I am not able to assign key commands to open the various Write Mode Panels:
Clef, Key Signature, Time Signature, Tempo, Dynamics, Ornaments, etc.
Is there a way?
There’s no way to do this directly via the Key Commands page of Preferences at the moment, no. It’s possible to do if you’re willing to get your hands dirty with editing the keycommands_en.json file, but not everybody is comfortable with that kind of external customisation.
Thank you, Daniel. I hope that “moment” comes eventually. It would be a huge time saver for me since I am constantly re-opening the Playing Techniques Panel, in particular.
Will Dorico will ever have floating panels? I do use the popovers extensively, but would still find it helpful to have several panels open at once and be able to arrange my workspace more conveniently.
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I find using the popovers way more efficient than using the right panel… Don’t you want to try that instead?
Thanks, MarcLarcher. I actually do that. As I said, “I use popovers extensively”, but I have a very large collection of specially-designed Playing Techniques so that I can’t remember all the popover commands nor do I want to be continually typing them in.
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@John_Ruggero, if this is mainly about creating specific Playing Techniques, you might want to have a look at the ConsoleTools Playing Techniques library, which allows you to bind* key commands to specific techniques. The ConsoleTools framework itself makes it also possible to re-arrange the key commands on the fly, to match the workflow of a specific task.
* some initial assembly required
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@Alexander_Ploetz Your tool looks very interesting and I will investigate it. However, I am trying to avoid typing, so if that is what is involved, I would need something else.
For example, I have playing techniques for footnote numbers, 1), 2), 3) etc. that I insert in the score at one go. I don’t want to type in a command for each one; I want to pop them in quickly with a click each. I have alternate fingering and special finger numbers preceded by elision symbols above, below, before, and after. Typing in a command for each one is too slow, especially when there are sequences of them. I want to simply click in each one from the panel .
I find the popovers good for simple things, like dynamic indications and articulations. Even then, if I am inserting a series of dynamic signs, I prefer the panel. It’s much faster.
So floating panels would be the best solution, Keyboard commands to open the panels quickly would be next best.
I just looked into it, and it might be possible to adapt something that pre-loads the mouse cursor with a technique, if you are wedded to the idea of mouse input.
That would mean you could have, for example, one key command with which to trigger the next technique (which can be part of an arbitrary sequence of techniques), and you could just point and click where you want to have it created – and you wouldn’t even have to open the right-hand panel at all.
Mind you, the same could be done (quite a bit easier) for caret entry, which strikes me as much more effective.
@Alexander_Ploetz That is also very interesting, but I am not sure how this would work in practice since I haven’t yet had a chance to look at your tool. Would I have to remember a single-key command for each Playing Technique?
I love the caret-like entry of the fingering tool and wish there were something like that for Playing Techniques. But for a discreet entry here or there, I prefer the speed of the mouse. Most of what I am doing is editorial and corrective, note entry being a given through scanning.
@Alexander_Ploetz I finally did have a chance to look over your tool. I am afraid that I would be way out of my depth to try to use it, since I am totally unfamiliar with Lua in Dorico.
I’m wondering whether a good answer to your requirement could be a Streamdeck (or other same kind of tool). It really shines in those situations where you need to replace something that would require many keystrokes with the push of a button.
Thanks @MarcLarcher I have been strongly considering the Streamdeck. Keyboard Maestro might handle this well. I haven’t tried that yet in Dorico.
The main benefit with Streamdeck with Notation express is that David McDonald has built the last version using the API from Dorico, meaning the commands are not controlled by keyboard shortcuts (as would keyboard maestro) and the result is it’s really faster, feels very snappy.
That said, I confess I seldom use it because I know my keyboard shortcuts and don’t want to move my hands anywhere else… and my workflow doesn’t require the kind of things you’d want to use.
I’m afraid that the same might be the case for me. Trying to do this as simply as possible before I move to something like Streamdeck as tempting as it looks. And it might be premature in any case, since I’m still a Dorico neophyte.