Is there somewhere in the Mac package with an instrument list that I can prune? Are there any consequences to this?
You shouldn’t change files that are part of the Dorico installation package, as that can cause problems when updating or upgrading your software. There is an instruments.xml file inside the resources supplied with Dorico, but I would advise against attempting to editing it: any syntax error in that file will prevent Dorico from starting up at all.
Why do you want to prune it? As you start typing, the list filters only those instruments that start with those letters. I usually type two or three and then click on what I want.
I’d just like to remove a lot of things that will never make it into a score. Plus there are a couple of things where I’d just like to narrow the options down to what I actually want to use.
Off topic from the OP, but this thread has the appropriate header:
Feature Request:
I’d really like it if there was either a preference or a popup dialogue that would ask whether you want to add a new instrument to all flows or just the current flow. I’m working on a particular project and I’m up to more than 20 flows. Two separate times now, a particular arrangement has required something that none of the previous arrangements needed. (I am sourcing scores from multiple sources.) When I go to add the instrument (with only one flow—the current flow—selected!) I add an instrument and BOOM. It gets added to every other preceding flow even though I most definitely did not want this.
Am I missing something? Is there a way to avoid this? You simply cannot always know the full scope of a project before you get started, so I cannot help but wish Dorico was a little more forgiving in this particular scenario.
…and while it’s easy to select multiple flows and remove that player, the damage to the manual layout adjustments is already done. Been there, done that.
No, at the moment there’s no way to do this, but it’s something that has come up before and I agree it would be helpful to have this option.
We can’t add the instrument only to one flow, but there is a way to avoid messing with the layout.
- Click the Add button but close the dialogue without selecting an instrument. A New player will appear in the players list but no staff will be added to the score.
- Select the new player and remove it from flows and layouts you don’t want it to be in.
- Only then click the + button on the new player and add an instrument to it.
I don’t remember well, but maybe this is also a little faster than removing it with an instrument, concerning performance (I am not sure).
Filipe, that is a GREAT idea to avoid messing up manual layouts. Thanks!
Another possible solution:
- Start a new empty project, set up the new instrument(s) and save it without entering any music.
- Import it as a new flow in the original project and tell Dorico not to merge the instruments with existing ones.
- Add the new instrument(s) to the correct flows and delete the imported empty flow.