Default Text. Change size

HI, I would like to change a size of a default text which I write using cmd+X. Dorico shows its size is 13,9 pt. Any way, a text of composer uses the same default text, but his size is 12,0 pt. Where could I change a default text size (cmd+X) without changing a text size for composer and lyricist? If I go to paragraph styles and change it, both all of them changes at once. Thank you

As long as those paragraph styles have their font size “overridden” (ie the switch is activated) they shouldn’t be affected by font size changes in the parent style - deactivated switches indicate what parts a paragraph style inherits from its parent.

Hi!
Some sorts of text are organised as a tree.
E.g. standard text is superordinated to composer text. You can see this in paragraph styles in the upper left corner.
To change some characteristics of a subordinated text you can switch the slide to the right (blue) and change the what you want to change. E.g. the slider left to the size.
If you move a slider to the right (grey), the sort of text uses the superordinated characteristics again.
Or you can change the superordinated box (Â»Ăœbergeordnet«) to »none« (»kein«), so that specific text styles are not organized hierarchically. Or you can choose another kind of text different from standard text.

Thank you for your answers. Trying to understand. If I deactivate sliders in composer and close, next time I open they are active again. Would you be so kind to tell me step by step what should I do in order to change a default text (cmd+X) without changing other elements like composer etc?


The problem is that composer is based on default text.
So if you want change your default text, you have to set the parent of composer to none or something different than default text, so that composer doesn’t react on default text changes any more.
Than you can change the default text without changing composer.
But be aware, that every other text style which is still subordinated to default will change according to changes of your default text.
I hope that helps.

PS: It took me a while too to overlook the tree structure (Which you can change as you like). Maybe its useful to take a piece of paper and a pen and define a tree structure for your needs first. Than you can create this tree structure (incl changes) in Dorico and keep the overview.

E.G.:

default text:
-composer
-arranger
-lyrics (+italic)
-copyright

title (18px)
-subtitle (15px)
-flow title (13px)
-rehearsal marks (+frame, bold, 13px)

You could always create a new Paragraph Style for “Client X”, hit the Save as Default star at the bottom, and re-assign your Cmd+X keycommand to be that Paragraph Style while working on projects for that client. You’d have to remember to change it back of course when done with work for that client, but then your basic tree structure would be unaffected. The shortcut that you are used to using would still work, but would reflect the new style that the client wants.

I think, all in all its useful to get into this kind of workflow, since its standard for all serious desktop publishing programs like Adobe Indesign. And Dorico is using standard DTP routines more and more, which is IMHO a great benefit of Dorico.

I am still waiting/hoping for the option to have SHIFT+(ALT+) X text boxes “default” to my own Paragraph Style (which I call TextBox) instead of automatically using the Default Text. I wish this were configurable.

You can create your own paragraph style, save it as default and assign a keyboard shortcut to it. You could even unassign Shift-X and Shift-Alt-X and reassign them to your custom paragraph styles.

I’m struggling to understand what you’re waiting/hoping for.

If I understand correctly, Dorico’s Default Text is the basis for a number of different uses. I am hoping for a style (or the ability to designate my own style) to be the exclusive, pre-populated default for any SHIFT+X text I open, so if I later decide I need to change the font/style/size of all the text boxes, I can alter the (my) default textbox paragraph style to change every textbox at once.

I believe we went through this before and you realized that we were thinking of two different things. But I could have misunderstood.

We definitely have been through it before, and I’m afraid I still can’t work out what it is that you want.
If you’re hoping to try and retrofit a new paragraph style to a bunch of existing Shift-X text items, that’s not currently possible.
If you’re hoping to try and retrofit a new paragraph style to a bunch of existing text items that were imported via MusicXML, that’s not currently possible.
If you’re hoping to set up a new paragraph style called “TextBox” and assign that to the shortcuts Shift-X and Shift-Alt-X, so that new text items automatically default to the “TextBox” paragraph style, that is very much already possible.

Okay. I’ll try to work that out. It was the last option, and when I checked before I did not find a way to create a text box with a different default text in the shortcut options. Whereas I might be able to program that into a StreamDeck, I don’t have room for one of those on my desk, so I do not have that option at present. I’ll look through the shortcut possibilities again after lunch.

As long as the relevant paragraph has been saved as default (the star button in Engrave>Paragraph Styles), it should come up as an option in Preferences>Key Commands.

Seeing as I was set up for screencasting, here’s a video: Replacing Shift-X and Shift-Alt-X Paragraph Styles with your own custom Paragraph Style - YouTube

Leo,

Thank you for taking the time to make this video. I have put it in my “Watch Later” queue so I can go back to it when I have time to do the work in Dorico.

(P.S. Your narrator voice could give Anthony a run for his money any day.)

Thanks a lot Leo for creating this video😊