New features of capella-scan

New in version 8.0

Note recognition

Recognition of most note objects was revised and now is much more reliable. Such note objects are eighth rests (and shorter rests), half note heads, cross note heads, treble and bass clef, symbol C, beams (especially thin ones), ties and slurs.

• Staves with strongly differing line distances which occasionally appear in pdf files are now accepted more tolerantly.
• Percussion staves with only one note line will be automatically recognized if they appear together with „normal“ lines in a system.
• Pedal brackets in piano notation are now recognized.
• Breath marks are recognized.
• Text and music symbols (dynamics etc.) from pdf files are taken over directly (when existing). Notes themselves are still recognized by looking at the created image (bitmap). This will only work for pdf files which were created directly via the print menu of a notation program. You can identify such pdf files by being able to mark and copy single symbols with mouse or computer keyboard.
• Greyscale information will now be applied for lyrics recognition, too.

Automatic image optimization

The scanned/loaded note image can be automatically optimized for note recognition before starting the recognition process. These optimization steps will be considered:

• Invert if white on black
• Remove shadows (greyscale images)
• Optimize brightness (greyscale images)
• Optimize contrast (greyscale images)
• Adjust page orientation
• Reduce too high resolution
• Remove white spots

Import/Export

• Improved Midi export (via capella-tune) with several export options
• Revised file dialogs:
  • The capella file format can now be selected more easily in the „Save notation“ dialog.
  • In the „Open image“ dialog there are additional pdf import options.
  • In the „Save level of recognition“ dialog the image file can be saved as well.
• A converter pdf-bitmap is included, Ghostscript is still supported.
• Processing of colored images (scan, load, save)

New functions

• Keys are now framed with a dotted red line to distinguish them from single accidentals.
• Improved means of voice reduction in the System Template as well as directly in the stave properties. Voices can be left out in order to create a voice extraction. This saves you from correcting mistakes in voices you do not need.
• Triplet note values can be interpreted either as reduced or as prolonged.
• Quarter and half note heads can be optionally accepted without stem.
• Graphic objects can now be anchored to barlines.
• In „Options“ you can set which graphic objects are to be anchored to which objects (to notes, rests and barlines) and if they are to be counted to the upper or lower stave.
• With the “Search” function text with differing font can be found and then unified. This way you will obtain plain text in capella rather than freeform text.
• Several settings are saved separately together with each level of recognition (playback tempo, voice reduction).

New objects

• Octave brackets
• Pedal brackets (saved as Ped. and *)
• Free lines
• New quarter tone accidentals
• System brackets consisting of a straight line
• Program handling
• Object groups can be marked by multiple mouse clicks. Repeated clicking on a note head marks the head first, then its stem, then the beam or triplet group, then the accidentals, then the entire voice in the bar, then the entire voice in the stave, then all objects in the stave. Instead of quick multiple clicks you can also keep the Alt key pressed and then do multiple unhurried clicks.
• Duplicate objects with Ctrl+drag.
• Zoom by pressing and turning the mouse wheel.
• System Template: Transposition, instrument, volume and voice reduction can be set with keys +/- and 0...9.

Restriction regarding the previous version capella-scan 7:

During score export, the capella 2.2 binary format (about 20 years old) is not supported any more. At your disposal are the binary format (*.cap) of capella 2000 as well as CapXML formats 1.0 and 2.0 of newer capella versions, MIDI and MusicXML format.

capella-scan 7.0

• Improved text recognition with FineReader version 8.0.
• The following note objects can be inserted manually (in addition to those mentioned below): One-line staff, different trills, articulations, head types, quarter tone accidentals, dotted bar lines and slurs.
• Edit your score manually with scissors and eraser before recognition.
• Style sheets: Controls uniform display of automatically recognized text types such as lyrics, fingering, passage titles, voice names, chord symbols and tempo direction.
• Recognizes Gothic print.
• System template: Control and edit the system template via the system template editor. Automatic creation as well as manual correction are supported by an instrument database.
• Playback: Choose a separate instrument for each voice. capella-tune technology with VST interface and connection to capella Vienna orchestra.
• Search function: Search lists can be freely configurated, objects will be marked or highlighted.
• Anchor chains: See immediately which texts and other objects belong to which note.
• Improved automatic positioning of texts and other objects.
• Keys: Accidentals can be pasted or edited as a group.
• Stems are automatically extended when a note head is vertically moved.
• Repeated entry: The last three objects can be entered with right mouse click or by pressing "space" (Until now: only the last object). The last three notes, rests, note heads and stems can be entered via the shortcut keys (p, n, k, h).
• With Alt+mouse click you can mark objects belonging together: Beam groups, guitar tablature, all accidentals of a key, lyrics text line, texts of a text block.
• Improved mouse wheel support: You can change the zoom factor via Ctrl+mouse wheel. When pressing the mouse wheel or the middle mouse button the page is scrolled.
• Shortcut keys are now shown directly in the tool tip.
• Tool bars: Better optics, easy configuration.
• PDF import directly accesses embedded image information. This results in better display and recognition of PDF files (For PDF import you still need Ghostscript).
• Images can be exported as (multiple page) PDF files.
• Scanner interface: Supports TWAIN 2.0 as an addition to TWAIN 1.x.
• Transposable chord descriptions are now saved as formatted text (this saves space).
• Save state of recognition: With Windows Vista it became more and more difficult to find capella-scan's local data directory. You can now set up this directory via "Options" and open it in an Explorer window with one mouse click.
• New in capella-scan 7: Recognition of...
  • ... Gothic print
  • ... guitar tabs for string instruments
  • ... percussion key signatures
  • ... X note heads
  • ... rehearsal numbers
  • ... double sharp accidentals
  • ... courtesy accidentals
  • ... fingerings
  • ... grace notes
  • ... arpeggio signs
  • ... pedal-up and pedal-down (if pedal-up occurs in the same staff)
  • ... abbreviations