Task Wizard

Command Location: Tools Menu

About Tasks

Tasks allow you to make a number of changes to your songs in one quick step.

For instance, you can use a Task to open a MIDI file and apply a series of special commands to the resulting score, such as converting the piece into a simplified two hand piano piece and highlighting all the accidentals in the score in a bright color.

The Task will then automatically save the file with a new name of your choice.

You can apply these instructions to any number of files with a single Task, or you can modify only the current score, or just the scores you have open at the time.

Note: It is up to you to save any Task changes to files you already have open.

Using the Task Wizard

Follow the instructions on each page of the Wizard, clicking the ‘Next’ button to move to the next step. You can hit the Back button at any time to make changes to the Task instructions.

Available Tasks
TASK NAME DESCRIPTION
Convert Karaoke (MIDI & Lyric) Scores to Song sheets This Task performs exactly the same function as the Song Lead Sheet dialog. Unlike the Song Lead Sheet dialog however, this Task will not prompt you with any questions about how to arrange the song

sheet (i.e. which staff holds the melody and which staff holds the harmony).

The Task:

  • analyses the score to find the principal Lyric staff and the principal Melody staff,
  • merges the Lyric and Melody staves into one as necessary, and
  • hides (does not delete) all other staves.
Convert Scores to Two Hand Piano Whatever the current score layout may be, MidiIllustrator will try to arrange the score into the most suitable form for solo piano.

The Task:

  • Depending on your Tasks Options settings:
    • removes from the score ALL drum staves using channel 10
    • removes from the score ALL staves which are not using a piano instrument as their primary instrument
  • merges all of the staves in the score into a single staff
  • splits the staff ‘automatically’ into left and right hand staves
  • sets the MIDI device on each staff to the default MIDI playback device
  • sets the MIDI Instrument Patch on each staff to General MIDI Instrument ‘Acoustic Grand Piano’ (#1)
  • applies any MIDI Instrument Routings you may have created
Convert to MidiIllustrator Format (.mil) using the *current* Score Options This Task provides a quick and easy way to convert any number of your MIDI or Karaoke files into MidiIllustrator format.  This can be useful if you like to present or arrange your scores

in a particular way. Formatting preferences can range from the choice of color in the score to more sophisticated arrangement preferences such as Transcription Options.

The default Score Options are applied to each file as it is opened.


General Task Behaviour

All Tasks apply the default Score Options to a score as the file is opened. If you wish the Task to apply a particular configuration to the new score, for example, a particular font size or color to the score title then you must ensure this configuration is set as the default (Score Options, Set As Default). See Score Options for more information on setting defaults.

Applying Tasks to the Current Score, all Open Scores and Files stored on your Hard Disk

WHAT IS CHANGED HOW IT IS CHANGED
Current Score The chosen Task is only applied to the visible score. The score is not closed or saved automatically when the Task completes.

Reversing the Task

Since you are applying the Task to a score which is already open, then you can subsequently reverse any changes made by the Task by simply selecting the Undo command in the Edit Menu.

All Open Scores The chosen Task is applied to all the scores that you currently have open. The score is not closed or saved automatically when the Task completes.

Reversing the Task

Since you are applying the Task to scores which are already open, then you can subsequently reverse any changes made by the Task by simply selecting the Undo command in the Edit Menu.

Files stored on your Hard Disk MidiIllustrator opens each file in turn, converts it to a score and applies the Task. The score is given a new name using the chosen suffix. The score is saved and closed.

Suffixes

Files will be given the suffix you specify e.g. ‘_2HP’ and the extension of ‘.mil’. For instance file ‘bach.mid’ might be saved as ‘bach_2HP.mil’. It is recommended that you use a suffix for your new files to protect existing files and make your new files easier to identify.

Warning: New files will be created

This Task command will create new files, but will overwrite any existing files with the same names in the folder you choose.

Open files

If you are applying a Task to a list of files stored on your hard disk, and one or more of those files is already open in MidiIllustrator, Task behaviour is slightly different. The Task will be applied to the open file as if it had just been opened. A copy of the modified score will be saved to disk with a new name based on the chosen suffix. The original, open file will not be renamed, saved or closed.

Reversing the Task

Since a new score is created, saved and closed by the Task, this command cannot be undone.