Agreed. This new version is not at all helpful.
The “New features” page is simply the first topic at the start of the manual.
The new Help portal allows you to read the webhelp in a continuous scroll format, so you can either scroll down and peruse the manual at your leisure, or refine your search to land on specific topics in the manual directly.
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@andro ,
(Collapsed to streamline thread) I'd like to clarify my intentions to clear up any miscommunication:
I’m absolutely not suggesting that “everything is happy” or that we should dance around the Maypole and send the Dorico team flowers every time they update something, no matter how well it does or doesn’t work. That would not only be absurd, but would be an insult to their efforts. They depend on us to improve Dorico, after all, and we are right to let them know when things aren’t working.
As I wrote in several of the multiple threads started about this topic, I completely agree and was also frustrated by the “surprise factor,” the confusing dead-end sign-in prompt, the broken links, etc.
Our experiences with the new manual have obviously been a very bumpy ride no matter how you slice it (to mix metaphors). But I have every confidence that the Dorico team will work to resolve any issues, if for no other reason than they want us to be able to use their product.
In my experience and estimation, the Dorico team member’s regular, everyday responses on this forum demonstrate that their intentions are good and that they work hard to try to deliver a good product and respond to users’ feedback.
To be honest, I don’t know yet whether I prefer the new manual or the old, as I haven’t lived with the new one (after getting over the initial jarring disruption and access hurdles) long enough yet to make that determination.
While the “jury’s still out” for me, though, I’m proceeding from the position that they probably wouldn’t have spent this amount of time and effort unless (A) they had (good?) reasons for changing that aren’t yet clear to me; or (B) Yamaha/Steinberg told them they had to do something. Assuming for now the former, I’m very curious to see if the new manual improves my experience. If not, I (like all of us) will let them know.
I’m not at all suggesting that you should say only “good things.”
By “positive constructive feedback” I mean things like “the link to the manual appears to be broken” or “I’m getting a confusing error message when I try to sign in,” etc. Let me be clear: they are problems — “negatives” in the user’s experience —, but the manner in which they’re offered as feedback is positive and constructive; i.e., it reports fact(s) and invites solutions.
By “negative feedback” I mean things like “this thing is terrible!” or “why was this done???” Expressions of general dissatisfaction might eventually be helpful to the Dorico team, but multiple threads proclaiming frustration before we’ve all even had the chance to check this thing out don’t seem very productive for anyone.
The Dorico team, for whatever reason, committed to deploying the new manual. I hope it’s an improvement. Time and experience will tell, and I’ll continue to offer feedback about problems, as I (gladly) know you and others will.
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Hi, Lillie
As for this feature, could we have an option tick to switch it off? I and some of my fellows I asked prefer to read page by page. It gives obvious clue where a topic starts and stops and that’s why we chose to use webhelp first rather than checking the PDF. We understand the the new one but we’d like to have an option there. Thanks!
Hi Lillie:
I looked at the online manuel, nice, I like it. One question: how are the search results ranked? For example I wanted to have a quick look how to automatically create harp pedal and the first result is partial harp pedaling. That is interesting but the first thing I would expect how to create a harp pedaling diagram (maybe preferably using Dorico’s smart creation of harp pedals).
Thanks!
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I’ll look into this. In general, the term used in the Dorico manual for “putting something in the music” is “inputting”, which might help you get more direct search results for the time being.
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FWIW, I can confirm that the following search worked like a charm:
That said, I do agree that simply searching “harp pedal” could valuably place the basic inputting entry pretty high up in the list.
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And — to return to @Peter_Roos 's case — his desired result follows from:
…but “harp automatic” doesn’t result in what he wanted.
While I fully understand that “calculate” is Dorico’s specific term for the Write Menu feature, a user stabbing at a search is pretty likely to invoke “automatic,” I think.
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I’ve made a note of your request, but just to set realistic expectations, I don’t think it’s likely – at least in the short term.
Many, many users have expressed a preference for a continuous scroll, or at least a presentation that meant they didn’t have to click through lots of separate pages in order to see more information (or indeed, for it to be obvious that there is more information to be had on the next page in the first place).
On the new portal, the table of contents (list on the left) is much more dynamic: it sticks with you, showing your current position in the manual, and highlights the topic(s) currently in view in your window. I would really encourage you to give yourself some time to try it out, and see how it feels with a bit more familiarity.
Changes can be strange (ask my mum, who when I was a child had to wait until I was out of the house before getting rid of our old sofa, knowing I’d never let it go otherwise) but if everything stayed the same forever, we wouldn’t have the opportunity to discover something new that we like – if things had stayed the same, there would be no Dorico in the first place. 
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Thanks Lillie. I like the web based manual. I have four screens attached to my computer which is connected to the internet, screen sizes varying from 17 to 70 inches. I like to use the 34 inch screen on my left to look at manuals, scores, etc. Nice big screen.
And the manual for Dorico 5.1.40 is now 1923 pages. Lord have mercy. How did that happen? Pretty sure it went something like this:
Daniel: “Bet you can’t write a manual that is even longer than the Pro Tools Reference Guide!”
Lillie: “Hold my beer!”
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I’m sorry to say but the new help system is simply completely unusable for me on my phone. It’s working on my Dorico laptop. But I wanted to read the Dorico 5 support page on my phone. Despite trying for about 15 minutes, I was just unable to access the web manual, despite various googlings, starting from the Steinberg Products website, etc.
For example, the link in the post I’m replying to, https://steinberg.help/r/dorico-pro/5.1/en , takes me, on my phone, to the ‘new features’ list, see the attached screenshot:
[well, are not allowed to paste screenshots on the forums anymore? You’ll have to take me on my word, then…]
Are we now not allowed to read the web manuals on our phones? Are we supposed to open 2000-page PDFs?
This is what opens on my phone when I click Steinberg
How do I navigate to the proper web manual from there?
Hi @Elwro, your screenshot visualises the very first page of the Manual (that begins with the New features. If you scroll down you can read the whole Manual as a book).
To have a more selective view: try to click on the menu in the lower part. You will see the Table of contents and you have also a Search in Document text field where you can search any desired item:
Here is what you see clicking on the mentioned menu:
Alternatively, if you hold your phone horizontally, you will see the Table of content menu on the left.
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Dear Lord, I’d completely missed that little button. Thank you very much, @Christian_R , for taking the time to respond and point all this out to me!
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