Feature requests for next version

I’ve been keeping a running list of features I’d love to see in the next version of Dorico.

New Features:

  1. User templates. These would make a huge, huge difference to my workflow.

  2. Rulers. Same.

  3. Since many charts are prepared for iPad nowadays, I’d love the ability to easily add pre-determined text (in one click) on a page for things that come up often. Say, “verse”, “chorus” etc. These should be user-definable as well.

  4. I’d like the ability to save border justifications for user-chosen fonts. I’d also like to be able to use these fonts in round rehearsal markings.

  5. Smart adjusting. Once I move something that forced systems apart, I’d like the option to have Dorico “smart adjust” to the new spacing, so that I don’t need to move each of the following systems.

  6. Parenthetical chord symbols (with optional labeling like “2nd x only”)

  7. Alternate chord changes (ala New Real Book)

Changes:

  1. I’d love if the same shortcuts for inputting key signatures held for inputting chord symbols (i.e. “d” for Dm)

  2. Better default alignment of rehearsal letters and Coda to match Gould’s placement in Behind Bars.

  3. Tempo should open with a wider range of tempi visible. Ironically, the tempo on the icon isn’t immediately visible without adjusting the slider.

  4. I’d like to be able to click and drag final systems to the left to shorten them. The key commands take too long.

  5. I’d like to be able to add a hyphen to a final lyric. This comes up in songs with an ABCB form. Currently, I have to manually add them as text.

  6. I’d love for Dorico to be handle vertical spacing better when there are rehearsal markings and segnos in proximity.

  7. I hate having to constantly switch sub-modes in Engraving mode to move things. They should be consolidated, or moving items like rehearsal letters should be allowed in the vertical and horizontal spacing modes.

  8. Lyrics hyphenation is sometimes too close (running into the lyric) at the beginning of some systems.

  9. When I delete everything in a flow, it leaves a lot of weird time signature flags and takes multiple “select all” and delete actions to remove them.

  10. playback on a D.S. al fine only plays one repeat if the segno is to a repeat ending section. It should play twice (or at least be user selectable to do so.)

  11. Rounded corners on bordered text (like was added to rehearsal letters in the last version).

  12. Align system text. Why do I need to both turn on a toggle switch AND select a check box in the properties panel to “Align with system start”? One of these options should be enough.

#3 was unclear, sorry. Basically, I’d like be able to easily add commonly used (boxed) text in general like “verse” and “chorus” etc. with one click. Maybe a user-defined one-click text database? Also to add comments like “to next page” for iPad charts where it may not be immediately obvious that the song is more than one page (i.e. lead sheets with an ABCB form and perhaps an optional interlude that will only fit on page 2, but the Fine is on page 1.) IRL, the musician would see two pages when they open the chart, but on iPad this isn’t immediately obvious.

"next page"can be set up as a playing technique with no playback technique attached–or it can be entered as SHIFT+X Text.

Good things come to those who wait :smiley:

The team is slamming in features like nobodies business, yet doing it with top drawer quality. I’m sure these and more we didn’t even think of are coming along soon …

Have any hints been dropped yet about what is in the next version?

No.

There is a long thread of other feature requests for the next version, if you’re interested -