Simplify / Standardize Lengthy Drop-downs

In the Playing Techniques Glyph Editor (or Note Shape Editor, etc), the drop-down list of SmuFL glyphs is broken down into SMuFL categories, and listed alphabetically, but it can take a while (particularly in such a large list) to find exactly what you want.

Accidentals, for example, are under S for “Standard Accidentals”; but Ornaments are found under C for “Common Ornaments”. If the symbols you need aren’t in those sets, you have to try sets starting with O for “Other…”. In contrast, Fingering has extra glyphs in a set called “Fingering supplement”, which is usefully next to “Fingering”.

I suggested a while back that the Font Styles list suffered similarly, in that Lyric styles were spread about the alphabetic list, (C for Chorus Lyrics, but L for Lyric Translation.) Tempo styles have to be searched under I for Immediate and G for Gradual.

What I’d like to see is some kind of ‘hierarchical backwards description’, as favoured by Indexers and the Army:

Noteheads > Medieval & Renaissance
Noteheads > Shape Notes
Ornaments > Trills & Mordants > Combining strokes

I don’t pretend to understand all the Sagittal extension thingys, but essentially, they’re all types of Accidentals, so:

Accidentals > Sagittal extensions > Magrathean diacritics. (Isn’t Magrathea from Hitchhiker’s Guide?)

This would be a massive time-saver when searching, or even browsing, the lists.

I agree wholeheartedly. It doesn’t make sense to look under C for Lyrics. The I/G tempos have tripped me up before too. Next thing you know, you have to go down the list one by one. Each category should be the standard header with the subsets beneath it either indented or via breadcrumb trail.

I agree completely. Searching for glyphs is a bit of a lengthy prospect at the moment.

Very good ideas there.