I’m not an important musician, but I would like to be able to make use of Master Pages.
Every other function of Dorico I have used has been smooth going. Not Master Pages. Each of the many times I have tried again, I hit a brick wall, decided it wasn’t important enough to monopolize this much of my time and energy, and done without what I would have like to do–even the simplest things.
Remember “Wizards”? I have seen and used many of them for things like Master Pages. For example, how to make a last page with a little collection of notes and manuscript clips from pieces I just notated. Today I tried again. I read previous posts and answers. Again it was not possible to correlate what was said to what I saw on the screen.
I am retired, and my life now includes reading books, preparing guitar music for myself to write, edit, learn, and play, and Dorico. Dorico is all fun and elegant, except for Master Pages, which to my eye looks like as strange to me as on Day One. I have spent a lot of time watching You Tube on the topic, but it never addresses the questions I have tried to answer.
Nonetheless, there is still nothing to match Dorico for everything else it does and does so elegantly.
They took a while for me as well, at first. Ask a specific question and we can give you a specific answer!
You kickstarted me, and I fixed my own problem. Thanks for your help. Really. I did it with graphics instead of trying to make a Master Page. Much easier and makes sense to my brain.
A “Wizard” sounds like a good idea…(hint Dorico team)
Master Pages are now called “Page Templates”, which perhaps is a more accurate description.
Whatever you do on the Page Template will be copied to any page that used that template. A new document will have Templates for the First page (which can be used for just page 1, or the first page of each new flow); and for the “Default” page.
You can create more Page Templates for additional things, like Title pages for parts, Table of Contents, etc.
If this is only for one Layout, then you might not need to use a Template at all: you could just edit a ‘Default’ page with the Text, Music and Graphics Frames that you need.
But if you do need it on several Layouts, then the process of page editing is the same: but with the template, you then apply it to whatever pages you want.
That sounds like the problem was getting the bits of music to appear in the Music Frames on your page, rather than issues with Page Templates themselves.
Again, if you show us a particular problem, we’ll be able to help.
Can I create an empty flow that never contains anything but graphics, and can I move that flow around freely to nest between two other flows?
Not sure about flows, but you ought to be able to create a Custom Page Template with the graphic embedded in it and assign that where you need it. Pages after it will move out of the way and resume the normal music flow.
On the other hand, any custom changes to spacing or other page formatting may not switch with the subsequent music as it reflows, so any other custom pages you need should also be handled as Custom Page Templates so you can reassign them to match the music for which they were created.
A Flow with no music isn’t a flow. You can create a blank page, and then add graphics and text to it – or create a Page Template of the same and assign it to that page – but that page will be fixed with those contents, and your music could … flow either side of it.
It is possible to move an edited page, forwards or backwards, though.