I have looked for this for about a hour in the help, but didn’t find my answer.
Former Finale user, on Dorico since November. I’ve been able to figure out most things, but not this one. I’m trying to figure out how to change my files when needed as far as measures per line.
I set up my own template files to have 5 measures on the first line and 4 per line from there to the end. I’ve been able to do this and it works for a good percent of my needs. Most of the time I need only 32 bars and everything works well. When I need to add more pages of bars, sometimes things show up.
Once in a while I may want fewer or more measures on a line. When I want fewer lines, I highlight the measure line where I want the break and Engrave, Create System Break. However today I was doing an exercise sheet where I needed to add many extra pages of measures. I did that fine. But on the new pages, when (among the default 4 measure lines) I wanted to create a line with three measure, when I did that the way described above, it made a 7 measure line by merging the 3 measure line with the previous 4 measures. This is question 1. How do I make this work?
Then there was a place where I wanted to create a 5 measure line from 4 measures on one line and one measure on a second line. The only way I have found to do that is first make a one measure line, then with the arrow, highlight the 4 meas line and the 1 meas line and Engrave/Make Into One System. Once again this worked on the first 3 pages of my template, but on later pages merged these 5 measures with the previous lines 4 measures for a 9 measure line.
Question 2: How do I get this 5 measure line correct?
Question 3: There has to be an easier way to make 5 measures on a line than I have previously described. Anyone?
I’m sure there is some Page Layout stuff I don’t understand that is causing the measures per line thing. I really don’t understand almost any of Page Layout stuff.
Thanks all! Every day Dorico gets easier. And I really do look up help stuff a bunch before asking here.
In Layout Options you can set fixed number of bars per system. Its in the Casting Off section under Staves and Systems.
From the manual:
Fixing the number of bars per system
You can define a fixed number of bars you want included in each system in each layout independently; for example, if you want four bars per system in a lead sheet.
Procedure
Press Ctrl/Cmd-Shift-L to open Layout Options.
In the Layouts list, select the layouts in which you want to fix the number of bars per system.
By default, the layout currently open in the music area is selected when you open the dialog. You can select other layouts by using the selection options in the action bar, clicking and dragging across multiple layouts, Shift-clicking adjacent layouts, and Ctrl/Cmd-clicking individual layouts.
In the category list, click Staves and Systems.
In the Casting Off section, activate Fixed number of bars per system.
Change the value in the value field.
Click Apply, then Close.
Result
The number of bars automatically contained in each system in the selected layouts is changed. If any of the layouts contain two-bar or four-bar repeat regions, Dorico Pro automatically adjusts casting off to ensure phrases are not split across systems.
I just thought I would point out that fixed bars per line (sorry, I am Aussie!) is not the default in Dorico or Lilypond. That is because the layout engines are designed to strive to make sure a staff is neither overcrowded nor starved. They both do a very good job of this automatically. And of course you can always put system breaks ad lib as you see fit. But for the use cases like lead sheets where people like a fixed number you can use that option. But for most music it’s not what most people want.
1 and 3 almost certainly have to do with system breaks that have the “Wait for next system break” property set; this tells Dorico that everything from the break with this property to the next one should all be one one line. You can try examining the properties for the system break at the start of the line and turning off that property, if it’s set.
(As you can see in the link posted by @DanielMuzMurray, Dorico sets this property automatically when you use the commands to move measures into the previous or next system.)
For 2, you should be able to just select the first and last measures that you want on the system and use Make Into System. If that’s not working in certain cases, it would help if you could upload your project so someone here can take a look.