Understanding Condensing results

Dorico
1

Given the attached sample score excerpt, I am not understanding the condensing results I am presented with. Using Dorico Pro Version 6.2.30.6245 (May 29 2026). This is about the Layout “Oboen”.

  1. Bars 22(=B)..31 : Why is this range not condensed into a multi-rest?

  2. Phrases bars 47..67: Why is this range not condensed? My understanding:
    a) Phrase bars 47,48: unison, can be condensed, but isn’t. Why? I assume it would be condensed (as it is starting out condensed in the preceding staff), but it’s one of the later phrases that prevents it?
    b) Phrase bars 52..54: only in Oboe 1, can be condensed (like in bars 1..3), but isn’t. Why?
    c) Phrase bars 58..60: only in Oboe 2, can be condensed, but isn’t. Why?
    d) Phrases bars 61..62, 63..64, 65..66: unison, can all be condensed, but aren’t (except for the last phrase, probably). Why?

  3. Bars 90..93: Why is this phrase not condensed?

  4. Bar 195 (layout issue): The downstem beam is cutting through the eighth rests. Maybe the downstems could be automatically elongated such that the collision does not occur?

  5. Bars 206..223: This is all unison. Why does the phrase only get condensed starting with bar 224?

Mind that I am not saying the results I am seeing are wrong or not according to the description in the manual. I merely try to understand why I am seeing these results, so that I might be able to edit the data such that it comes closer to my expectations.

Thank you so much!

Christian

Oboe condensing test.dorico (2.6 MB)

2

Hi @kriro,

Because in this layout the musltibar-rests was not activated in layout options

Maybe I don’t answer in detail every question, but just adding a Custom Condensing Change in bar 32 gives a very different result. (The only hing I cannot solve are the a2 repetitions in bar 195…). Is not het perfect but maybe a starting point (and as always you can use the Library Manager to see the options differences).

Here the result:

CleanShot 2026-07-13 at 20.02.42@2x
CleanShot 2026-07-13 at 20.02.42@2x1920×885 251 KB

and the Dorico file (after a couple old layout optimisations):
Oboe condensing test.-v2dorico.dorico (2.7 MB)

3

Thanks so much, Christian_R!

I haven’t noticed that I had turned off multi-rests - thanks, very helpful.

In the Condensing Change, you assign both players to the up-stem voice. This indeed makes it at least better readable in many passages (except for bar 175, which now is a mess - probably needs another Condensing Change just for it), while I still think it’s technically (!) wrong.

So thank you very much for the “assign both players to the up-stem voice” idea, I wouldn’t have even tried this. I will keep that in mind for projects needing an immediate solution.

I’m still interested, however, to learn why without your proposed Condensing Change, the result is as it is?

Thank you,
Christian