Two requests re: system indentation

I’ve run into these issues frequently enough that I thought I’d bring it up. For context, I use left-aligned staff labels in my house style, and would find the following very useful:

1. In Layout Options, the ability to differentiate between first systems with staff labels and first systems without.

For example, in a project alternating between arias and secco recitatives, the arias are well served by initial staff labels, but it is not particularly necessary to label the first system of the recitatives when using the above-staff convention for indicating singers. The staff labels create a visual indentation for the arias, meaning “Indent first system of flow by” can remain at 0 spaces. But reflecting that with the recits means changing each one manually—a tedious process.

2. When manually indenting systems WITH staff labels, a way to keep the staff labels where they are, flush with the left margin.

For example, if I’m using a text object or playing technique to notate the original clef on the staff with the longest staff label, the only way for me to access the space immediately to the left of the staff is to change the global setting in Engraving Options > Staff Labels > Start of System, which may be undesirable except in this one place in the project. In my case, this happens if I want to notate a continuo line in bass clef but indicate through an incipit that it was in another clef in the MS.

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I second both these points, especially nr. 1. I often need staff labels only on the first system of the first flow of a multi-flow piece in which the instrumentation doesn’t change. Indeed, the staff labels provide enough indentation without the default 6-space first-system indentation but setting this to 0 means indenting all the subsequent movements/flows manually, as there’s no way to move the first system in the first flow to the left to remove the unwanted indentation.

Just come across this problem with a String Quartet that I am working on. Obviously having the names of the instruments at the start of the very first flow is necessary, but at the start of subsequent movements, I don’t need those names anymore - in fact, no staff labelling at all.

I have seen so many posts with staff labelling issues that there hopefully will be some sort of added flexibility in this area in the future. I understand that it is complicated and that the staff labels are linked to other areas of the program to automatically populate depending on those other entries, but essentially a complete manual override function for each staff label would solve all these problems. Complete flexibility in this area would be very much welcomed I think.

In the meantime I will import a graphic of a white box and cover up the labels that I don’t want showing. Hopefully I haven’t missed something obvious!

Does this function not adequately address your need? You can add a redundant system break at the beginning of the flow, and set Staff Labels property to “None.”

Aaah, well thanks! Yes, that does solve my quartet problem. I do still think that more flexibility in this area will be welcomed and I’m sure it will come, but in this instance, this is perfect. As happens so often, there is a solution, it’s just knowing where to find it. I do now also see it in the manual which I missed before. Thanks once again.