Also to add some more context, I just recently bought finale 3 weeks ago. So I'm still learning the program.

… When I would use the tool, regularly you would double click below or on a note to give it a smart shape like a crescendo. But when I do so, I get a box similar to expression tool …

From your description it sounds like the “stuck key” syndrome.

The stuck key could e. g. be the Option key.

A “stuck key” can be physically stuck (hardware stuck) or  “electronically” stuck (software stuck).

To fix a physically stuck key, try tapping the key repeatedly.

To fix an electronically stuck key, try restarting the computer.

What happens if you restart the computer? - Does the problem go away?

While double-clicking may work for a slur between two consecutive notes, to enter a hairpin and the like, you need to double-click and drag,

Ridge Hall,

Since this feature has worked ever since there was a Smart Shape it has to be something on your computer or you are doing wrong.

Are you double clicking directly below where you want the crescendo to start and holding down the mouse button on the second click and dragging? There is also an arrow to let you know exactly where it is starting. It is similar to a slur but not exactly the same.

Yes I have double clicked and would drag. But instead I would get a box. I don't know what's wrong with the program or its just me. I just deleted, downloaded and installed finale again. I was able to create a crescendo or two, but after that it becomes near impossible to create one. 

Ridge Hall,

"I'm using a mac catalina and I have ver. 26.3.1.643"

It has to be a Mac issue then. This feature works and has worked for a very long time. Are you sure your Finale version is supported by your OS? I don't use a Mac so I can't offer any suggestions about it. Perhaps contact Apple.

… I just deleted, downloaded and installed finale again …

Did you try what I suggested in my previous post?

For What It Is Worth, the combination of Mac Catalina and Finale v26.3.1.643 seems to work without problems for me.

"I just deleted, downloaded and installed finale again."

When you did the reinstall did you restart your computer? That should clear up the virtual "stuck" key. It won't fix a hardware or physical stuck key. This is worth investigating for sure.

Thanks for the advice, I'll definitely check into apple with this possible. I did try to fix with the method of restarting my computer and checking if its a physical or stuck key but I got nothing. I'll check my computer model too.

SInce this is and has been a good working tool, almost forever, I think you are going in the right direction to suspect the OS or computer itself. Good luck, hope you find the solution.

Thanks for your help :) , means a lot.

It is not a “Mac issue.” The VSK has occurred both on Macs and Windows machines. Catalina and F26 works just fine for me, as with Peter and many others.

When you select the slur in SmartShapes, and simply double-click on a note, do you get a slur to the next note?

Nope I do not. I would get nothing really... Rip

If you choose the Expression or Articulation tools, do they work properly?

Ridge, could you contact me directly? My email is encoded in my signature. 

Ridge,

If you hold down the S key while you double-click on a note, do you get a slur to the next note?

They do. Thanks! I'll send you an email. 

Let me check

The comment before the last was for Mike Rosen

Holding down S doesn't work either

Not meaning this at all as nasty or snarky, I believe this is PEBCAK. I’m in communication with Ridge, and I’ll try to get him back on track.

EDIT; After a short Zoom session, he’s all better! It was a problem of not double-clicking (or in this case, click-and-a-half) quickly enough. We set his mouse preferences to be a little slower, and he understands to click faster. 

Hi,

I am experiencing this problem also on a mac.

If I double click on a note it works initially.
But if I add some notes and text annotations it stops working.

I tried holding down S and that actually does work for me!

Here is a screen recording of it happening, showing that S works but double clicking does not.
I hope it helps!

MacOS Sonoma 14.4.1 (23E224)
Finale 27.4.1.146

Tristan Harmer,

Welcome to the forum!

Judging from your screen recording it looks like the solution is in Mike Rosen’s post (right above your own post):

Try double-clicking a little faster - or change the double-click settings, to allow for a slower double-click.

PS

To enter a slur that spans more notes, instead of a double-click, do a 1½-click: Down-Up-Down (and keep Down while dragging).

Hi Peter,

Thanks for the reply. I tried clicking faster and settings but that didn't help unfortunately. I had to hold S to get the slur to start.
I'm a software developer at my computer all day and have had no other clicking issues with other apps. 

However! Since upgrading to MacOS 14.5 (23F79) it has returned to normal. I am on exactly the same version of Finale so my guess is this was a MacOS bug that has since been fixed. Hooray :)

The bug was when I was on MacOS 14.4.1 (23E224).

tris