OVER 2 YOU, 017 (15/02/01)

MOTOR CYCLES

I am a member of the Vintage Motor Cycle Club. The Club is divided into many Sections, each organising vintage runs. Hundreds of different runs are arranged each year. Each rider is supplied with a route at the beginning of each ride. This is carried in a handlebar holder, which can be turned and read as the route progresses.  An ideal route is a strip map, showing road
numbers, progressive and total mileage, left and right turns, or straight on; position of road signs, steep hills, petrol stations and check points. It is important that a route has clarity and can be read whilst riding. The Club has no standard format for these routes and maps and needs one. All suggestions gratefully received.

Kenneth Peterkin, via email

I believe that a good many motorcycle competitors use the following software to produce their routes. Roadbook Editor software for Windows 9x/2000/NT from Touratech (Motorcycle exploration/touring equipment specialists)
Follow this link http://www.touratech.de/english/

products/enter.html, enter "Roadbook" in the search field.

C Leonard, 

PHOTOGRAPHER

I am a photographer who is looking for a website, which gives information on lighting techniques and technical information. For instance I may have a photographic idea, but need some information on how to approach that
kind the shot for best results. The site may give lighting plans, which could be used as a guide. I know most photographers know their craft, but this can sometimes be a money saver, when working in a highly competitive industry. Matthew Guy, via email
 

I have been looking for something on the same lines and last week I found this site http://www.agfaphoto.com/library/photocourse, which is not bad, it covers some of the technical aspects, i.e., lighting, exposure, depth of field etc.

Aidan McMahon Oxon, Via Email

100 CLUB

Can you tell me if you know of any software, which is available to run a '100 Club'?  We need to administer the members etc. and generate the winning numbers.

Judith Stodel, via email

I run a 100 Club on behalf of our village hall Committee. I use the database in MS Works for the administration of membership details, including details of who collects routine subscriptions. From the database of membership details, (membership number, address and subs collector etc), the data can be manipulated in various ways. Data can be exported to other applications if required. A check sheet for each collector, (I am assuming that more than one person is involved in collecting subs), to record receipt of payments is useful - some people pay monthly, some 3 monthly, some annually. The data is extracted from the database.

A monthly master sheet for the main administrator is necessary - this to show payment received from the collector and also allow for the (manual) insertion of the winning numbers and names. However, I have used MS Publisher for this sheet - because it looks prettier! I do not use the computer to generate winning numbers because a) I don’t know how and b) more importantly, I believe that the draw should be made openly in public, for the sake of transparency. Therefore I do it in the old fashioned way of picking the numbers from a bag in public at a local function.
Cliff Robins, 

CD LABELS

I have an extensive Access database of my CD collection. I am trying to produce small labels to stick on the CD covers with a four-letter ID (e.g. Arno, Beet, Chop, Zapp, etc.) using Word mail merge. I have developed an Access Query to give me the first four letters of each listed composer. I want to print the four letters normally at one end of the label and vertically at the other so that it can be read from my CD storage, which has both horizontal and vertical stacking. My difficulty is that I cannot find a way to print vertical text in Mail Merge. Can anyone help?

John Hart

I use a Mac G3 and for labels of any sort I use 'Mac Label Pro1.64i' with which you can print out any way you want, from upside down to sideways and also in colour. The programme has every kind of label that you could want. It's done by Avery who also does it in peesee format.

Roger. 

CD LABEL PRINTING

I don't think John Hart can find an easy way to print vertically using Word, (though it's possible, I think, with rather complex macros) but Excel - if he has it - has the feature already available from version 97 onwards (Format, Text, Alignment). If this is not suitable then he could use Excel to create a database of names and their substrings. For example, in A1 type BEET, then in B1 type the formula MID(A$1,1,1), in B3 the formula is MID(A$1,2,1) and so on. This will give a database of the acronym and its component letters which can be copied to Word as a table and, using MailMerge, the individual letter fields can be set vertically, giving the desired effect.

Andrew Goodenough

If John Hart places the (Merge Field) text in a table cell or a textbox then the process is fairly simple. Just go to the Format menu and choose Text Direction. This will allow the text to be rotated through 90 degrees in either direction.

Eddy Naddix

MUSIC SOFTWARE

I wonder if you could help me to find some simple music composing software. I do not need complicated orchestral parts, as I write part songs with up to four parts, sometimes unaccompanied, sometimes with a simple piano accompaniment.  I have a suitable MIDI keyboard and would love to find some software that will show the proper musical notation on the screen. And just as importantly, I would like to be able to correct the notes on the staves without too much difficulty. I have wasted a lot of time trying to write everything out long-hand, and a lot of money on software, which turns out to be intended for people who do not read musical notation - and I get completely lost trying to push black squares across a multitude of seemingly meaningless parallel black lines! I would then like to be able to print this out, preferably with the words to the songs.  

H A Kemmett

I would recommend "Music Works-(Personal)". It contains all the requirements that he lists in his plea. It is published by Middle Earth Software Systems and it is very thorough. There is an hour long tutorial with "Show me how" and "Let me try" sessions at every point and so you can go along at your own speed until everything is properly understood. I obtained my copy from PC World and it cost about £50 but in my view it is well worth it. It helps to have a Midi keyboard but it is not absolutely essential.
Alan Parsons

There is a program called "ENCORE" published by Passport Designs Inc. I think this software will provide all the facilities that your correspondent requires it being entirely based on music notation. A function exists which allows the printed music to be played through the MIDI keyboard   and conversely, music played on the MIDI keyboard is automatically inserted on the selected music stave.
Leo Parker

I use Music Works Personal, by Middle Earth Systems. I bought it (off the shelf at PC World) because it was cheap. The normal screen is sheet music, and notes can be added by mouse or midi keyboard. It does lyrics (linked to notes) and titles (linked to the page). It isn't Sibelius, but I haven't found anything I need to do that it doesn't do.

Bert Kilgallen,

Lime from (http://www.cerlsoundgroup.org/) does everything H.A.Kemmett asks for and more. There is both MIDI in and out. The software download and evaluation is free.   The unzipped file takes around 2MB only. The licence costs $65.
T G Clarkson.

I suggest that he contacts the Royal Academy of Music, Marylebone Rd. London. NW1. They have a 'state of the art' electronic music dept. and several very computer-literate professors - one of whom writes his own programs.  I am sure that they would be able to help.

Hector Quine,

CAN YOU HELP?

I have to do seating plans for functions for up to 250 people. I hear that there is some software for doing this but have been unable to find out the name or address. 

Ann Ball, via email

My wife and I go Ballroom Dancing and when we learn a new figure I try and write down the steps as soon as we get home. The problem is that, in a couple of weeks time, when I go to refresh my memory, the long hand instructions often don't make sense. Before I start the laborious business of doing them myself, does anyone know where I can get the footprint graphics that are often used in books to illustrate the steps?

Laurie Harris

As an amateur pianist who is frequently called on to entertain groups of pensioners or disabled folk I find it necessary to compile music programs which demands recourse to a list of light music titles.  As matters stand I resort to publishers printed catalogues and my own memory but the ideal
would be a computerised database to which I have added notes to classify the various titles by style such as sing along, dance, jazz, etc and to indicate speed, musical key, etc.  I have from time to time contemplated compiling my own database using Excel or Access which would take a great deal of time I can ill afford.  It would help enormously if a basic list of titles was already available from some source and if so, I would be most grateful for advice where it could be obtained.
D G Clarke, via email

Is there a software program available for designing heraldic coats of arms?  The only one I've seen was a sub-program of a family history package and had a very limited library of creatures etc.  I would appreciate one that spoke the rather esoteric language of heraldry too!

Steve Wilson, via email