Selecting the methods to splice
The list of methods be used in the next search is shown on the main composing page.
You can add and remove methods from this list to specify the methods to be spliced in
your composition - for example, for Horton's Four, the list should contain
Bristol, London, Belfast and Glasgow. To remove a method, select it and click the "Remove" button.
To splice in a new method, click the "Add" button and the Spliced Method Selector page will
pop up.
Adding a method
Elf comes with a small library of Surprise methods - the
Standard Eight, plus Uxbridge, Ashtead, Cassiobury, Belfast and Glasgow. You
can choose a method from this list by selecting it and pressing the "OK"
button. Note that the "Spliced Selector" page doesn't show you methods which are
already in the composition.
If the method you want isn't in the list, or the abbreviations that Elf
has assigned to the standard methods aren't to your liking, you can use the
"Method Library" page. To reach this, click the "Library..." button at the bottom
of the Spliced Selector page; you can also go to it directly from the main composer
page using the "Library" button there.
The Method Library
The Library page lists the methods currently available to splice, including those
already in the composition: the latter are in blue.
Each method in the library has a unique single-letter abbreviation, which is
used by Elf when printing compositions. For user convenience,
the method list is sorted in alphabetical order of abbreviation.
If you want to change the abbreviation for a method, simply select it, and it's
name, abbreviation, place notation and first leadhead will be shown in the
fields at the bottom of the window. You can edit the abbreviation letter, then press
the "Add/Update" button to register the change. Elf will let
you know if the abbreviation is already in use.
If you find you are running out of sensible abbreviations, you can remove unwanted
methods from the library by selecting them and hitting the "Remove" button. Should
you want to revert to Elf 's default set of methods,
simply press "Defaults".
Importing New Methods
The edit fields on the Library page can also be used to enter new methods, by
typing in a new method name, place notation and of course abbreviation, and again
pressing "Add/Update". The section below explains the place notation formats that
Elf understands. However, normally it is easier to
import new methods from the Microsiril libraries. These contain all treble-dodging
methods rung to date, and can be accessed from the Treble-Bob, Delight and
Surprise library links.
Depending on the speed of your connection, it may take up to a minute to download
each Microsiril library. Once downloaded, you can select any new method from it,
type in a new abbreviation, and press "Add/Update" as described above to import it
into the list of available methods.
Unfortunately any new methods you import are lost once you exit from Elf.
Place Notation
Elf accepts place notation in pretty much any format you're likely
to see; here are some examples:
|
38x38.14x12x38.14x14.58.16x16.58 l12 |
|
Native Elf format |
|
f &3-3.4-2-3.4-4.5.6-6.5 |
|
Microsiril format |
|
-58-14.58-58.36.14-14.58-14-78 12 |
|
Central Council format
(Spaces removed for clarity) |
If you don't want to download the MicroSiril libraries, or your method hasn't
been rung yet, the easiest way of entering a new method is therefore by cut-and-pasting
the place notation from another application.