Have you tried applying music spacing to the measures in question?

No, I've not done anything differently than I normally do. I tried the same file in the current and former versions. It works fine to manually adjust the syllables in the previous version of Finale, but in the newer one, whenever I adjust a syllable, everything in the system is adjusted... either spacing things out or crowding them together.

Are you aware that using the Lyrics > Adjust Syllables Tool you can right click on a syllable handle and change the alignment or justification of a single syllable? That is usually more stable than dragging a syllable with the tool.

Yes, that's how I usually do it. However, it's through that tool that all the problems are being caused in the new version.

Adrian.

if you hold the shift key down while you drag the lyric, it will constrain it to horizontal movement. Is that what you mean by “stable?”

Mike,

I often use the SHIFT key to constrain movement. My meaning was that by altering the alignment or justification of individual, troublesome syllables would not subsequently be affected by respacing, automatic or otherwise.

This isn't that issue. Whenever I try to move a syllable with "adjust syllable" tool, everything in the system is being proportionally adjusted at the same time (measure width, notes and lyrics). If I slide the syllable to the left, everything spreads out. If I slide it to the right, everything constricts. It's also been very inconsistent with lyric placements. On one verse it might slide a syllable way off to the left while the second verse syllable is centered. There doesn't seem to be any rhyme or reason to it.

I am having the same issue. I'm engraving a full score for an opera, and there is a lot of adjustment to be made for lyrics. I may increase the width of a measure in the Measure Tool to get a little more room, but then, if I move an individual syllable in that measure, the measure collapses to its former width. Other measures that have also been widened shrink back down as well. I find that I have to guess at the syllable adjustment and then widen it for this not to happen.

Paul,

You need to turn off auto-music spacing when you're doing fine tuning to layout issues. You'll find it in Preferences/Edit.