Cannot save Indent First System as default

I’m repeatedly failing to save the setting of “indent first system of flow” to zero spaces as default in Layout Options.
Entering zero and click “Save as default” button isn’t enough?
What am I missing?

Make sure you have pressed the Apply button first, and check that the change has occurred?

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Saving options as default in Layout Options works on layout types - so if you’ve selected a full score and save as default, it’s saved as default for score layouts only, not part layouts. And vice versa.

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benwiggy and Lillie_Harris,

Making sure to click “Apply” and save for both Full Score and Parts solved the problem.
Thanks for your advices!

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I found clicking “Apply” before clicking “Save as Default” was necessary to save the default behavior.
I think it’s better that Dorico also permits the opposite order.

I think the opposite order may not be possible, because the changes you’ve made may not all be committed until you hit Apply.

Hmm. Then, I think Dorico should say something like “Hit Apply first” when I hit Save as Default :shushing_face:

When I click “Save as Default” button and the button turns dark, I think I could save the default behavior. Applying the current state to the project and saving it as default are separate things.
I hope this will be changed in the future… :slightly_smiling_face:

Hi All,

I’m having the same problem of ‘save as default’ not working. I’ve pressed ‘apply’ before ‘save as default’ and it’s still not saving. I’ve tried in several different Dorico files with the same problem.

Any ideas?

The usual error is applying the setting to the wrong layout. Make sure the correct layout is selected on the right hand side of Layout Options dialog.

Otherwise, can you supply a screenshot or even video of what you’re doing?

Thank you, Ben. The modifications I’m currently trying to make are for part layouts, and I’ve been careful to make sure that the layout on the right is a part and not a score.

As you’ll see in the screen recording, I make two attempts to make changes in the piano part layout (then hitting ‘apply’ followed by ‘save as default’), but those default changes aren’t being transferred to the flute part layout. I’ve also tried closing the document and reopening (as well as quitting Dorico and restarting), thinking that perhaps it was a matter of the change only occurring on restart. No change here either. I’ve also opened other documents to see if the default change was reflected in other part layouts, which it’s not.

I also considered that perhaps the ‘save as default’ only affected future part layouts. I created a new instrument, and the default change took, which was exciting. I opened a different document and added a new instrument, and the default change didn’t take, which was less exciting.

Thanks in advance for your time and help!

Saving options as default affects future projects, it won’t automatically update existing layouts in the current project.

For that (as in, copying the current state of Layout Options in one part to another), you can use propagate part formatting.

(That said, if you update the defaults in an existing project, then select another layout of the same type and click “reset to saved defaults”, it should then pick up your new default settings.)

Ah - I see! Thank you, Lilly. That makes lots of sense.

I tried it with a new document and it worked as suggested. As did ‘reset to saved defaults’ applied to a different layout within the same document.

I did notice though that new default settings did not take with custom project templates. Do I need to re-do them?

Thank you again.

In a project started from a custom project template (and that project template was presumably saved before you updated your Layout Options defaults?), have you Reset to Saved Defaults? A project template is essentially a snapshot in time in terms of the options saved in it, as well as the players. It keeps the settings that were in force at the time you created the template.

Thank you, Lillie. Everything you’re saying makes good sense to me.

Yes - the custom templates were created before my changes to the layout options defaults. ‘Reset to Saved Defaults’ works like a charm, but is it possible to edit a project template so that the defaults take moving forward?

Not edit as such, but you can update the defaults in a suitable project, then replace the existing project template (i.e. save it again and overwrite the previous project template).

Gotcha. Thanks so much for all your help!