One of the ways in which I’m teaching myself is by comparing scores (Dorico Flows).
Even on a fast machine (v. sig), I get the beachball for several seconds when giving input focus to an alternative score… and then switching back - e.g. when I have copied notes etc.
Is there a faster/bespoke/better practice way to work with two Dorico files open simultaneously, please?
TIA! 
For now, a pretty good method is to import the flows from document #2 into document #1. From there you could even open up two different tabs and set a vertical split (this is under the window menu) so that you can be looking at both scores at once 
Great idea, snakeeyes021, thanks!
I can see how to do the TABbing and SPLITting. But is it possible to Import (in this case the existing Flow) directly into a new tab?
I can’t immediately see any way to control the import of Flows from another file into any other than the current Flow of the newly-created project.
If not, wouldn’t I have to move the contents of each Flow into a different Tab?
I can’t see a way to do that, either.
If so - and I’m not missing something obvious - that will certainly do the trick. Appreciated
I’m not quite sure I understand. If you’re importing flows by going to File>Import>Flows, then you can import a flow (or flows) into an already existing document. It won’t replace any of the current flows or be imported into a current flow, but will be imported as an entirely new flow in your document.
From there, I don’t know of any way to have it automatically open the newly imported flow into a separate tab, but opening a new tab manually and scrolling over to the new flow is fairly trivial.
Is this at all helpful, or am I just not understanding?
snakeeyes021,
Sorry if I wasn’t clear. And, probably being too ambitious. Certainly I can have two Flows in the one project - but not easily separate them with TABs. Half the battle; thanks!
Yes - when I import the existing file/flow, it is added to any flows which I already have in the new document: so the new document has both.
Because it doesn’t seem possible to put different flows in different tabs, and because each tab has both flows, although I can import the material which I wish to copy from, I can’t separate it in any given document/project.
As a workaround, I’ve just created duplicate staves and am copying from there into new, blank, ones.
Some way to have two separate flows (in this case: the ‘old/existing’ flow from which I want to copy + the new blank one to which I want to paste) in one document - but in separate tabs - would be ideal.
Mark,
Here is how to do it:
Now you can switch between the two tabs seamlessly.
And, doing a Vertical Split (Window Menu) is quite convenient for this type of work.
(Credit given to snakeeyes!!!)
Thanks, musicmaven - I now have a workaround since it’s still not behaving as I feel pretty sure it can.
So I wouldn’t want to try your patience (and thanks too, snakeeyes!!!).
But if you didn’t mind kindly taking another quick look at your steps, maybe you’d see why I don’t get the same result as you do at 8 and 9… I still get both flows in each tab.
But I can live with it
Mark,
I see that 8 & 9 need to be amended slightly. (Sorry).
For #8:
You don’t need to select the Flow first. You should be able to Add a Tab and select any layout for any of the flows using the scrolling list (in this case a layout from the newly added flow).
For #9:
If you need to add a 2nd Tab window, add another tab and select the Layout you wish to see (presumably from the first flow, the one you are adding content to).
I should mention that when I imported the flow, I elected to not merge instruments with existing instruments. And I notice that Dorico lists the instruments (layouts) in order, showing instruments from flow 1, then instruments from flow 2 (the imported flow). Also note that you may see duplicate instrument names, so you will need to select, for example, the duplicate name later in the list if you want content from the 2nd imported flow.
SIMPLE EXPLANATION FOLLOWS…
And - keeping things simple - you can feel free to select any layout you wish (even a “wrong one”) in a newly created tab because it is so easy to use the drop down at any point to change the view of a tab or a window. The bottom line is this: all content from all flows are available to chose from in any window - tab or otherwise!
__
Thanks again, musicmaven!
Happy to continue this via PM or email - unless you feel it’d be helpful for others to get a totally working checklist.
Attached a zip of three jpegs… screen grabs of what I get at steps 5, 8 and after 8 in Write Mode.
Still can’t get one (and only one) of the two Flows in each of the two Tabs. I suspect it’s for one or both of two reasons:
This is all valuable for me in any case because it helps me become more fluent in Flows and Layouts
Thanks again!
Steps 5, 6 and result in Write mode.zip (643 KB)
Dear Mark,
Thanks for the attached screenshots.
The only thing I can think of is that you have all instruments/layouts showing for both flows. You can select which instruments & layouts to use in Setup Mode as shown in these attachments. I didn’t mention this part of it because my attempt didn’t require it. (Did you allow merging perhaps when you imported the flow?)
By the way even though you are seeing both flows in both windows, operationally, it should work fine. It’s probably less confusing to not see both flows, however, so this should fix that aspect of it.
Let me know if it works!
Other info - this is pretty cool! The 3 panels in Setup that are on the right, left, and bottom are always linked. For instance, if you click on a layout in the right panel, you will see which flows contain that instrument (bottom panel), and which players (instruments) are used in that layout (left panel). Or, clicking on a Flow in the bottom panel will likewise show you which players are in that flow (left panel), and also which layouts are contained in the Flow (right panel). And, if you click on a player (instrument) in the left panel, you will also see which Flows that player uses (bottom panel), as well as which layout(s) that player is in. So you always have a view of what is going on with all the connections and any change you make in any area (players, flows, or layouts) will update the other 2 areas because they are linked! And you start all this editing or investigating by simply clicking either a Flow, Player, or Layout. And all of this including and excluding players and layouts per flow is the magic behind having multiple movements or sections of music that utilizes differing instrumentation. It is pretty slick!
musicmaven,
Thank you very much!
The key is indeed which instruments (and layouts) are visible in any given flow - as your screen grabs indicate (thank you).
No, I didn’t merge. I can see how that would complicate things still further.
It’s also still a little confusing because what appears - no matter what I do - is ‘Full Score’ for the Import. I suspect I can fix that at export time.
And by more judicious naming of Flows and Instruments so as to make it plain which file they originally belonged to.
As you say, even though I can still see both Flows in both windows, I can get around my original difficulty - the latency borne of having to switch entire project files.
Your help appreciated
Agreed. Typical of the thoroughly thought-out way Dorico does things - with actual scoring foremost .
…Other info - this is pretty cool!… The 3 panels in Setup that are on the right, left, and bottom are always linked.
