Selectively hiding empty staves

I have searched for this, but what I see in the previous discussions does not seem to make sense with what I see in current versions of Dorico. So, I am starting a new thread.

I am working on re-type-setting a piece for SATB Chorus, soliosts and organ. I have it set up with a generic “treble” staff for the soloists, separate SATB staves, and a two-staff organ staff. I don’t seem to have the control over hiding staves that I would like on either a global level or on a local level. Attached are two screenshots: one of the first page and a part of the second, and one of a middle page with part of the next page.

On the first page, I would like to hide the staff marked “treble staff.” I then would like to have all of the staves on the second staff even though the SAB staves are empty. I have figured that part out.

The second pic shows where the soloists enter. Again, I have figure out how to hide the SATB in the 2nd-4th stanzas.

Is it possible to hide that treble staff on the first system, but then have it show up later when required?
BTW I realize the spacing is all messed up – figured I would worry about that once I get the staves correctly hidden.


In Layout Options > Vertical Spacing > Staff Visibility set Hide empty staves to All systems.

And you might have to delete the custom Staff Visibility in the first system.

Michael, besides the other help you got, I would remove all manual System and Frame Breaks until you have the visibility sorted out.

Thank you! That is exactly what I was looking for. This is one of those place where sometime you have to think backwards – that is the step that I was missing.

As for the system and frame breaks, I am attempting to keep the page and system breaks in EXACTLY the same place as they were in the original octavo. Two reasons for that: I wanted to make this a way to dig deeper into learning Dorico, and we already have copies of this anthem - they are just difficult to read - so I am making a slightly larger, clearer version of it for our organist.

I have already learned that, under normal circumstances you would wait to make those adjustments.

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You should be able to hide, or show, any staves using the Staff Manual Visibility dialog, pressing Enter on any Break, regardless of the Layout Options for Hiding things.

Having done a few “page-for-page” matches to old Octavo scores, what’s interesting is that Dorico (and notation software generally) finds the horizontal disposition really loose – and is able to get many more notes and bars on a line; – but it finds the vertical disposition really tight. (As is shown by the fullness indicators in your images.)

The main offenders are stems in the keyboard part; and making sure that things get much closer to each other than Dorico usually make allowance for.