selecting "system breaks", "frame breaks" and other things in the engraving mode

Dorico
#1

Hello,

In the engraving mode, selecting item is prevented.
Could selecting item be as in the writing mode?
For example:

  1. how could I select all system breaks in the engraving mode?
  2. how could I select all frame breaks in the engraving mode?
  3. how could I select the bar lines to define a system break in the engraving mode?
  4. how could I select the bar lines to set a frame break in the engraving mode?

For no. 3 and no.4, I can select breaks by cmd+clicking. However, shift+clicking does not work.
Why the selecting by dragging does not prevent in the engraving mode?

Do I misunderstand the basic operation in the engraving mode?

Any opinions are welcome.

#2

You are correct on number 3 and 4, sort of. Ctrl-click is the way to select multiple barlines to make into system or make into frame. To insert a break, you need only select one barline. Or note.

I assume the reason that click and drag does not select multiple items in the engrave mode is because that mode is intended for single operations at a time in general, rather than doing something to a bunch of different elements at once.

#3
  1. Select one system break then type Ctrl/Cmd+Shift+A (select more)
  2. Select one frame break then type Ctrl/Cmd+Shift+A (select more)
  3. Just click a barline then type Shift+S
  4. Just click a barline then type Shift+F

You can’t add system breaks or frame breaks to multiple places at once, but once you’ve got a single Break signpost you can Alt+Click it to anywhere else you like.
As to “Why the selecting by dragging does not prevent in the engraving mode?”, I’m afraid I just don’t understand the question.

#4

I think he means “Why can you not click and drag to use marquee selection the same way you can in Write mode?”

#5

Ah, click and drag doesn’t work because:
a) different properties become available in the bottom panel dependent on what kind of object you’ve selected. If you’ve selected both a dynamic and a slur then Dorico can’t know which properties to display.
b) it would be prohibitively slow. Engrave mode considers minute calculations for every single element of every single object that is selected. For even a single regular slur, that’s potentially 14 properties, some of which have multiple values (X and Y offsets, for example). Dorico would grind to a halt.

You actually CAN marquee select in Engrave mode but it’s not really any good for anything apart from using the “Make into System” and “Make into Frame” buttons. If you were asking “why can you marquee select in Engrave mode when it’s not really useful” - it IS useful, for “make into system” and “make into frame”.

#6

Alt+Click is very useful!

Sorry for my insufficient English, and thank you very much for your kindness to understand my question and to answer it.
I hope that I can communicate with you someday in fluent English.

#7

Your English is WAY more fluent than any of my second/third/fourth languages so please don’t take it personally - I just couldn’t quite get to grips with exactly what you meant!