Is it possible to have custom page template sets in a new project without importing?

[joakimsandgren]

I have two page template sets. I exported them. And I import them into new projects. is it possible to have these page template sets automatically in a new project ? without importing them ?
joakim

[Janus]

You can save them in a custom Project Template (using file>save as project template). Then you start a new project using that template.

[FredGUnn]

Yes, it’s possible if you want to redefine the factory sets as your own using a doricolib file. You can’t add additional sets this way, but I have all my standard templates automatically embedded and available in any new file. I posted a walkthrough on how to do it in this thread:

Set Default Page Template?

For anyone who wants to attempt this, it’s actually really easy. Since we are only modifying doricolib files and not system files, it seems pretty “safe” too. It depends slightly if you want to add your sets as additional options, or simply have your sets be the new defaults. Instructions for having your sets as defaults are below as that’s the easiest, although you can modify these to add additional sets too. Take a file containing Page Templates that you are satisfied with, then export both …

[joakimsandgren]

ok,
so if I understand this right…
daniel proposed to change the pageset.part to pageset.user.idxxxxxxx in layoutOptions_part.xml

instead we change the pageset.user.idxxxxxxx to pageset.part in the .doricolib file.

the same for the score template (pageset.fullscore)

this is what I did, and I do have my part and score templates as default templates when I do a new project (cmd+N).

I also had to create the folder Dorico 5/DefaultLibraryAdditions

is this how it was intended ?

joakim

[FredGUnn]

@joakimsandgren

this is what I did, and I do have my part and score templates as default templates when I do a new project (cmd+N).
…
is this how it was intended ?

Yep, sounds like you got it working!

[joakimsandgren]

cool !!
And no way for the moment to have a second pageset ?
kind of “two defaults”… ?

joakim

[FredGUnn]

Unfortunately Dorico just looks for those two sets, and their names seem to be hardwired in. Back when I was first playing around with this, I tried adding additional sets but that didn’t seem to work. You can certainly add a lot of different templates though! I have all mine already set up for both outside margin page numbers and centered (for accordion-style parts) and all my V.S., Tacet, and Page Turn templates ready to go too. It would be cool if we could add additional sets and have them automatically configured under different Page Template Set names, but for now just overwriting the two factory sets with all my custom sets seems to work well enough for me.

[Janus]

@FredGUnn

but for now just overwriting the two factory sets with all my custom sets seems to work well enough for me.

That’s why the simple provision of custom project templates works so well. There’s no need to go delving into doricolib files.

[FredGUnn]

There’s a huge advantage to being able to start Dorico projects from File/New though if reasonable, as so many elements get embedded into the file at the time of the initial file creation. Having the Page Template Sets all good to go without having to waste time importing them is definitely a plus and it doesn’t take much effort to accomplish.

There are so many missing chord symbol features in Dorico that if you use them a lot you either need to have a working template with a zillion chord symbol overrides, or you need ways to account for some of the missing features with doricolib files. I’ve written a bunch of chord symbol doricolib files that are indispensable to my chord symbol workflow and allow me to avoid using overrides, so I’m already using a lot of custom doricolib files anyway. Adding the Page Template Sets are just another couple of easy and useful doricolib files. (Custom clefs, 0-line staves, etc. are all useful doricolib files too.)