Align objects in Engrave mode?

[dankreider]

I imagine there’s been a feature request for this, but I can’t find it on the forum. So here’s me, requesting.

Similar to the “align dynamics” function in Engrave mode, it would be wonderful to multi-select a variety of objects (text or tempo markings especially) and right-click–Align. Did I mention it would be wonderful?

Thanks for the consideration!

Also, random note of thanks: early Sunday morning… panicked realization that I need a violin part written ASAP. 5 minutes to pound it out, ZERO adjustments, printed beautifully, job done. You guys have made a beautiful thing.

[dspreadbury]

We do intend to add further alignment tools in future, but it’s not something we’re actively working on right now.

[hfmuso]

I second this request. It’s this (and a couple of text formatting style options) that’s stopping me singing Dorico’s praises to every composer I know. I’m working on theatre score and aligning all the cue titles with each other manually is a ball ache.

[dspreadbury]

Welcome to the forum, hfmuso. Out of interest, what text formatting options are you missing?

[SmithAlexander]

@Daniel at Steinberg

Out of interest, what text formatting options are you missing?

Not OP, but for me, access to OpenType features. Dorcio has kerning and ligatures turned on by default (which is really great), but I would love access to authentic small caps, all caps, all small caps, alternate figures (such as oldstyle numerals), etc. Not the highest priority, but it would be quite nice.

(Excited for Thursday’s announcement!)

[Kim_Bastin]

@ChuckDimeCliff

Not OP, but for me, access to OpenType features. Dorcio has kerning and ligatures turned on by default (which is really great), but I would love access to authentic small caps, all caps, all small caps, alternate figures (such as oldstyle numerals), etc. Not the highest priority, but it would be quite nice.

+1 for access to OpenType features!

[mountainmusic]

@Daniel at Steinberg

We do intend to add further alignment tools in future, but it’s not something we’re actively working on right now.

I’m currently working on an orchestral piece with a lot of tempo changes and having quite a hard time lining things up, especially in all the parts. Is there any chance that more alignment tools are currently being implemented? As in a “group tempo markings/tempo changes” like what there currently is for dynamics?

Thanks!

[dspreadbury]

No, we’re not presently working on alignment tools for tempo etc. But I’d be interested to see the situations where you’re having to do a lot of manual alignment. In general there’s no requirement for tempos to be aligned at the same vertical position unless they’re abutting (which Dorico will handle for you, of course). Even if you have several tempo changes in a single system, there’s generally no need for them to all be aligned at the same vertical position, as that will almost certainly mean that at least some of them are uncomfortably far away from the staff.

[mountainmusic]

According to Elaine Gould, page 184 of Behind Bars (see screenshot), horizontal alignment (aka same vertical position) of tempo alteration markings is “helpful” but the most important thing is that “each marking is more or less a consistent height above the notation”.

When referring to horizontal alignment of dynamics on page 105, she says “whenever possible”.

So, from what I understand from her book, horizontal alignment of dynamics and/or tempo alteration markings are not mandatory according to Gould, but it can be considered good practice.

In my orchestral piece, my default parts sometimes have tempo alterations and tempo markings at many different heights above the notation in each system. It would be great to have a tool to either group them, or an alignment tool like in a software like Powerpoint that tells me when things are aligned.