The Import Options window appears as the second step of the import process, which is started by the File-Import Library command.
The first step is selecting the library you want to import from, and it appears as a regular File Open style window.
Importing allows you to take chordshapes from another library and add them into the current library.
If the current library already has chordshapes in it, they will be merged together with the imported chordshapes, so this provides you with a way of combining the chordshapes from two libraries into one. It also has other uses.
The Import Options window contains settings which control how the fret positions in chordshapes are mapped from the import library instrument to the current library instrument. This allows you to import chordshapes from any library, regardless of what instrument it is based on.
ChordWizard provides standard libraries for common instruments and tunings, which can be accessed with the Switch Library window.
In general, the best way to create libraries for other instruments and tunings is to use the New Library process with the Populate Automatically option, letting ChordWizard fill the new library with chordshapes for you.
However, the import process provides an alternative if you already have a library for a similar instrument, and you simply want to transfer the chordshapes to the new instrument.
Controls
Importing From Instrument
This area specifies the Type and Tuning of the instrument in the library that you are importing from. You should check that this is the same as you expected when you selected the library in the first step of the import process.
Use Automatic String Sources
The chordshapes that you end up importing may vary significantly, depending on how you map fret positions on strings from the import library instrument to the current library instrument.
You can specify these manually in the String Sources area (see below) if you remove the tick from the Use Automatic String Sources option.
However, finding the best combination of string sources can be a delicate task if the two instruments or tunings are quite different, so it is usually better to let ChordWizard decide for you by making sure this option is ticked. You will then see the combination it has selected in the String Sources area.
Ignore Chordshapes
This area gives you two options for ignoring imported chordshapes which are likely to be of low quality or usefulness. The process of translating a chordshape from one instrument or tuning to another can change its matching chords or physical difficulty.
It is recommended that you ensure both of these options are ticked unless you have a particular reason for having them otherwise.
You can ignore imported chordshapes Having No Matching Chords, to be certain that all new chordshapes you are importing have a least one matching chord that will be indexed into the current library.
If you allow chordshapes which have no matching chords into the current library, they will appear in a separate group at the end of the Library List. They could then be remove later with the Purge Chordshapes function.
You can also ignore imported chordshapes Not Satisfying Searching Options, to be certain that they fit within the quality parameters that you have specified in the Library Options of the current library.
If you allow chordshapes which do not satisfy the searching options into the current library, they will be marked with a question mark in the Library List. They could then be removed at a later stage with the Purge Chordshapes function.
String Sources
This area allows you, with the Use Automatic Strings Sources option unticked, to manually specify how you want string fret positions in chordshapes to be mapped from the import library instrument to the current library instrument. If you tick this option instead, the controls in this area will be grayed out and will show you the results of the automatic mapping.
The controls in this area consist of one dropdown list for each string of the current library instrument. They are labelled to the left with the string number and pitch.
Note that by convention (and contrary to what some people expect) strings are numbered with the highest number for the string which is at the top when you hold the instrument. For example, the bass string of a guitar is the 6th string, even though it is played first when the instrument is strummed.
If there is any confusion, the (Bass) and (Treble) strings are marked to the right of the list of controls.
The contents of each dropdown list are the string numbers and tunings of the import instrument. If you are attempting to do the mapping manually, your task is to select, for each string of the current instrument, which string of the import instrument to use as the source the fret positions when translating chordshapes.
You should try to find source strings which are tuned to the same note as the current library, or where all strings vary by the same interval. You will need to experiment to get a feel for this, but listed at the bottom of this topic are a couple of examples to get you started.
OK
Accepts your import options and proceed with the import operation. You will be a prompted with a message box informing you of the outcome giving you a final opportunity to cancel before the operation proceeds.
If you accidentally proceed, you can undo the import operation immediately afterwards with Chordshape-Undo, or Ctrl+Z.
Cancel
Cancel the import process and closes the Import Options window.
Help
Opens ChordWizard Help at this topic.
Examples
Import from Guitar to Bass Guitar
4th/E2 : [6th/E3]
3rd/A2 : [5th/A3]
2nd/D3 : [4th/D4]
1st/G3 : [3rd/G4]
Import from Bass Guitar to Mandolin
4th/G4 : [1st/G3]
3rd/D5 : [2nd/D3]
2nd/A5 : [3rd/A2]
1st/E6 : [4th/E2]
See Also
