Need help placing a dynamic after a system break

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Djard
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Post by Djard » Fri Oct 13, 2017 9:05 pm

About 90% of what I try to do with Finale requires some change in a default setting or a workaround. After wasting another hour consulting the "manual," I am no closer to assigning a simple dynamic to a measure after a staff break. I could not get the TG Tools plugin to override Finale's prohibition of assigning a dynamic to a measure--it insists on pinning it to the previous bar.

In the attached document, I want "mf" playback volume from the second beat in measure #51. Anybody have the wizardry to achieve this?
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Dynamic Problem.mus
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Djard
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Post by Djard » Sat Oct 14, 2017 1:03 am

Well, I found one solution: delete the expression, enter a new one but do NOT mouse drag it if wanting to adjust its placement. I used the Expression Definition dialog to manually set the vertical and horizontal position. I could drag the dynamic expression above the staff, and it did not get pinned to the measure preceding the staff break. But dragging it below the staff automatically assigned it to the preceding measure. Good grief!

Very annoying that writing anything but simple notation prompts Finale to automatically modify default settings and become unstable. I notice also that the more you edit a document, the more likely the file will become corrupted.

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motet
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Post by motet » Sat Oct 14, 2017 1:26 am

Hold down the Alt key when you drag and it will stay attached to the original note. There is also a setting somewhere to make that behavior the default. I think MM made the way it is the default for naive users who might drag a dynamic afar and get into trouble if it stayed with the original note.

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Peter Thomsen
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Post by Peter Thomsen » Sat Oct 14, 2017 6:20 am

motet wrote:Hold down the Alt key when you drag and it will stay attached to the original note. There is also a setting somewhere to make that behavior the default …
It is in Preferences - Edit

Quoting the manual:
Anchor attachment indicator lines when dragging or nudging items (press Alt to temporarily disable). Check this box to restrain expression attachment point regardless how far the expression is moved from its origin. When this command is not checked, the attachment point of expressions is updated while dragged or nudged (and ALT can be used to temporarily fix the attachment point while dragging).
Mac OS X 12.6.9 (Monterey), Finale user since 1996

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Djard
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Post by Djard » Mon Oct 16, 2017 5:48 pm

Thank you. That works for me. I think Motet's explanation is much clearer than the manual. Juz my 'pinion.

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motet
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Post by motet » Mon Oct 16, 2017 6:13 pm

If you find yourself needing this often, you might benefit from defining additional expressions, e.g. a set for above the staff.

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Djard
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Post by Djard » Mon Oct 16, 2017 7:32 pm

Thanks. Will do.

BuonTempi
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Post by BuonTempi » Wed Oct 18, 2017 7:14 pm

Djard wrote: In the attached document, I want "mf" playback volume from the second beat in measure #51. Anybody have the wizardry to achieve this?
I just deleted the existing mf, and held down 5 while clicking on the 2nd beat.

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Djard
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Post by Djard » Thu Oct 19, 2017 7:48 am

I think we have become desensitized to absence of logic. Entering a simple dynamic marking should not require cleverness. But thank you for sharing the option. I will add it to the 300 page Finale guide I have written.

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