If you want to add width to these measures, go to Measure Attributes and add an appropriate "Extra Space at End of Measure", then respace. This makes these measures impervious to music spacing, if that's what you're looking for. Unfortunately, you can't subtract width using a similar trick and there is no document setting to control widths of these kinds of measures.

Thanks for the info Bruce.

Actually I want to make the bars narrower and impervious to music spacing.

I can make them narrower using Measure Attributes, but then have to be careful that

I don't do anymore more "note spacing" which is what I like to use.

The whole reason for me using them is to squeeze more music onto less pages,

especially in the case of drum kit and percussion parts.

Have you tried using the arrow tool on the system below, along with the up-arrow to force measures from the system below into the line above? That is one way to compress measures.

Yes I am aware of this way to move measures, thanks.

I was looking for a good example of my work to show my motivation for asking the question. Believe me, I have wrestled with this problem for many many years. This isn't  a great example, but you'll hopefully get the idea....

In the example below, on page 2, the fourth system, I would like to make the "repeat" bars narrower so that the bars with notes in them are wider and thus easier to read...otherwise all of the measures end up with the same width. And if I "narrow" the repeat measures using "Measure Attributes" then the next time "music spacing" runs they go back to the way they were. If I "shut off" the automatic music spacing, once done with the part, then if I have to edit the part later, and forget that I shut it off, I end up with shit spacing. OR, I have to highlight specific sections of the part, excluding the lines with "repeat bar" symbols, and space them individually...I've done this, but it's painful. So, there you go...

Seven years later and I'm still wrestling with this issue.

Has anything new been developed?

I would like all of my "one bar repeat" and "two bar repeat" measures to be set to a certain (smaller) width.

This is of particular interest in my drum/percussion parts.

If I have to fuss, page by page, with every drum part, c'est la vie! Just let me know.

Thanks.

Finale V27.4.1.110

Windows 11 Pro

Tom,

There is no way to lock individual measures at specific widths, but you can reduce/enlarge the width via the "Measure Attributes" setting. The following works on a line by line basis, and may not be any quicker than what you are doing, but the advantage is that it won't be cleared out if/when the spacing gets recalculated.

Switch the measurement unit setting to EVPU's, then highlight the first measure you wish to shorten. (I find EVPUs easier to work with) Press the "enter" key to enter the Measure Attributes dialog.

Enter "-50" into BOTH the "Extra Space at Beginning" and "Extra Space at End" boxes. Click OK. Highlight all the bars in that line. Re-apply note spacing and you should see the measure you altered is not as wide. It isn't locked at that width, but is a percentage shorter as compared to the other bars in that line. It's width will vary if you add/reduce measures in the line, but it will always be narrower than the others by the relative amounts entered.  If the bars are still too wide, use -100...

This alteration is copyable to other measures using the filter in the EDIT menu. It is the "Extra Space" item in the right side column of items. Uncheck everything else.  Keep the shorter measure highlighted and option click the other measures you wish to apply this setting to. (only the repeat bars)

You will need some trial and error to find the right negative numbers to get the width you are looking for in the repeat bars, and each line might need different numbers depending on the number of repeat bars and other measure widths. These resized measures will now remain at this relative width even if you respace the measures.

Thanks for this Doug. This seems a bit easier than what I've been doing when using the measure attributes dialogue.

Unfortunately the measure width info is only copyable for a "stack selection" copy.

I can't do that as I only am interested in affecting the percussion parts in my scores.

But I will likely use your method and just tweak bar by bar, line by line, part by part, as necessary.

Tom,

I'm almost certain (not at my computer right now) that if you adjust these measure widths in the parts - NOT in the score, all works as I've described. The measure attributes are different for parts vs the score. This would include the copying feature using the filter. Give it a try in the part.

I have 14 players in these orchestrations and indeed I was working in the (linked) drum part. I will mess around some more (later as I'm not at my computer now either) but the copy filter, with the measure width box ticked, did not seem to copy the information from the edited bar. I'm pretty sure that "stack selection" restriction holds no matter what you're looking at.

… Unfortunately the measure width info is only copyable for a "stack selection" copy …

No need to use the word ‘unfortunately’.

You can make a Stack Selection of a single measure in a single staff.

The secret is that you must create a custom Staff Set of only that very staff.

Then, while viewing that custom Staff Set, you can make a Stack Selection of only that staff.

Thank you.

That worked.

I did not realize that Staff Sets would behave that way.

Nope. Sorry Peter. I spoke too soon.

I was able to make my drum part a staff set.

Unless I am mistaken, the way to do that is to

-edit the (full) score;

-get into scroll view;

-choose staff tool;

-select Drum staff;

-CTRL-CLICK View

-define staff set (in this case #1)

Then I was able to change the attributes of one measure. And then when I copied with the filter appropriately set, those measure attributes indeed got copied.

BUT (BIG BUT)

Then when I went back to the drum part, scroll view OR page view to format the page layout, NONE of those measure attributes existed. They ONLY are there when in scroll view of the full score with the staff set selected.

So I'm back to having edit each individual measure that I want to change.

Also, Peter, I just noticed that the measure width edits affected every staff in my score, not just the drums. Notes spacing on all the other staves is messed up quite badly.

So unless I have misunderstood your method, it will not work for my purposes.

Indeed you are right.

The copying affects the score, and not the linked part.

It seems that, to edit the layout in the part only, you must be viewing the linked part.

Possibly you can speed up by using a custom FinaleScript script.

Like, in the linked part, select a region with Bar Repeat, then run the script.

Thanks. 

Unfortunately (sorry to use that word again:) even though I've been using Finale since the early 1990s, I have never been able to figure out how to create a script.

You got a short explanation? Or I guess I'll have to study the documentation again.

Indeed there is some info in Finale’s online manual.

Another idea:

Do a web search for ‘FinaleScript’.

You may get some useful instructions.

Have you tried the "JW Space Empty Rests" Plug in? (does it work on Windows?) I've been messing around with it today and put in 1 & 2 bar rpts from the staff style,  I was able to change the width of the bars using "Respace Using New Values" Scope drop down menu choose "Highlighted Score/Parts etc.  Check "Space Empty Single Rests" and messing about with the values and the reference measure. The measure changes are visible as you enter them so no need to go back and forth as the plug in stays visible until you close it.

Mac mini M2 16/256 F27.4 Os Sonama

On re-reading this thread, I realized that none of the replies suggested changing the minimum measure width from the default (360 EVPUs) to 0.  This will definitely reduce the width of your one bar repeats. That said, a setting of zero may cause other spacing issues if you do not have all systems in the score and part(s) locked... so lock them first: Select all, then Utilities --> Lock Systems. I use a setting of 108 EVPUs for my minimum measure width, and ALWAYS lock all systems once I begin part or score layout editing.

Locking all systems will insure no measures jump from one system to another. Do this before you change the minimum width setting (Document --> Document Options... : Music Spacing - Minimum Measure Width).

Re-apply your note spacing to the part and see what happens. I recreated your example and the one-bar repeats shrank considerably, with the other bars expanding - this was your original request...?

If, after setting this to zero (or anything smaller than 360 EVPUs), you want your one-bar repeats even narrower, reply back and I'll post a temporary dropbox link to an RGP Lua script that will do this. This script will reduce the width of all one-bar repeats in the visible part's region with one click. This scripted width change is not cleared with reapplying note spacing or updating the layout. All other measures expand in the system as the one-bar repeat measures shrink.  (I figured seven years was long enough for you to wait for a solution - and writing it was pretty easy...)

I am curious if simply reducing the measure minimum width will solve your issue though...

Thanks very much. I haven't had a chance to try your suggestion until today.

It seems to work when I set the minimum width to 200. When I made it less, my drum part looked a bit odd.

I need to do some more experimenting. When I had all the systems locked, nothing changed. 

I didn't keep careful track of my experiments so I'm sorry, but it also seemed that with a certain (unremembered) sequence of commands, the repeat bars got narrower, but the final bar on a line got unnecessarily wider.

Anyway as I said, thanks, and I need to do some more experimenting when I have time. I am copying an entire orchestra book for 14 players for a My Fair Lady re-orchestration and it's a hell of a big job and the first rehearsal is just shy of a month away.

Wouldn't mind getting that script link from you though for future reference:):)