Layout (system shorter than page size)

[Coe]

Hi, please watch the video to see my question:

- YouTube

Thanks.

[Lillie_Harris]

Hi Coe, firstly you can’t move note spacing handles using the mouse, you can only use the key commands (Alt/Opt-Right and Left arrow keys).

Secondly, depending on what you want these two bars to represent, you might find it easier to split the flow at the end of bar 2, and have those first 2 bars as a separate flow. They would then be governed by this option that controls the width at which systems fill the width of the page; two bars this narrow probably wouldn’t be above that default threshold.

If you don’t want them to be a separate flow, select the big square handle at the bottom-right of the first system and press Ctrl/Cmd-Alt/Opt-Left arrow a bunch of times to shorten the system.

[Coe]

Thanks, that solves the issue.
However, for the next Dorico versions, it would be good if we could do this kind of change using the mouse.

[pianoleo]

This has been discussed before. Here’s the explanation for why it’s not (yet) possible.

@dspreadbury

We do certainly want to make it possible to adjust note spacing with the mouse, but we would very likely not be able to show the whole system updating in real time and still track the mouse position smoothly, which is why we have not done this as yet. We would probably end up having to “grey out” the music and show only the handles and column markers themselves during the edit, then “committing” the edit once you finish dragging.