TIP: Import XML as Section Player

Dorico
1

I’ve been importing all my old documents from Finale via XML, and rather annoyingly, the instruments always seem to come in as Solo Players. You can sort it out afterwards, but it’s easier to amend the XML itself beforehand.

Here’s how.

  1. Open the XML file in a text editor. If it’s a compressed XML file, you may need to change the file extension to .zip, unzip it, and find the xml file inside. Some clever text editors, like BBEdit, will handle this automatically for you.

  2. You’re looking to add an tag inside the tag.

<score-part id="P1">
      <part-name>Strings</part-name>
      <part-abbreviation>Str.</part-abbreviation>
      <score-instrument id="P1-I1">
        <instrument-name>Garritan: ARIA Player</instrument-name>
        <ensemble/>
      </score-instrument>
      <midi-instrument id="P1-I1">
        <midi-channel>1</midi-channel>
        <midi-program>49</midi-program>
        <volume>80</volume>
        <pan>0</pan>
      </midi-instrument>
    </score-part>

https://usermanuals.musicxml.com/MusicXML/Content/CT-MusicXML-score-instrument.htm

Bear in mind that Dorico will flag an error and stop if the XML is incorrect.

2 Likes
2

Nice tip, Ben! Thanks!

3

brilllant !

Thanks for this tip and I hope an option will be available soon in Dorico to do it by GUI.

4

The formatting on this tip seems to have got mangled. Instruction 2 should read "You’re looking to add an <ensemble/> tag in side the <score-instrument> tag.