I love Dorico, but I wish there were a way for it to tell me that I am still in insert mode. It is easy to forget to get out on insert mode and it messes up every bar after you use it because it keeps inserting. Could there be a little reminder that you are in insert mode?
Something like “do you wish continue insert mode?”
It would sure save a lot of reworking.
My thanks to Santa or the Dorico God(s)
Happened to me yesterday funnily enough, although it wasn’t too catastrophic this time. This has been requested before of course with some interesting warning suggestions.
One thing you might do is remove the key command for insert mode…that way you are less likely to accidentally have it enabled.
Well, the insert mode toolbar button does light up.
And the caret shows that you’re in insert mode.
Something more has been requested many times, and of course many of us have forgotten to turn off insert mode and have had to undo things afterwards. Personally, I think Dorico has sufficient indicators of insert mode, and we just need to remember to check them.
There could be other useful possibilities about visually signaling that one is in insert mode. A semi-opaque (aka semi-transparent) colored border around the central area of the project screen or even a tinted background of the central area or a watermark on the central area (e.g. “Insert Mode Active”).
Someone, @FredGUnn perhaps, recommended removing the i shortcut, so that you have to click the button.
Jesper
This bites me periodically too. Still.
Yup, but for me, globally/locally is worse.
Jesper
Me too. But I consider it my fault, not Dorico’s for not warning me.
Personally, what I find more frustrating is having to open the Properties panel to see and set the “Set local properties” toggle. I often jump into Engrave mode and start nudging items, only to suddenly wonder, “Wait, am I setting local or global?” I’d love to have this available on the bottom status bar (or elsewhere).
That may help!
Thanks for this suggestion, Aaron.
I will look there more often.
Best
Ken
Hi Aaron
Thanks, i will be looking after your suggestion.
Best
Ken
As long as Insert Mode is engaged there should be a loud beeping, not unlike the sound a truck makes when it is backing up.
Good idea! An option for an audible reminder you are in insert mode would help many users and for those who would find it annoying, could hopefully be turned off. But like many users’ wishes this may or may not be a viable option depending on the amount of time it would take the Dorico team to implement.
And a warning if you turned that reminder down 
I feel your pain. Yes, the button in the toolbar turns blue. Yes, the caret is shaped slightly differently when Insert mode is active. But I only use it sporadically and it’s just too easy to forget that unlike every most other modes in Dorico, you don’t leave Insert by pressing escape a couple of times.
To use a seasonal metaphor, Insert mode is the drunk uncle at your family Christmas party who just won’t take a hint and keeps blabbering inappropriate ‘jokes’. But he’s the one that owns a whole warehouse full of power tools so you tolerate him because you know you’ll need him again at some point.
And Steinberg repossessing the software if one tries to disable the second warning.
(How far do we go before it is a capital offense.) 
(The two sub-modes above insert in the toolbar – chord mode and pitch before duration – are both also “sticky”.)
I stand corrected, post edited. 
(With chord mode this also bites me from time to time, but that is less destructive than Insert by quite some margin.)
Chord mode is generally obvious within a few nanoseconds! LOL Insert mode not so much.
I personally would like to see the carat and grid change colors or something (or give me the option to set a different color for it when in insert mode). While the carat does change shape, it’s not significant enough for me, and to be quite honest, I generally don’t look much at the screen that closely. I double-click where I want to start inputting, and almost immediately, my eyes are headed to the MIDI keyboard to start playing notes.
For this reason, I have pretty much stopped using Insert mode even if what I want to do might go slightly faster using Insert. It’s just not worth the risk. I did remove the “i” key command, though, as I ended up hitting that way too many times by accident when trying to hit “u” to untie/split tie or “o” to force duration, and not realizing I had hit it until way later!
I’ve got into the habit of pressing I, doing the thing, and then immediately pressing I again, like opening and closing a set of doors that the cat mustn’t get through.
