In Finale, the slur height can be moved symmetrically by default. Also, two control points (left and right) can be moved at once symmetrically as an option (Option + drag).
Dorico does not have these features. I feel these features are very useful for fine-tuning slurs manually. It would be great if future Dorico will have these features.
@tomotomo2, please don’t bump threads. “Bump threads, you say?”
Yes. This post (or a very close relative) was previously at Adjusting the height of slurs, as cached by Google here: https://webcache.googleusercontent.com/search?q=cache:flhePTp245oJ:https://forums.steinberg.net/t/adjusting-the-height-of-slurs/724159+&cd=1&hl=en&ct=clnk&gl=uk
It’s irritating for those of us that do read basically everything on this forum, particularly given that by deleting the previous post and starting a new thread, we lose the context of the previous thread.
Please trust that if I can remember that you posted something on this subject a month ago, the people that actually matter (who work for Steinberg) are also aware.
The old post wasn’t responded to by anyone for several days, so I erased it and created a new topic. I’m sorry. I will be careful not to do this from now on.
What do you mean? Does the current Dorico have the same way to edit handles as symmetrically as the Finale?
AFAIK, no you can’t move symmetrically as you can in Finale. You do have basically the same 5 handles, but in Finale you can move symmetrically perpendicular to the baseline between the endpoints in a way that I don’t think is possible currently in Dorico. I’m happy to be proven wrong but I don’t think there’s a way to move the slur symmetrically as below:
You can estimate it of course by adjusting both the X and Y positions to look symmetrical, but I don’t think this can be automated. It would be great if holding a modifier key or something while dragging would constrain the the adjustment to be perpendicular to the slur’s invisible baseline as in Finale.
I would mind allowing this type of editing with a modifier key, but as it stands now I like the current behavior. I can see value in moving the shoulders identically, but if that’s something you’re doing often you need to adjust the global shoulder offset values in engraving options. As for the perpendicular thing… I can’t say that I’m a fan, if I’m being honest.
Perhaps that wasn’t the best way to explain it. I was just trying to describe one of the slur editing motions available in Finale.
Basically some slurs are symmetrical and some aren’t. Neither is better in the abstract, it’s just what fits the context. If you start with a symmetrical slur in Dorico like the above, it is virtually impossible to modify it in any way and precisely retain the symmetry. (Unless of course it starts and ends on the same pitch and has a horizontal baseline.) It seems like a reasonable feature request for the OP to want to be able to symmetrically modify a symmetrical slur.
It was indeed the correct way to describe it. I’m just not a fan and doubt I’d use it. But, as I said, I wouldn’t mind the option being available with either a setting or a modifier key.
Speaking of slurs, Dorico’s ties need a little work in this regard. Moving a tie up or down slightly requires you to move the right and left control points separately. You can’t even shift/click both control points so both are selected.
My dream is that Dorico will offer 4 additional parameters for display of ties:
√ vertical position for notes on lines within the staff
√ vertical position for notes on spaces within the staff
√ vertical position for notes on lines outside of the staff
√ vertical position for notes on spaces lines outside of the staff
It’s just really hard to get good looking ties using Dorico’s available settings, same for all other notation programs.
Notesetter, just click on the tie iteslf and don’t activate the handles. Then it moves quite easily:
My own wish as far as slurs are concerned is that the default shape would be like that of the ties. They are shaped differently, and the ties are much nicer, IMHO.
Are you familiar with these settings? I find this does what I need for ties. I typically set this to the middle option.
Thank you. I had missed that fine point.
