Unlinking dynamics

Dorico
1

I’m editing a large wind band score. The composer had linking turned on in Preferences, and there are quite a number of issues with linking, resulting in duplicate dynamics and missing dynamics. In particular, I find “Remove from group” often results in dynamics either disappearing, or random multiplied dynamics suddenly appearing.

I can grant this is partly due to errors in the composer’s workflow for inputting dynamics, but it’s very unsettling to edit a large score. I’m always concerned that changes to linking/grouping may result in changes in other staves that are easily missed in the editing process.

For me, Duplicate to Staff Below (with a shortcut) has superseded the linking function, so I always turn it off in my own scores.

So this is a request, I guess, regarding the reliability of this behavior. But here’s my question: if I select all dynamics in the entire score and Unlink, is this a 100% safe function? That is, will all dynamics remain where they were input, and it’ll only remove the linking?

2 Likes
2

Since I’ve not unlinked 100% of scores, I can’t guarantee. However, I’ve not yet lost anything by unlinking.

3

Certainly there are no known bugs whereby unlinking dynamics will cause any to be deleted, but if you encounter any problems like that, please be sure to provide a reproducible case and we will fix it forthwith.

1 Like
4

Thanks Daniel, I shall venture forth and report back!

5

I unlinked dynamics in a large wind band score of about 500 measures. Seems to be fine!

Edit: Nope. Select all, filter-select dynamic, Unlink does not unlink all dynamics vertically. I’m still getting unusual behavior. I had to press on, so after several iterations I managed to unlink everything, and now it’s fine.

6

Yes, you need to apply the unlink dynamics command (I’ve made myself a key command) several times in order to get rid of every link, be it vertical or horizontal. At least, this is the feeling I have about it.