This dialog allows you to select and choose various options regarding how Abel prints and displays bells and blue lines etc. on the screen.

First Trace Bell and Number of Trace Bells

A "trace bell" is a bell with a line drawn through it, and optionally highlighted by colour, in the blue line display and printing. These options allow you to choose the first trace bell in the blue line display, and how many bells are to be traced.

• If you've rung one or more bells yourself, the "First Trace Bell" value is ignored, and Abel traces the first bell you rang, and consecutive bells up to the specified Number of Trace Bells.
• Otherwise, if you have set the first trace bell to "Tenors", then however many bells are ringing, the back bells are traced, including at least one working bell; if Number of Trace Bells is greater than one, tenors behind may be traced as well as working bells.
• Otherwise, if you set the first trace bell to a specific bell (e.g. 2 or 8) from the list, Abel will if possible trace this bell (and subsequent bells, if Number of Trace Bells is more than one) - even if only tenor(s) behind. But if there aren't currently that number of bells available (eg, if you set First Trace Bell to 10, then ring minor), Abel traces "Tenors", as described above.

You can set how many bells to trace, up to 4 (plus the treble): if you are a handbell ringer, you will probably want to trace 2 bells plus the treble.

Trace Bell Colours

Allows you to choose the colours to be used on the 'blue-line' display for each trace bell you have specified. Use the arrows to change colours

Bell Pictures

Allows you to select the pictures that Abel uses to represent bells on the screen. See Defining your own bell pictures to find out how to add your own.

Anticlockwise Ring

Allows you to choose whether Abel displays the bell circle normally (clockwise) or anticlockwise. If you tick this box, Abel will change the circle so that the bells ring anticlockwise. The first manual bell, which is normally at the bottom right, will move to the bottom left. Note - if you use this option you might also like to use the keyboard mappings option to change which keys operate which manual bells.

Printer Font Size, Print Line for Treble and Print in Colour

Lets you choose how big the text is when you print, and whether or not Abel uses colour when printing. If Print Line for Treble is ticked, a line will be drawn through though the treble's path, using the colour specified in Trace Bell Colours (default red).

Print Style

The options here allow you to choose the format used to print methods.

• Line and Rows prints methods in a style similar to Diagrams, with all the changes written out using numbers, and lines drawn through the bell or bells you have selected.
• Line and Frame does not print numbers, only the blue line; it also prints dotted lines to show you the positions of the bells.
• Line and Miniframe is similar to Line and Frame, but uses a smaller frame. This option takes up less space on the paper.
• One Lead Only prints just the first lead of the method (or touch - so if you have a call at the end of the first lead, this will be shown as well). Lines are drawn through all the bells, with the treble picked out in colour if you have turned this option on (see Print Line for Treble above). This option is useful to see how the bells work together within a lead.