Idea: Layout groups / folders

Dorico
1

I really like Doricos ability to handle multiple pieces for a concert within the same file.

I am currently working on a project with seven arrangemets for full orchestra, I think there are around 25 parts that need to be made for each piece. I cannot use single layouts for parts since the order of the pieces is not yet known.

Now I’m thinking that I could still keep everything in the same file if I make layouts for every piece individually. In total that means around 25 x 7 = 175 layouts.

I was thinking that it would be nice if layouts could be grouped the same way as players (to handle these kinds of larger quantities). I’m also curious to see if the large number of layouts will affect the performance of Dorico.

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FR: Folders in Layouts Panel
2

One more idea:

There is already ”create default part layouts” in setup mode.

”Create default part layouts for each flow” would be very useful for this kind of approach.

3

A way of organising layouts would certainly be welcome from me too

4

I am not understanding why you would need separate layouts for each piece (flow). Each layout can contain all flows (or any combination of them), and if you should need to reorder flows, the order updates in each layout.

5

It’s simply that at the time I need to deliver the music the order is not known. Also there will be other pieces in the concert (most likely in between these seven)

6

This is an interesting stretch of Dorico’s flow/layout concept. I was going to say you could just start each flow on a new page and let the customer sort them, but I suppose you want page numbers to start at 1 for each piece.

7

If there was a setting for page numbers to reset for each flow, I guess that could even work! I imagine that they have to sort out the parts by player anyway, so perhaps that would even save time there.

8

There already is. {@flowpage@}

1 Like
9

[Hastily looking it up in the docs] Oh, I get it! Use flowpage in place of page on the Master. And you only have to do this in one place! Excellent.

I didn’t find this earlier because I was searching in vain for a “page number change” command (like in Sibelius, like a bar number change).

10

Apologies for brevity. It transpires the cat likes fish and chips…

3 Likes
11

Brevity no problem; it was clear. (And I want to mention that I omitted the { } and @ characters in my post because the forum thinks I’m “atting” someone named Page …)

12

I’ve now tried this idea of multiple pieces in one Dorico project with a group of three pieces for big band. I created an individual layout for each player for each piece.

There were 3 pieces and approx. 20 players, so that made in total 60 layouts. In the print mode, I assinged layouts in each piece to go in their own folders.

Everything worked out nicely, but the problems arise in the naming conventions for the graphics filename: It is this way not possible to include the name of the piece in it. Also the part numbers went to quite high numbers.

It would be great if support for this kind of workflow would be considered in future, as I personally find it quite effective.

13

Another use case for layout groups: two sets of layouts for one piece, each formatted for a different size paper.

I can do this today by renaming all of the layouts to include the paper size (or other indicator) and using player name instead of layout name in the page template – but that’s a lot of work, and the player name substitution may not be appropriate for all projects.

Along with this, it would be nice If I could duplicate multiple layouts at once using the three-dot button at the bottom or a right-click; currently the button is disabled if multiple layouts are selected, and right-clicking on one layout when several are selected deselects the others. (I can still duplicate multiple layouts from the Setup menu or the jump bar.)

to be able to duplicate multiple layouts at once. Right now, if I select multiple layouts, the bottom and right-click, the selection changes

2 Likes
14

I wonder if the Development Team has thought about allowing folders for containing/grouping alternate layouts.

15

There’s a BUNCH of long lists in Dorico that could use foldering for organization. Layouts is one of them. From what I understand the Dorico team is aware of this, it’s just a matter of them digging down through the pile of needed things until they get to this one.

1 Like