Creating your own instruments and templates (and storing them to invoke them later)

I wish I can create my own instruments in Dorico and use anytime I wanted.
Now I can choose a similar existing instrument and then change a bit of things. However, I have to do this everytime I want to use this instrument.

For instance, I would like to use Metropolis Ark 2 Curtius Mid Strings. It’s a string patch (in Dorico you only have the instruments individually). To do so, now I create a viola section and then I adjust the Play and if I wanted to change articulations I would use an Expression Map (I haven’t tried yet). However, Can I store this instrument to use it on another score?

On the other hand, I would like to have custom templates and custom ensembles, with my preferred instruments and layouts, to easily add what I want to use in any score. Especially, I wish I could have “draft” instruments, like “strings” or “brass”. Just for sketching and playing around.

All these three things are closely related, as If I was able to create my own instruments and invoke them in any score I wanted to, I could create my “draft” instruments easier.

As I always say, if there is any workaround to do what I’m asking for, please, tell me.

Dorico doesn’t currently have features either to define custom instruments or your own templates, though both are features that we plan to add in future versions.

The best available solution for the time being is to save the project that has your favoured settings in as a kind of ersatz template, then when you want to start a new project, open your template project and immediately do File > Save As to save it under a new name so that you don’t overwrite your template with your new project.

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