A hierarchical approach to Dorico Fonts

One of the very few things I don’t like about Dorico is how font styles are accessed and organized. While a “paragraph style/character style” paradigm makes sense in Illustrator, it doesn’t seem so necessary as to
build font style access around it. Furthermore, I find the Font Styles menu to be a rare clunker in the UI, unwieldy and unfriendly.

I’d like to propose that all font style and text object options can live together harmoniously, in a hierarchically arranged “Font Options” window (Shift-Cmd-F?) that takes full advantage of the sub-menu goodness DP2 introduced. What I’d love to see is the following menu available in the left column, with all appropriate parameters available in the right once selected.

Anyway: respectfully submitted. Critique at will.

Love,
Tony

TEXT OBJECTS

  • DEFAULT
  • LYRICS
    Verse
    Chorus
    Translation/Alternate
    Block Lyrics
  • LAYOUT
    Arranger
    Composer
    Copyright
    Dedication
    Flow Title
    Layout Name
    Lyricist
    Page Number
    Subtitle
    Title
  • PRINT
    Print Metadata
    Print Watermark
  • USER INTERFACE
    Galley View Margins

MUSIC TEXT

  • DEFAULT
  • NOTATION
    Cue labels
    Glissando Line Text
    Instrument Change Labels
    Pedal Line
    Trill Interval
    Tuplet
    Tuplet Plain
  • BAR TEXT
    Bar Numbers (parts)
    Bar Numbers (score)
    Bar Repeats
    Repeat Marker Jumps
    Repeat Marker Sections
    Tacet
  • CHORD SYMBOLS
  • DYNAMICS
    Dynamic Music Text
    Dynamic Text
  • FINGERING
    Fingering
    Fingering Horn Branch Accidental
    Fingering Horn Branch Alto Text
    Fingering Horn Branch Text
    Fingering Text
    Fingering Text Italics
  • PERCUSSION
    Percussion Legend
  • MARKER
    Marker Text
    Marker Timecode
    Playing Technique
  • STAFF
    Ossia Staff Label
  • STRUCTURE
    Header
    Rehearsal Mark
  • TEMPO
    Gradual Tempo
    Immediate Tempo
    Metronome Music Text
    Metronome Text
  • TIME SIGNATURE
    Time Signature
    Time Signature Plain
    Time Signature Plain Separators

USER STYLES

This one has come up several times, although I haven’t seen someone actually write it out. Looks good.

Where are dynamics?

Are Instrument/Staff names subsumed in another font category?
Or are other functions found under Paragraph Styles?

I admit the list is helpful right off the bat and indicates that I need to study the entire font/paragraph style area more.

Good point, Derrek. There are various Staff Labels font styles used in different circumstances.

Tony, have you blurred the lines between regular (character?) styles and Paragraph styles? Are you suggesting that some of the character styles ought to be paragraph styles and vice-versa? I’m a bit puzzled.

Pianoleo: I knew I forgot something! Added.

Also, I hadn’t finished this post and thought it was saved as a draft. Imagine my surprise when I saw there comments.