I mostly write choral music. As such, I often do multiple voicings (SATB, SSA, TTBB, etc) with the very same accompaniment. So each layout uses the same accompaniment and uses different players based on the voicing.
But because there is no layout token for a catalog number, the only way I’ve found to be able to produce a pdf with a different catalog number for each version, is to change the work number field before I create the pdf, and then change it again for the next voicing.
I would love for there to be a layout work number or catalog number.
Can anybody think of a different way to accomplish this without having to change the number each time I print the pdf (which is potentially error prone)?
There is a layoutName token, so you could name your layouts with the catalog number and then use that token – although this wouldn’t work if you’re displaying the layout name somewhere else, and it might make it hard to tell which layout is which!
You could also put the catalog number directly into each layout, instead of using a token. Yes, this creates a page override, which can have other knock-on effects, but if you do it late in your layout process, when you’re not going to make further changes to your page template, it should be okay.
It would be interesting to have layout-specific properties that you could reference in tokens, although I’m not sure how often this use case comes up.
I really appreciate the response. Some good ideas. I am using the layout name token for something else, but maybe I can rethink that.
I would assume any publisher using Dorico and publishing choral music would be happy to have an easy way to display a catalog number for each voicing of the piece, since they often include the catalog number on pages.
I assumed from the way your question was phrased that you’ve got all the music in one flow and are just picking and choosing different players for each layout. Another way of approaching this would be to put each voicing into a different flow, and each flow into a different layout, and then you could use flow-specific tokens for the catalog number. But then your piano player would have to have their music duplicated in each flow, and if you had to fix a wrong note, you’d have to do it in multiple places.
If you are using “different players based on the voicing”, surely the multiple Layout route is appropriate? Each Layout can have their own Page Templates that include your Catalogue Number - you don’t “need” to use a token for this.
Agreed. It’s just a pain to have to create a separate template for each layout when the only thing different currently is the catalog number. Everything else is handled nice with one set of templates.
With regard to using the layout number token… I’ve looked into that. If you could override the layout number with my customized text, that would solve this. But as is, the 01, 02 layout number doesn’t work for my catalog number system.
That works for me!! Awesome! Thank you soooo much for pointing this out. And for everyone for jumping in on this. I very much appreciate it. I love the amount of support that is available through the forum, facebook page, and all the videos, etc. coming out from Steinberg. Loving Dorico!
