Need Help Regarding How I Make Orchestral Arrangements...

[MasterProX]

So, recently I've started wanting to make some arrangements of video game songs for the string orchestra I'm in. Since I'm not good at arranging stuff by ear anymore, I sometimes use other piano arrangements of the song I'm arranging for some help.  I then try to shift the notes from the piano arrangement to the different string instruments, the instrument the note goes to depends on what the note... is.  (I hope I'm making sense so far...)  Here's a picture that shows what I usually do.



Lately, I've become really lazy and mostly depend on existing arrangements to "convert" to a string orchestra arrangement.  This isn't usually a really good idea though, because most of the time the arrangement only has one note being played on each hand at any given moment, making it kinda impossible to build an arrangement for multiple instruments with.  And also, I think the reason that one of my old string orchestra arrangements sucked was because of this...

When arranging the song for a piano, the sounds of all the notes come from the one piano, making all the notes blended together, as opposed to an orchestra arrangement, where the instrument sections are positioned on different places on the stage, not allowing the sound to blend in better.  So, someone sitting near the first violins would mostly hear the melody, while the people sitting near the second violins would hear... crap.  (If they're playing the "other notes" which I mentioned in the picture.)  If someone could help me think of how to remedy this, that'd be great.

Also, since both instruments (cello and viola) sound completely different, the left hand part from a piano arrangement wouldn't sound "seamless" when played like I said in the picture.  I also need some help thinking of how to fix this.

So, if anyone could give me any help at all with anything I just typed (if it made any sense... which I don't think it did), it would be greatly appreciated and stuff...

[Jompa]

Lately, I've become really lazy and mostly depend on existing arrangements to "convert" to a string orchestra arrangement.  This isn't usually a really good idea though, because most of the time the arrangement only has one note being played on each hand at any given moment, making it kinda impossible to build an arrangement for multiple instruments with.  And also, I think the reason that one of my old string orchestra arrangements sucked was because of this...

Chords. If you know the chords, and the key, then it's no problem to write whatever you want out of anything really (I hope I make sense so far). The main thing I have to think about when I arrange is the chords. Everything lies in the chords and key. When I know all this, everything else slowly appears. If you know the chords then you can write stuff like harmonies, solos and second parts. Of course, there is much more to a song than just the chords, but (at least in my case,) if you know the chords then everything else takes shape eventually.
Sorry I'm no more help than this, but I actually don't have time to anything anymore so I gotta go