The Bleepin' Brain

The core of the OnSong^® App has always been its ability to display different types of content, especially text-based chord charts. In OnSong 2024, we've completely rewritten the rendering engine to work across platforms while retaining the same look that you've come to know and love. We call it R2 and it's packed with new features that you've begged us for (seriously, your emails were relentless):

Two-Column Fiesta

OnSong can now display your content using two columns. You can simply turn that on in the Style Preferences Menu Document Tab to have OnSong cram your charts into a more compact manner & pretend you have more screen space than you actually do.

Inline Formatting (It\'s a Thing Now)

OnSong has allowed you to format lines using line formatting. You can now use a familiar syntax to format words & phrases within each line like you actually know what you\'re doing. We\'ve even added some new formatting options like underline & back slant (because apparently that\'s what the people wanted).

Hyperlinks (The Internet Called, It Wants Its Links Back)

The new renderer can recognize URL web addresses & automatically link them like it\'s 1997 or something. Tapping on a link in the chart will display it within the app. If it\'s a video, it will begin to play inside of a video player that can be minimized & viewed picture-in-picture along side the OnSong user interface. You can even name the link to make it look less janky. You\'re welcome.

Pagination (Paper Is Cool Again, Apparently)

The new rendering engine draws the chord chart by extending the size of the virtual paper it\'s drawn on. However, you can also enable pagination to view your chart just like it would look on actual paper. This also affects how columns are laid out. Nostalgia is wild, right?

Position Chord Diagrams (They Can Go Places Now)

The new renderer can align chord diagrams to the left or right side of the chart as well as above, below, or within. It\'s like playing 4D chess with your chord diagrams. Revolutionary? Nah. But it looks cooler.

Text Formatting (Advanced Nerding)

The new renderer works in conjunction with new, advanced text formatting for applying styles to all songs, or being more specific & stylizing individual sections or components of the song. Want to format Verse 2 differently than Verse 1? We got a way to do that! (It\'s actually pretty slick, not gonna lie.)

Platform Agnostic (Fancy Way of Saying "It Works Everywhere")

While not something that seems like a feature, R2 is a single renderer that replaces like five different versions in OnSong. That lets your charts look the same whether they\'re viewed in the app, online, in print, or on future versions of the app. It also gives us a solid foundation for building stuff in the future instead of constantly fixing our own mess.

Right-To-Left Language Support (Hebrew & Arabic Peeps, We See You)

For musicians using OnSong in Hebrew or Arabic, the new rendering engine supports right to left output. This is determined based on the language of the imported text file. Finally, amirite?

R2 is not guaranteed to view or print your content exactly like the original renderer. For this reason, it\'s not enabled by default but will be used if you explicitly choose to, or if you enable new features that require it. Basically: we\'re not responsible if it looks weird. That\'s on you.