Best method for different beam groupings for different staves?

To achieve this, I followed a previous post with Daniel Spreadbury’s approach of using 4/4 as the time signature for the top staff, then using [2+2]/4 for the bottom two staves. It worked well as I started the project, but as I continue I keep getting problems.

Example: I copy-pasted the lower two staves into measures later in the piece and they did not keep the beam grouping, but instead beamed eighths like the top staff. I’m also experiencing double bar issues where after creating a double, one or more staves reverts to single barlines while the staff above/below keeps the double bar. Not sure, but it feels related to the time signature.

Any help? Is there a better way to achieve the beam groupings in different staves (without individually selecting groups and choosing “beam together” throughout the entire piece)?

Here’s an example of the problems I’m experiencing further into the piece. Time signatures show up though the time signature hasn’t changed, and the double bar on the center staff will not change back to a single barline. (Upper and lower staves will change to double/single normally - only the middle one refuses to change back to single).

Make sure you have Signposts visible and that you select also them, together with the notes, before copying and pasting:

Yes: you have local time signatures for the 2+2/4 bars, and you have global time signatures for the normal 4/4. Time signatures and barlines are correlated in Dorico. You have then a global barline for the global time signatures staves, and local barline for the staves with local time signature.
When you create double bar lines in this situation, you need to create separately the ones for the staves with local time signatures: select the barline of the desired local time signature staff, and keep Alt(Option) pressed before you click on the double barline button in the right panel. Repeat the process for the other barlines in staves with a local time signature.
For the barlines of the non local time signature staves, you don’t need to press Alt(Option), and just select the barline and press the double barline button on the right panel. The same concept applies if you use the popover:

Video (note the Alt-shortcut overlay appearing when used):

If this doesn’t help, please upload that portion of you project that shows the issue, with a description of what you are trying to achieve.

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Very helpful! The second part of your answer was brand new info for me. Thanks for taking the time to create the videos. Problem solved!

On the first part, my project file doesn’t behave like yours. When I choose to show signposts (making sure that Time Signatures is checked in the list) I do not see those time signature signposts like your video. Maybe an unrelated issue for another thread, but wondered if you had any ideas?

Again, thanks for the thorough explanation!

You are welcome, @luke.w

Well, possibly are you local time signature changes earlier in the piece? If you would like to post your project here, we can take a look at the situation.

Because you solved my problem, I don’t have a misbehaving file to send you. But to clarify: I’m creating the local time signature at the first measure of the lower two staves so they keeps that [2+2]/4 beam grouping throughout. Maybe that’s why the signposts do not show? If so, does that mean I need to select the starting barline of the measures I want to copy-paste, as there is no signpost to copy?

If, copying from a local time signature staff to a global time signature staff, you select the barline, it will select also the initial time signature, and so paste also the empty rhythmical space between the initial TS and the copied music, so I would not suggest this. Instead just copy the music, then copy the initial TS, and hide it:

Consider that if you have the same material that needs to be copied in several places maintaining the desired beaming, another possible approach would be to force the beamings as desired, for the passage: when you copy it in other places, it maintains the beaming, independently from the TS.

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Do I need to do this even if I’m copy-pasting into the same staff with the local time signature? Or just when I’m copy-pasting into a different staff with the global time signature?