Fitting systems into frame and interactions between systems

Hi, on a small project, I have currently 2 systems on the title “frame”(title page) and 3 on frame 2, the last frame. I would like to move that 3rd system to the bottom of the first frame (there is ample space for that).

If I choose not to lock the systems and select first note of system 1 and last of system 3 and choose “Make into frame”, everything gets messed up as the previously good vertical spacing is changed (and my 4 lines of lyrics end up above the notes of the next instrument).

What is on each system is fine and should be frozen (I used the “Make into system”), so I would like to lock each system. However, when I select first and last note of system 2 and click the “Lock system” icon, somehow my system 3 gets split.

I have all the signposts activated and I do not really see any difference between a locked system and an unlocked system… What am I missing here?

I cannot seem to make that 3rd system move to the first frame without messing up with what fits on each system one way or the other.

Is there some option that would allow for all systems to be locked as-is, then fit some of them into a frame?

Dear Anaximandre,

I find it strange that it does not work for you… When you insert system breaks, it does lock the system in that Dorico will not try to make fit any other additional note in that system. But I’m afraid it takes away a little bit of Dorico’s magic, so you might want to try the other way round :
Try to “play” with the settings in Layout options > Page (Space size) or in Layout options > Note spacing (first parameter) or Layout options > vertical spacing, in order to get the most satisfying result (what you achieved with make into system should be doable), and try to input the first manual break with a Make into frame. The different systems will be freed from any lock to move accordingly to the nice rules Dorico has built in. It’s an absolutely different process than with any other older software, but I can tell you it does work, and once you get it, it’s far easier and faster — with unparalleled result, I might say.

I am having trouble getting a part right. I need a good page turn on the bottom of page one. I found a good spot, and adjusted measures so that spot would be at the end of a system. The system with the page turn spot is at the top of page two. So I tried “make into frame” to put that system onto page one. It moves, but it messes up the system breaks, actually giving me more systems that I need, breaking the first system into two systems without much music. So I try joining the first two systems, and it shoves the bottom system back to page two. I tried locking the systems on page one, and putting a frame break where I want page two to start. No help.

I end up going back and forth between these two examples. First, the one with the system I want at the bottom of page one sitting at the top of page two:


and this, with the systems all on page one and a good page turn, but with system one broken into two too-spacious systems.

And when I try to fix the problem in the second screen shot, joining systems one and two into a single system, it reverts to the first screen shot.

Any ideas, anyone? What am I doing wrong?

Thanks,
David

Put a frame break where you want page two to start. The select the frame break at the top of page one and (from the properties in the bottom panel) tell it to wait for the next frame break.

If need be you can tell the frame break at the top of page 1 to wait for the next system break.

Fabulous! That does it.
Thanks,
David

If there’s an existing break at the start of the range that you’re attempting to lock, you may find that the ‘Wait for next system/frame break’ property is getting its state changed, and you may need to go back and switch this property back on to restore the previous fixed casting off.