I agree. I think that there are still a lot of improvements to do with smart shape, especially with hairpins cresc. and decresc.

For instance, I would like to easily fix them horizontally. 

Cresc. and decresc. are maybe the most common signs used when you write music. Fixing them takes a big part of the time. They already are linked to a measure, so it spares time for the vertical position. 

I suggest a global positioning tool. You select them, and you choose to fix it horizontally on a line, like lyrics.

… hairpins cresc. and decresc.

For instance, I would like to easily fix them horizontally …

I suppose that you already know the plug-in (?):

Plug-ins menu > TG Tools > Align Dynamics…

Michael, it sounds like the Align/Move Dynamics plug-in will do exactly what you are looking for in order to align the SmartShapes vertically with each other. If you already have hairpins created on multiple staves, you can adjust these all horizontally at the same when they are selected with the SmartShape tool. 

Bruce, I feel that you are referring to a different situation though. I assume that what you are looking for is a way to quickly and intelligently copy hairpins from one staff to another without the filter. An example of this would be having a string ensemble all performing the same dynamic swells and having the ability to enter in the hairpins on just the Violin 1 staff and quickly copy these hairpins to the other instruments in the ensemble. Does this sound about right? I can definitely see the usefulness of such a feature and I am curious as to how the community as a whole feels about this and how you would expect/want this to work.

Yes, the same way one can rather easily copy expressions vertically with a key-combination would be nice to have for smart-shapes as well.

Yes, that's it exactly. The process of turning on the filter, then doing the copy, then remembering to turn off the filter, seems to take longer to set up and execute than just entering them one at a time.

What would be nice would be some way to enter the hairpin once, get it aligned the way I want, then right-click the hairpin (or use a menu command, or a keyboard shortcut) and choose "Copy to All Staves" or "Copy to Selected Staves." The second choice would then give me some sort of dialog where I could select the staves to copy to. (I would suggest selecting the staves first, but I don't see how to do that without losing focus when you then select the hairpin to copy.)

How would the idea of Filter Sets work as an option to do this? So say you had the Selection Tool chosen, and you can use one key to turn on Filter Set 1 (which could be set to select just hairpins) and press another key to turn to switch to Filter Set 2 (which could be set for hairpins and dynamic expressions) with the Filter Sets being user modifiable. Would this option be as considered as useful?

… say you had the Selection Tool chosen, and you can use one key to turn on Filter Set 1 (which could be set to select just hairpins) and press another key to turn to switch to Filter Set 2 (which could be set for hairpins and dynamic expressions) with the Filter Sets being user modifiable …

To me it would be most useful.

To Bruce and David:

How about we think even simpler...

Could the "Filter" function be automatically activated while using the selection tool - while holding down a modifier key (Option key?) and clicking on any object - in this case a crescendo smart shape?

When the modifier key is pressed, the filter automatically knows the user wants to copy and duplicate (clone) only the selected object - in this case the smart shape.

Then simply Option-drag the object (the crescendo smart shape) to a new measure and release the mouse. The automatically filtered object is then cloned and positioned in exactly the same spot in the new measure. (whether in the same staff or a different staff)

The current "Use Filter/Edit Filter" feature adds a lot of extra time to copying individual objects in today's version 25, and like Bruce indicated - it requires a lot of adjustments and time to use accurately on multiple individual score objects. Adding an automatic cloning feature for individual objects via a modifier key + click would make copying smart shapes and/or other objects instant, rather than setting up a manual filter for each type of object needing cloning.

A cloning feature like this would be similar to option dragging a selection in most graphics/layout programs. The object that is dragged is immediately cloned and placed at the click-release point. I use this feature daily in Adobe Photoshop, Illustrator, InDesign, and Microsoft Office apps.

OR -  maybe instead create a temporary STAFF LIST feature for adding multiple smart shapes - crescendos/decrescendos, trills, etc... similar to the staff lists feature for certain types of expressions...  Something like option-clicking the desired measures while in the smart shape tool to select multiple measures, then when entering the desired smart shape in one of the selected measures, the shape is auto-cloned into all of the selected measures. Remembering to allow individual positioning after insertion, of course... :-)

This would be similar to double-clicking and dragging over multiple notes when using the articulation meta-tool feature - yes?

Thoughts?

Maybe a cloning feature could look like this....?

I think Doug's approach is probably the best compromise solution. Click-drag for each stave is not as nice and right-click-"Copy to all staves" -- but I suspect it would be MUCH easier to code. And, it would be much faster than the current situation.

I like it.

Thanks to all of you for your suggestions. Yes, the plug-in TG-Tool Align Dynamics is the solution I was searching for. 

I agree with David Cuzick that Filter sets would be a elegant solution. Or, creating meta tools.  

What do you think about asking MakeMusc to allow the short cuts of a tool set to be saved with the general preferences. 

I like to create short cuts to turn on some tools of the main palette, like speedy entry, expressions, smart shapes, articulations, etc. But I have to redo it for each new project. I know that I could fix it as a model, but I deal with many different kinds of music and it would be for me a waste of time. For instance, with Logic Pro, one can copy and apply all the settings from a project to another. 

To answer the original question: in the German Finale Forum, we discussed this topic last October. I wrote a JWLua script which adds crescendos.

This one will add crescendos in all selected staves in the selected region. It could easily be modified for decresc. . Here is another one for slurs.

Greetings, Does anybody know if there is a way to program a shortcut for a hairpin, (decrescendo)? I know the shortcut that Finale offers, (>). but I am working out ways to quicken things up and not have to move my right hand from the mouse and my left from the left side of the keyboard. It's nice when you don't have to look down at the keyboard to jump it's real estate to get to another key. 

I've tired using "Quikeys" and also Keyboard Maestro (which I prefer), but this introduces other problems. 

Thanks

s

Harald Schollmeyer did you ever install your scripts into a plugin somewhere? In the mean time, Doug Bakkum PETER THOMSEN has F27 advanced creation of hairpins in any way since? I cannot seem to find a way to create multiple crescendos and decrescendos at once (say in all the Trumpets or all the brass). I think it would help to have a third smart line shape that draws both the < and the > at once.

Michael,

This video will get you started with some possibilities specific to your hairpin question...  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=O1xC5_Blmc4. The "SuperUser" site has many videos on various Finale topics - a terrific resource - subscribe and enjoy.

The process in this video is a Mac OS only option - your profile shows you are a Mac user. There could be PC/Windows equivalent options - but I'm all in on Mac so haven't researched it.

Check out this website: https://jetstreamfinale.com. It contains a software/hardware combo solution to most repetitive input tasks/issues and works with Mac/PC/iOS. While the JetStreamFinale software is free, there is a cost to the Stream Deck hardware. (iOS app has a monthly subscription fee) I use jetstreamfinale with the Stream Deck XL - works as presented and setup is explained well. Worth the investment in my opinion - plus there are other profiles available for many pro software apps - Adobe, Microsoft, Logic, Final Cut Pro, as examples. https://www.sideshowfx.net/products. has some paid profiles, use Google to find others...  some are paid, some are free.

Finally - this site will get you going with all sorts of plugins for Finale - there are now over 100 lua scripts for automating tasks in Finale. This requires some setup - read carefully as there may be different setups for Intel vs Apple Silicone hardware.

https://www.finalelua.com

Good Luck!

… I cannot seem to find a way to create multiple crescendos and decrescendos at once (say in all the Trumpets or all the brass). I think it would help to have a third smart line shape that draws both the < and the > at once …

As Far As I Can Tell, the Smart Shape Tool in F27 has not advanced creation of hairpins any way.

I recommend that you make a feature request.

Michael,

Just discovered a new plugin post on the finalelua.com site.  RGP/JW Lua script that does EXACTLY what you want - hairpins on multiple staves in one action... here is the link:  CLICK HERE. Thanks to Carl Vine for creating this plugin.

Read the "show details" section from the link above - there are some user configurable options and an explanation of the COLLISION AVOIDANCE and ALIGNMENT with dynamics behaviors.

You could create multiple instances of this plugin with defaults set for each hairpin type and use keyboard shortcuts to activate them as needed. No more "one-at-a-time" hairpins with the smart shape tool and mouse! In my brief testing, I added 24 crescendos in one action in a full score... WOW! This video shows hairpins being added via the plugin menu:

Hello Doug,