I'm having a hard time visualizing what one measure looks like using the notation you describe. Is it possible to post a screenshot of one of those measures?

Robert,

I suppose that each dotted eighth note has a slash across its stem, right?

I followed your description to the letter:

Started with a Default Document, changed the time signature to 2/4, entered four triplets (3 sixteenths in the space of 2 sixteenths) as four dotted eighths, and then copied the measure to the next measure.

The measure copied correctly; no dotted eighths became “retranscribed” as regular eighths.

When you copied the measure, did you use Stack Selection?

Hi, Peter,

thanks for your response!
(Yes, the eighth notes would have slashes, that's true, but to pinpoint the problem, I let go with that detail, since it is not relevant for the cause.)

No, I did NOT do stack selection, because I need to copy that very pattern from one horn to another within a score. At that does NOT work in my experience (, meaning: selecting a measure within a score and copy over the content to another measure in the score NOT using stack selection does not work).

Could I kindly ask you to adapt the example like this:

- create a woodwind quintet or string quartet score
- enter the above described notes in violin 1
- copy that measure of Vl 1 to Vl 2
- Result?

- then change to Parts -> Vl1
- copy m1 (that would now be a stack selection, right?) to m2
- Result?

Stack Selection Test:

- Being in Parts -> vl1, select m1
- hit "delete"

Expected result:

The entries will be deleted, but the measure will remain.

What really happens:

The measure is deleted completely (without warning and in every other instrument AND the score!!!), which only happens, when Finale recognizes a stack selection.

Any insights would be most valuable!
As would be warning dialogues... ;-)

Thanks and kind greetings!

Robert

Hi Robert,

1) You wrote:

“I did NOT do stack selection, because I need to copy that very pattern from one horn to another within a score.”

Indeed the notated rhythm gets retranscribed when the selection is not a Stack Selection.

To avoid the retranscribe, use Stack Selection.

To make Stack Selection on a single staff in a multi-staff document:

a. Create a Staff Set of only the staff you need to copy.

b. While being in your new (1-staff) Staff Set, select the measure (or region). The selection will now be a Stack Selection.

I just tried it, and it works for me:

With a Stack Selection I can copy the triplet rhythm to another staff, without the dotted eighths being retranscribed as regular eighths.

2) You wrote:

“- Being in Parts -> vl1, select m1
- hit "delete"

Expected result:

The entries will be deleted, but the measure will remain.”

Indeed hitting “delete” with delete the measure.

To get your “expected result”, either use

Edit menu > Clear All Items

or

hit the Clear key on the NumPad.

I hope that this is clear?

If not, ask again.

Aha, thanks, Peter, for the solutions, very much appreciated!

I have to say, though, that these scenarios are far from "clear" and MOST user-unfriendly!

Why is a "copy&paste" actions not just doing that, namely "copy&paste" (as every other program does!), but instead getting smart somewhere in the midst of the process?

Also, a warning dialogue, maybe with 3 options (like "delete entries?  |   delete measure stack? (Attention: score and parts affected!)  |  Cancel"), would be my solution, if I was to solve this scenario as a programmer.

Are you part of the MakeMusik Dev Team? If so, I would kindly ask you to open a report (or a new ticket or whatever you do within ZendDesk to communicate with the developers) an initiate an interface optimization regarding (at least) these 2 issues.

Thanks!

No, I am not part of the MakeMusic Dev Team.

I suggest that you contact the folks in MakeMusic’s Tech Support, and point out the problems in the user interface.

Although MakeMusic occasionally is monitoring this forum, it is safer that you open a direct support ticket.

Members of the MakeMusic support teams normally have user names that start MM_ or they have little markers after their names that say or the like. But I admit, Peter knows his stuff and explains it well.

Hi All,

Great catches and good explanations: thank you for posting!

Robert: I can definitely see both that the copy & paste behavior you are experiencing is undesirable program behavior, and that a dialog could certainly help improve the user-experience when deleting measures. I know that some users may not want to see such a dialog every time, but a check box for "Do not show this message again" would help mitigate that.

I will go ahead and open a ticket in our support system to report this feedback. While I do not have any specific time frames for when such improvements would be made, I know that our development team takes such feedback seriously, so I want to make sure it is recorded.

To clarify: the ticket (in this case) will be internal, so you will not receive an email notification, but the community post and information will be recorded.

Thanks again for posting. Hope this helps!

Hi, Lawson,

thanks for your response! Are you a dev? If so, there is one in progress! At least for the delete-measure thingy (by MM_Michael Johnson,FIN-4268).

A ticket for the "copy&paste tuplets" would be great, though! Thanks!

Thanks!