I have 2 questions for the forum.
45+ year Finale user; from beta testing to present. To say that I’m disgusted with MakeMusic would be a gross understatement.
MacBook Pro 16", OS 14.5, Dorico Pro 5, iRig Keys midi controller
Kerry
Input bars:
Indent:
Welcome to Dorico.
(these are the sort of questions you would not need to ask if you took the time to study the First Steps exercise)
@Janus respecfully, there will be plenty of opportunity to chide new users over the next few days for not following every provided path. Instead, let’s support them.
Not a chide. Perhaps a nip in the bud?
Definitely a chide. I and millions of other Finale users can do without the snark as we’ve been thrust, without warning of any sort, into an untenable situation.
I paid my $$ to cross grade into Dorico. I’m going to spend several hundred hours porting Finale files into .xml files so that I’ll be able to import and edit them as needed in Dorico. Steinberg’s installer application did little more than download the necessary files. It was supposed to create its own subdirectory in my downloads folder but failed to do so. As a result, it couldn’t find its own files to install and I had to do it manually.
Oh, and… the most recent “First Steps” exercise is from 2023 - rather outdated, don’t you think?
That said, thanks for the tips. I’ve been digging into the forum for answers to these questions and found little useable information.
KM
The First Steps guide is indeed an excellent introduction. Any recent incremental updates to Dorico have not affected the guide’s functionality as far as I know.
Welcome to the forum. You’ll find this is a very helpful place!
PS: really, ask anything. The Dorico team is all UK, so they’ll be here in the morning. Often your queries will be answered with links to the online manual in addition to the answers.
We’ve all been there and done that.
You will get loads of good advice from this community if you have any problems.
did you know u can BULK EXPORT finale files to XML? there’s an option for it in the menu…
I also recommend the YouTube videos. They’re an excellent tool. Also pressing J bring up the jump bar menu which lets u type in what you’re looking for- it’s a lifesaver very often! once u get the hang you’re gonna love dorico.
I did not! Thanks for the tip! Will look into it!
KM
File > Export > Translate Folder to MusicXML. In “MusicXML Preferences” there’s an option to “Include subfolders” as well.
Just a personal note @MichaelGood to thank you for everything you have done for us musicians over the years (e.g. development of musicXML). Nice to have you here 
(no we have never met, I have just seen your name attributed to various music projects over the years.)
From a thirty-year Finale user comes a warning: Dorico is a steep learning curve, but well worth the effort.
I suggest finding a very meaty piece with lots of notation to wrap your Dorico-brain around. It took me about a year to fully get the system into my muscle-memory. I am heartbroken, though, to see my own decades of Finale-experience become completely useless once next year is done.
Welcome to the Dorico community. And don’t worry over the snark.
@Steinberg has been very good over the years in allowing the Dorico crew to provide excellent customer service. They are a joy to deal with.
I’d strongly encourage you to watch some of the many YouTube videos that cover various areas of the program. Then try the First Steps tutorial – or if you’re feeling brave, try a sample piece of your own. The Help Pages are extremely thorough; and then if you get stuck after that, search the forums and then ask a question.
It’s never easy to learn while you’re feeling under pressure, and I imagine that the shock of the announcement will make it feel like the clock is ticking. Take your time and try to enjoy learning what Dorico can do!
Hello Kerry_Mofit, welcome on the Dorico Forum.
This morning, I posted something here: MakeMusic ends development and availability of Finale; partners with Steinberg to sell Dorico directly [updated] - Scoring Notes
Please, keep good courage! You will find out that Dorico has really been a good choice for you. And I bet that, in six or twelve months from now, you may end up saying: I should have switched earlier :).
End yes, this Forum will become one of your best friends when doing scoring work.
Warm greetings, Robrecht
Interesting: the first announcement about this from my Scoring Notes newsletter ended up in the Junk Mail folder.
Once I pulled it out in disbelief and read it, my thoughts were “no wonder, if the project is called Finale, it’s carrying a hint in it’s name…”
Welcome to the Dorico forum, @Kerry_Moffit – I would like to wish you and any other recent Finale users reading this a very warm welcome, and reiterate that help and support will be here for you, whenever you need it (or at least, not too long thereafter depending on time zones).
The First Steps guide doesn’t need to be updated quite as frequently as the full manual, as it covers a reasonably targeted, limited set of features.
However, there is a more recent version coming very soon with some tweaks to reflect changes in the 5.1 cycle.