README

2012-03-16
Author: Ondrej Fafejta <fafejtao@gmail.com>
        https://github.com/fafejtao/pmxChords

Pmxchords project extends preprocesor musixtex (PMX) to type chords over the notes.
PMX is preprocesor of musixtex and pmxchords is preprocesor of PMX.
Chords syntax is as inline tex command in .pmx file.
e.g.
\ch.C.\ c44 e \ch.G7.\ d2 | \ch.C.\ c r /

PMX can transpose notes to required signature.
Script pmxchords.lua transposes chords to required signature and then call pmxab to generate .tex file.
So user should use pmxchords.lua instead of pmxab to transpose chords and make .tex file.

The project contains musixtex_steps.lua script which makes three musixtex steps.
e.g. tex / musixflx / tex
musixtex_steps.lua is configurable. Some people want to use different command than etex or pdfetex.
It is configurable by environment variable.
For example for czech country I recomend to use csplain and pdfcsplain.

export MUSIXTEX_STEPS_TEX="csplain"         # if not set - default value is etex
export MUSIXTEX_STEPS_PDFTEX="pdfcsplain"   # if not set - default value is pdfetex



Installation

1. pre-requisite
I suppose you have installed musixtex, pmx, musixflx, musixlyr.
see
http://icking-music-archive.org/software/indexmt6.html

2. install chords macros

Copy files tex/chords*.tex to your home ~/texmf/tex/generic/pmxChords dir.
After copy the files you must call texhash command.

3. install pmxchords.lua script

pmxchords.lua requires class ChordsTr.lua

It is required to copy ChordsTr into lua package.path directory.
You can create your own lua package directory:
- create lua folder in your home directory
- set up your LUA_PATH environment variable. Full path is required - do not use ~/lua ! 
  e.g. add line into you .bashrc file.
  export LUA_PATH="/home/[user]/lua/?.lua;;"
- copy ChordsTr.lua into ~/lua directory




Try type the noel from example.

$ cd example/noel/aj_co_to_hlasaju
$ pmxchords.lua aj_co_to_hlasaju
$ musixtex_steps.lua aj_co_to_hlasaju

The noel is in original signature F-major.
Try to edit file aj_co_to_hlasaju.pmx and modify lines

\input chordsCZ     % chords input czech - B is displayed as H, Bf is displayed as B
%\input chords     % chords default - B -> B, Bf -> Bf

Next uncomment line
K-2+2


Call again pmxchords.lua and musixtex_steps.lua

The noel is in transposed signature D-major.
The chords is in czech format. It means the bar number 13 contains chords Hmi instead of Bmi.