex.) you should close the application (laucher) and start it again (your work won't be lost of course), or try to run "Refresh directory (if error)".
Some error messages can appear even if it works fine (pdf conversion)
The commands :
Edit file abc_temp.abc with JedAbc : requires you install in addition the package made by Guido Gonzato. It's a powerfull Editor using Jed.
Edit file with Notepad : it uses the default MSWindows editor (you can change it later to a better editor)
For each editor, you can copy (though the clipboard) headers or template from an other abc file, edit this abc_temp.abc at your conveniance, display the result, and copy back the tune to your final personal file.
Create postscript : run Abcm2ps on this abc_temp.abc and generate a out.ps file.
Visualise postscript : run GhostScript on the out.ps : it will display it on your screen. If there are several pages in it, closing one tune will display the new page.
Create pdf : It runs GhostScript to convert the out.ps file to a result_abc.pdf portable document file. You can rename it later at your conveniance if you wish to diffuse it. (requires you run "create postscript" first)
Refresh directory (if error) : It tries to correct if you get an unexpected error (without the need to restart this application). Run it if you get "incorrect file or command name" or similar errors.
Create midi : run Abc2Midi and the resulting file(s) will be abc_temp1.mid, abc_temp2.mid, abc_temp[your X: field number here].mid. You can use it / them by opening them from the explorer using your favorite midi player, or use the one provided.
Listen to midi : start midiplay.exe : it will scan the working folder for all midi files, so you can listen to them from here.
Transpose : it will transpose the whole abc file (and all the tunes) to the desired half steps, the resulting file will be abc_transp.txt
See the transposition : it will open the file abc_transp.txt into notepad : you can then copy the result in abc_temp.abc if you wish to display the partition or hear it.
Convert midi to Abc : you can try this feature by copying in the working folder a midi file, rename it to midi.mid and start this command : it will generate a outmid.abc with the abc conversion from the midifile. The result can be impredicable, that relies on the quality of the midifile.
Rules for creating Abc : display the file abcdraft.txt.
Visit Abc Home Page : start your browser and go to the http://www.gre.ac.uk/~c.walshaw/abc/ homepage
Help : start your browser to display the present file.
Command line : for advanced users who wish to try to type some command lines. You can also run batch files from here.
End : close the application.
This package is very limited in its normal use (with the laucher). The power of command line programs remains in the high customisation possibilities. You can create batch files with all the options you like and then get almost exactly what you wish. There are a few example batch files (with *.bat extension) with this installer and you can edit them as you wish. [It's recommended to turn on the file extension display for this purpose ]
If you think you'd prefer this kind of use, you should read this :
http://www.lesession.co.uk/abc/abcm2psOnWindows.htm
There is also a laucher available for making this even easier. Try it here :
http://ifdo.pugmarks.com/~seymour/runabc/top.html
And last but not least, JedAbc provides a good editor with some abc2midi / abcm2ps lauchers. But to configure it is a bit more difficult than AbcGhost.
Note :
1/ about the pdf conversion, the output will be in A4 format. If you wish the letter format, edit in the GS folder ps2pdf.bat, and at the line 8 change PS2PDFPARAMS=-q -dNOPAUSE -dBATCH -sDEVICE#pdfwrite -sPAPERSIZE#a4 to PS2PDFPARAMS=-q -dNOPAUSE -dBATCH -sDEVICE#pdfwrite -sPAPERSIZE#letter or whaterver suits you.
2/ You can also modify the laucher to fit your own needs : just edit abc.dat and link to the applications you need. For ex. :
change
MENU_2=Edit file with Notepad
to
MENU_2=Edit file with EditPad
Jean-François Moine for abcm2ps and Seymour Shlien for abc2midi. Original developpers for those applications where Michael Methfessel and James Allwright.
Guido Gonzato for JedAbc and more : http://abcplus.sourceforge.net/#JedABC
GhostScript : http://www.cs.wisc.edu/~ghost/ (the logo used at this moment for this package is their)
Many thanks also to Mike Wiering and Tim Andrews to permit to use their applications in this package :
http://www.wieringsoftware.nl (great shareware games !)
http://www.tima.demon.co.uk/freeware/tmidipla.htm (several freewares on this site)
In replacement to notepad, you should use one of those great programs :
EditPad http://www.jgsoft.com/ (there is a freeware version of it)
EditPlus http://www.editplus.com/
20 july 2003 : 1st version of AbcGhost
28 july 2003 : better package, and conversion to pdf improved
2004 : esclinux a more usefull tool.