I have made lots of edits, in Engrave mode, to the layout of the music in a particular flow. The result is beginning to look messy. I want to start again ore even try changing the score layout changes to get my desired result. So I wonder, is it possible by a single command to to remove all my edits and thus restore the flow to its pristine condition?
Hi!
In the Edit menu, you’ll find two entries at the bottom of the list: “Reset positions” and “Reset formatting” (I think that’s what they are called, I’m using the German version…)
Thank you for your suggestion. The two items in the English version are “Reset Appearance” and “Reset Position”. I have just tried them out on one flow. This is what I did:
- I entered Write mode and selected all (Cmd+A).
- I selected the Reset Appearance menu item and saw no change.
- I selected the Reset Position menu item and saw some minor shifts in not positions.
The trouble is that I had made many adjustments in the Engrave mode in order to get an initial engraving spanning two pages of music to fit into one. This had worked but on reflection I found it to be ugly and unsuitable for playing purposes and therefore wanted to start over again.
It maybe that the two reset menu items work on recent changes prior to saving the file. I had saved the file before trying them.
So far it seems to me that there is no mechanism to remove all the Engrave edits made to a given flow. I will be delighted to discover that I am wrong.
Thanks once again.
Would creating a new layout from scratch be helpful?
Thank you.Your suggestion indeed works. The trouble now is that it looses the successful engraving edits made in the other 11 flows.
I was afraid that might happen. I hope someone else may have a way to combine the layouts, although I do not.
Yes frustrating. Nevertheless I think your suggestion has moved me on. As you say if there is a nifty way of combining the successful bits of different layouts that would be good. Thanks again.
There isn’t, I’m afraid. But you should nevertheless be able to remove those edits easily enough. If you’ve added breaks, you can simply select them and delete them. If you’ve made note spacing or staff spacing adjustments, you can remove those using the Reset Selected Frame menu items in the Engrave > Staff Spacing and Note Spacing menus.
If this doesn’t help, perhaps you can attach the project here and let us know which layout and flow is affected, and we can advise further.
Thank you. I will apply the methods you suggest, they sound promising, and then write again when I have some results and have had time to reflect on the matter.
All the replies I have had so far have added to my understanding of this software.
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I have taken a time out to reflect. Thank you dspreadbury for your observations. They worked. Along with the use of a new layout (thanks Derrek) the solution is potentially labour intensive. I think an engraving reset of any chosen flow would be a very helpful function. Maybe one will appear sometime.
In the meantime I have been forced to a clearer understanding of this complex product. (A good thing.) I now am clearer of the respective scopes of engraving changes, master page assignments, layouts and projects. It took time and the above problem served me well by nudging me into the necessary several hours study and experimentation.
An important conclusion for me was the realisation of the power a hierarchical approach: Firstly take care in designing layouts and then make presentation adjustments to any given flow by experimenting with frame breaks and system breaks (applied in that order); the more fiddly engraving tools be invoked only if the other measures really do not achieve what I need. This hierarchical approach (for me at least) maximises the benefits of the good work of the layout algorithms and maximises reuse while minimising the problems of rewinding and removing engraving edits.
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I would say that’s a good conclusion to come to - I know I learned a lot watching over the shoulder of an experienced composer/orchestrator/copyist, Jess Dannheisser, whilst she was formatting parts and came to a similar conclusion: focus on sorting out page turns, getting phrases into appropriate systems, the overall page layout, margins, staff size etc, and catch any remaining issues after that point. Doing those things first tends to resolve most collisions, spacing errors etc anyway. And you get to a good, workable result much more quickly and easily.
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