Make bars the same size and lock them?

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FunkyDrummer
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Joined: Sat Mar 15, 2014 9:26 am
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Post by FunkyDrummer » Mon Mar 17, 2014 11:27 am

How can I make all bars the exact same size in an already existing document?

And also lock them? (so they don't change size depending on how many notes I put in each bar)

//A


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Peter Thomsen
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Finale Version: Finale v27.4
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Post by Peter Thomsen » Mon Mar 17, 2014 1:26 pm

FunkyDrummer wrote:How can I make all bars the exact same size in an already existing document?…
Document Options - Music Spacing
Set the same value for "Minimum Measure Width" and "Maximum Measure Width".
Then apply Music Spacing.
Update Layout.

FunkyDrummer wrote:…And also lock them? (so they don't change size depending on how many notes I put in each bar)…
Finale 2014 does not "lock" measures in that way.

Instead you can lock a system so that it contains a specific number of measures, e. g. 4 measures.
The measures will not re-flow into other systems as long as the system is locked.
In Preferences you have the opposite option:
You can tell Finale to Remove System Locks and Reflow Measures across systems.
If you followed my advice above, the 4 measures will have the same width.
But in a system with 5 measures the measure width will be narrower.

In Othe Words:
Finale does not automatically adjust the system width.
Instead Finale will automatically adjust the measures widths in a system to adapt to the system's width.
Mac OS X 12.6.9 (Monterey), Finale user since 1996

FunkyDrummer
Posts: 22
Joined: Sat Mar 15, 2014 9:26 am
Finale Version: Finale 2017
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Post by FunkyDrummer » Mon Mar 17, 2014 8:40 pm

Peter Thomsen wrote:Finale 2014 does not "lock" measures in that way
No?
I'm pretty shure I've managed to "lock" bars so they're not affected by how many notes you put in each bar. Just don't remember how!?

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Peter Thomsen
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Post by Peter Thomsen » Mon Mar 17, 2014 10:42 pm

I apologize - I have expressed myself unclearly.

What I meant was that in "Finalespeak" the expression "Lock Measures" means something else, namely locking the measures in a specific system so that they do not reflow into other systems.

If you set the "Minimum Measure Width" and the "Maximum Measure Width" to the same amount, then music spacing will give all the measures the same width regardless of how many notes you put in each measure.
The measures' widths may still vary - depending on how many measures you put into a system (3 measures? 4 measures? 5 measures?) - but the number of notes in each measure will not affect the measure width.
Mac OS X 12.6.9 (Monterey), Finale user since 1996

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