Travailler avec des fichiers MusicXML

Overview

MusicXML is a universal file format that allows music scores to be shared between different music notation programs. For example, you can convert a MuseScore .mscz file to a MusicXML file and it will open in Sibelius, Finale, or any other compatible scorewriter; and vice versa.

MusicXML faithfully reproduces the notes and instrumentation, but, nevertheless, it is usually necessary to do some clean-up work to make the transferred score look exactly the same as the original.

Opening a MusicXML file

When a MusicXML file is first opened in MuseScore, the positions and custom properties of text objects are preserved as far as possible. There may also be other customizations visible in the score which you may or may not wish to keep.

MusicXML import options

These options can be found in Edit→Preferences→Import.

• Import layout will import layout settings such as page size, margins and stave size, if they are in the MusicXML file Otherwise, the defaults will apply. Turned on by default.

• Import system and page breaks does exactly what it says, but note that it is still possible that the exact layout of systems and pages will not be the same at first, since due to differences in spacing settings and fonts (etc.) it might not be possible to fit the same number of bars in a system as in the software which produced the MusicXML. Turned on by default.

• Apply default typeface (Edwin) to imported scores will set all text styles to Edwin (the MuseScore Studio default). This is turned off by default, meaning that the fonts specified in the MusicXML file will be used. (Though if they are not available on the system you are using, a fallback will be used instead.)

• Déterminer si possible le type de texte selon le contenu fait de son mieux. dans de nombreux fichiers MusicXML, des textes de toutes sortes (tempos, doigtés, lignes de droits d'auteur...) sont encodées en simple « texte de portée » Avec cette option activée, il tente d'assigner intelligemment les types de texte ainsi que de nettoyer ceux-ci (par exemple des symboles musicaux au sein du texte) avec un encodage standard. Quoiqu'imparfait, il limite souvent considérablement le travail de nettoyage manuel. Il est désactivé par défaut car, techniquement, il dévie du strict respect de la spécification MusicXML.

Cleaning up an imported score

Restoring stems

To reset the stems of all notes to their default positions and orientations:

1. Right-click on a note and choose Select→Similar

2. Press Ctrl+R.

Restoring default leading spaces

To reset the leading space of all notes to the score default:

1. Right-click on a note and choose Select→Similar

2. Click on the Appearance button in the Properties panel

3. If the Leading space reset button (circular arrow) is active, click on it to reset to the score default; otherwise no further action is required.

Removing breaks

To remove all breaks—system, page and section: 1. Right-click on a break and choose Select→Similar 2. Press Delete.

To remove just system breaks (leaving section and page breaks in place):

1. From the main menu, select Format→Add/Remove system breaks.

2. Select Remove current system breaks

3. Click OK to close the dialog.

Restoring default text styles

To reset all text objects in the score, and in frames, to their default styles:

1. From the main menu, choose Format→Style

2. Click on the button marked Reset all styles to default

3. Click OK to close the dialog.

See Format→Style→Text styles to view the list of styles, and property values.

Resetting default text positions

Frame

To reset the positions of all text objects in frames:

1. Right-click on a text object in a frame

2. Choose Select→Similar

3. Press Ctrl+R.

Score text

You can apply the same method for text objects in the score, as for frames. However you will need to repeat this for each individual class of object—all tempo texts, all staff texts and so on.

Preparing a score for export

To export a score as a MusicXML file see File export.

Export settings

When exporting a score to MusicXML, you can choose from a compressed (the default option) or uncompressed format; and whether to export all breaks or not, or to allow only manually-added breaks to appear in the file.

[To be added:

• gotchas - manual adjustments, misuse of element types, images, ...

• export settings]