[ThinkElaine]

Hello all!

I enjoy using MS so much! It's such a time saver.

One thing I'm not understanding is the layer feature. And how to edit a song that has annotations.

I make several additions to a song. Several chord stamps, free hand notations, etc. 
As far as I can tell, only 1 layer is engaged with several annotations. When I'm making these additions, I save/edit and embed the changes (per the warning that pops up when writing annotations to the file) several times throughout my process.  I'm choosing to write to all pages in the current file. 

When I get to the point where some of these additions can/should be removed/edited, I use either the eraser/pointer and sometimes, the rectangle to cover/hide something that I can't remove using the eraser or the pointer.  Often times, multiple items are removed even though I'm only selecting one item. Oftentimes, I'll carefully remove stamps, free written text, save/edit and embed and immediately after hitting ok, some of the things I just deleted are still there. 

After several months of trying to find a pattern with layers, editing, deleting etc. I need some guidance, cuz this isn't getting any easier and I don't see a pattern.

I'm using 1 layer and am adding several annotations that are saved/embedded at various times. I often need to undo or delete what was previously done.  

So, several questions:  what's the secret with using layers? How should I be saving and embedding additions? Should my annotations be written to all pages in the current "file" or all pages in the current "song"? I don't understand the consequences and how I should be making.

Thanks!

[Geoff Bacon]

There was a bug recently where some annotations were entered multiple times at the same location; this might explain why deleted things are still there (you have only deleted the "top" annotation).

I'll leave Mike to answer the rest of your post.

Geoff

[Zubersoft]

Layers are designed to give you an easy way to group annotations, and quickly turn the visibility of individual layers on or off. If you create the same layers on all pages, you can then switch the visibility of a given layer on all pages at once if you turn on the linking feature (the icon that looks like a chain link). In terms of why you would use this feature, it depends on your needs. A piano teacher might have one layer dedicated to each student, and they can enable annotations for just one student a time by turning all layers invisible except the one layer for the student. Someone might have some annotations for practicing a song and other annotations when performing, and they can quickly swap between the two.

As far as the issues you've encountered, it's possible this is related to the issues other users have reported where they have seen annotations duplicated. I'm putting in changes for this with the next update, but it's also possible something different is occurring with the process you are using as you are always embedding annotations which the other users didn't seem to be doing. You mentioned editing the embedded annotations - I'm assuming that means you also enabled the option to edit embedded PDF annotations? Just be aware that this increases the complexity of saving the changes and also slows things down when switching between annotating and viewing a score. If that's important for your workflow, that's completely fine, but if you are embedding annotations just so you can have a copy of the PDF with the annotations in it, it's probably better to not embed annotations, disable editing of embedded PDF annotations, and just use the Share->Export files option anytime you need a copy of the PDF with the annotations in it. You asked if you should write to all pages in the current file or all pages in the current song. A song can technically have multiple PDFs in it, or a mix of PDFs and images. So that option is just determining whether you want to embed annotations for all files in the song, or only the file you are currently viewing.

Can you please verify if you go to Settings->About that you are running version 3.3.7 of MobileSheets? I just want to make sure you are on the latest version.

Mike

[ThinkElaine]

Hello Mike!

Thanks for the detailed explanation and yes, I'm using the latest version. Was updated just a couple weeks ago.

I'll verify the settings as you recommended.

I agree, I might be making things more complicated with my process.

I usually import lyrics, then add chord stamps, add notes, capo setting, etc. When rehearsing the annotations may grow or need to be removed. It becomes quite chaotic on the fly, which is why I edit so severely after rehearsing.


Another behavior I've noticed is after importing a song, and opening it, MS will crash. The app and the song appear unharmed but it's a surprise sometimes.

Another behavior that seems to have no negative consequence is after saving and embedding the annotations, the screen blinks. 

I'm using a Samsung Pro 5 with a stylus pen. Should the pen be connected via the Samsung tablet settings only? And/Or additionally through the MS settings? 


I really appreciate the app and all the values it brings to performing and your clarifications

[Zubersoft]

I definitely don't like to hear that you are seeing a crash if you open a song after importing it. If the crash is reported (Settings->About->Enable Crash Reporting must be turned on for that to happen), then I can get information about the error in the code and get a fix in place. I definitely have not seen that problem occur on any of my devices while testing though.

The reason you are seeing the blinking after annotating is because you turned on the option to "Enable editing of embedded PDF annotations". I generally recommend leaving that setting off because it causes MobileSheetsPro to have to reload the PDF in an editable state while annotating, and then reopening it again after edits are completed to render the pages again with any of the changes that were saved to the file. That's also why I generally recommend not embedding annotations unless it's extremely important for your workflow. 

As far as the pen, there are only a few settings in MobileSheetsPro related to styluses:

1) Stylus mode in the annotations editor
2) The stylus button tool (what tool is switched to while the button is held)
3) Settings->Touch & Pedal Settings->Enter Annotation Mode with Stylus Input

There is nothing else you should need to configure in the app though, so any other changes you want to make as far as the tablet settings is fine.

Mike

[ThinkElaine]

I verified that the enable crash reports is checked. It is. 

Do you spose that wasn't a real crash? The app closes....I have to reopen it. 

What can I do to help you with info if the crash reports not generating?

[Zubersoft]

It's certainly a real crash if the application closes. The only question is whether the crash is happening down in the PDF libraries (in which case the app can crash in a fashion where I never receive crash reports). If not, then I would have received a crash report and it's possible I've already fixed the issue. I'm getting the next round of updates prepared, so you can let me know if the issue still occurs with version 3.3.8.

Thanks,
Mike

[ThinkElaine]

I'll keep my eyes open.

Again, like many others have said, I really appreciate this tool and the kind, thorough responsive communication you provide. 
It's not easy working with humans.

Thank you!

[jeffn1]

Layers are designed to give you an easy way to group annotations, and quickly turn the visibility of individual layers on or off. If you create the same layers on all pages, you can then switch the visibility of a given layer on all pages at once if you turn on the linking feature (the icon that looks like a chain link). In terms of why you would use this feature, it depends on your needs. A piano teacher might have one layer dedicated to each student, and they can enable annotations for just one student a time by turning all layers invisible except the one layer for the student. Someone might have some annotations for practicing a song and other annotations when performing, and they can quickly swap between the two.

As far as the issues you've encountered, it's possible this is related to the issues other users have reported where they have seen annotations duplicated. I'm putting in changes for this with the next update, but it's also possible something different is occurring with the process you are using as you are always embedding annotations which the other users didn't seem to be doing. You mentioned editing the embedded annotations - I'm assuming that means you also enabled the option to edit embedded PDF annotations? Just be aware that this increases the complexity of saving the changes and also slows things down when switching between annotating and viewing a score. If that's important for your workflow, that's completely fine, but if you are embedding annotations just so you can have a copy of the PDF with the annotations in it, it's probably better to not embed annotations, disable editing of embedded PDF annotations, and just use the Share->Export files option anytime you need a copy of the PDF with the annotations in it. You asked if you should write to all pages in the current file or all pages in the current song. A song can technically have multiple PDFs in it, or a mix of PDFs and images. So that option is just determining whether you want to embed annotations for all files in the song, or only the file you are currently viewing.

Can you please verify if you go to Settings->About that you are running version 3.3.7 of MobileSheets? I just want to make sure you are on the latest version.

Mike

I am glad I read this post.  I did not really understand what the layers were for.  Now that I do, I think they will be helpful.  Here is another use.  If you play in several bands that play slightly different arrangements of a song (outros are different, etc.), you can use layers so the right comments on the chart for that band show.