I've got a red box on the score with the time signature in it

Dorico
1

Hi, I’ve just created a pickup bar. After deleting bar one once I’d created the partial bar, I’m left with a red box which contains the time signature along with (q,1+1+1+1). If I click on it and delete it, I lose my time signature and all of the bars.

I’m new to this program and I’m finding it quite quirky.

Any help is greatly appreciated.

Many thanks

2

That’s called a signpost. It indicates that there’s something in the score that’s not immediately visible.

It’s a little hard to tell from your description exactly what state your file is in. If you can upload it here (drag it into the message edit window, or use the upload button in the message window toolbar), someone can take a look at it.

3

My Old Kentucky Home.dorico (1.4 MB)

Thanks ever so much for the speedy reply. I have attached the file. Thanks again.

4

Pickup bar usually show red signposts. As asherber says, it shows you that the bar doesn’t have the “correct” number of beats for the time signature that it displays.

Dorico is different, but very consistent. I’d strongly recommend doing the First Steps tutorial, or spend time sitting watching some of the many videos about how it all works, until you get a flavour for it.

5

I wasn’t sure from your description whether there was something wrong with the file in terms of the bars you were left with, but it looks perfectly normal to me.

You can choose to hide some or all signposts, if you prefer – but they usually provide very useful information. It’s common for a user to post here, saying that something is happening in their score and they don’t know why – and then when they turn on signposts it becomes very clear why. I only turn them off if they’re in my way when I’m doing some layout operation, but in general I leave them on.

6

Thanks ever so much. I just switched off the signpost relating to time signatures and the signpost has gone. I know it doesn’t do any harm to just leave them, but I just don’t like stuff like that. Thanks again.

7

You can see the score without Signposts and other material that only shows on the screen, not the printed page, by holding ` (the backtick character).

As said, signposts are useful info about things that are otherwise invisible.