I am still adjusting to transitioning over from Sibelius. Most things I prefer in Dorico but I consistently encounter some little bugs with each new piece input, which seem to be similar issues I am unable to solve via the forums and general information pages. (However, most issues get solved that way which is very helpful thank you!)
I have a new piece I am about to input, which I am allowing more time to try to set up as many global parameters as possible to avoid previous issues I have had. I am currently setting up the first two pages and have found my first two issues I am so far unable to find solutions for.
The first is that I have set up a parameter in the layout settings to have a set amount of bars per page, as the piece requires a very straight forward spatial input, like a grid system, where I need everything spaced the same, even if there are more things in one bar verses another. This worked until I began to enter material which had multiple things in a bar (but working within spatial limitation) and everything before and after goes completely misshapen and irregular. I have tried locking the layouts, and/or the frames, have tried anything I can to make it remain to the fixed layout I have set, to no avail. Also, this happens when I enter materials into the harp lines. If I place one note in the top staff it is fine, but when I place one in the lower staff the same thing happens…
The other issue I have found is more aesthetic, but will also help with ease of global entry in the long run. I am hoping to alter the look of a whole rest in the full score (for an empty bar of a singular instrument) to appear more like an H-rest as in a part with multiple measure rests, but as far as I can tell, one cannot directly alter or change/edit the look of a rest like one can with a notehead…which I find to be a pity as I use the notehead alteration with most pieces…
I think members of this forum can help you best if you could give them more specific examples of what you would like to reach. And what you get when trying that.
A Dorico project file exhibiting the problem will be best, a screenshot 2nd
OK, the most specific example is regarding what I mention in the first issue. I have set up the first two pages of a full score to have 9 measures a page, with 20-part instruments (all with singular staves except for the harp). I want each measure to remain fixed in place across the page horizontally, and place the materials within as they land. So far this is working very well. The problem only started to occur when I started to enter in material into the harp line. At the moment my issue is that, when I enter a tone into the bottom stave of the harp line, all of the layout functions I have set (which are rather straight-forward) completely go off. The first measure on the first page gets squished, everything adjusts to that and re-shapes as it will, no matter if I lock it. And, the measures after the problem entry get completely squished to the right. I would simply like for each measure to remain fixed in the spatial positions I have set globally, and/or lock as I am also trying to do.
Yes, this I have done and tried, but it only applies to parts (and not exactly how I would like it, as I don’t need the number above…) and in the full score version, it only applies to tutti measures of rest, as far as I have discovered…
How did you do that? Or do you mean 9 measures per system?
Have you checked the fullness indicator of your system on the right side of the engrave mode? If it’s over 100%, Dorico can’t honour all your wishes
OK I am including what happens (before and after) when I enter one tone into the harp line bottom staff on the very first page…it’s a bit different on the third but I think this might explain enough…
Oh great thanks. So far I am trying to simply get it to appear in a singular instrumental line in the full score. In the examples I have shown, you can see how I drew a similar rest object with the lines function, however my feeling is that this will cause me a lot of headache…particularly with any further layout issues which might arise…
At the moment it is set to A3, so I believe it would be impractical to go larger than that. I would not like to make things smaller within, as I will need it to become more dense. Have less bars per system would be completely fine. I am fine to set up the layout in a way that is consistent, I am not sure why it alters itself on its own accord? This part is rather mysterious to me, and has been in the past as well
So you have the same number of measures in the “after” example but they are all just different sizes. This is due to the note spacing settings in Layout Options as Dorico attempts to justify the contents of each measure accordingly.
In Layout Settings, select Note Spacing and you can see options for this. There are no options, as best I can tell, for turning off justification. If it were me, I would:
save a backup of my work, first;
make sure that “Use Ideal Widths Only” is selected under the advanced options for Note Spacing;
Apply the change and see if that helps normalize the widths;
Experiment with the spacing settings and spacing ratio; and, then,
Save as default once you find the settings that work best for you (reset Factory Default settings if you end up with a mess).
This probably will not change the spacing in Galley view of Write mode but it probably would change how Page view is displayed.
Hopefully, someone with more experience adjusting note spacing can chime in here to help. Best of luck.
How did you create those lines. Where are they attached to? In your second screenshot it looks the are partially overlapping, which I would not expect when they were attached to barlines or rhythmic positions.
As a test you could remove them to see what happens.
I have taken into account all of your advice and tried everything. I made sure that all the objects and lines are attached to hidden noteheads when needed, I have diminished the number of bars per system, I have played around with note spacing settings, I have the “use ideal widths only” setting on, etc. I am still encountering the very same problem as before, however. When I take it down to 5 measures per system, it takes the fullness indicator down to 87%, however the same problem continues as before. I don’t believe I have so many objects in the system (at the moment it’s quite minimal), so I’m not sure why I am encountering these problems. Is there no way to fix the systems (or particular systems) to have equal bar spaced proportions? There is no reason why it needs to justify, and anyway it’s making it worse than better when it does (like overlapping dynamic markings which makes no sense). Thank you for your help!
