Finale Forum

I need free-standing (ie, not at barlines) repeat brackets with curled ends.
Is there a simpler way than by trial-and-erroring my way through creating a shape expression?
I have been able to make a (wrong size) bracket expression, but then to add the two repeat dots starts to get annoying.

The Shape designer is the first thing that comes to mind, but even after grouping the repeat brackets with dots, the shape is really unpredictable when placed/stretched in the score. The tool is really archaic.
Another way would be to create (in a totally empty staff, just repeat bars displayed) the repeat bar (curved via Document options), capture it in .png format and make it a translucid .png image (alpha layer). Then import it and place it Finale when the Page Layout is finalized.

Here is an example (1 staff, left repeat). Try to import it as a test. They are resizable via the handles, and offer reasonable control.

I have had good success with shapes. When creating them I show the Staff template to make it easier. I then group the items. I create the dots as text with Maestro 24 pt. The wings available are different than the wings available in the regular repeat tool, so there is a different look.

Zuill

wait wait!
there's a way of showing the staff when creating a shape expression????
that would solve all my problems!

Yes. Here's a picture of a Shape repeat next to a regular repeat.

Zuill

Just in case : Shape Designer menu -> Show -> Staff Template.

michelp wrote:Just in case : Shape Designer menu -> Show -> Staff Template.

Yes, thank-you.
I had found it as soon as Zuill mentioned it.
But thank-you for the confirmation

michelp wrote:The Shape designer is the first thing that comes to mind, but even after grouping the repeat brackets with dots, the shape is really unpredictable when placed/stretched in the score …

I could be wrong here, but I suspect that the culprit is not the Shape Designer, but rather the Expression Tool.

When you create a shape expression, Finale by default selects the option “Allow Horizontal Stretching” - a fact overlooked by many users.
De-select “Allow Horizontal Stretching” - and the shape will behave like a font character (= no horizontal stretching).

Also, when you create a shape, it is useful to use small Measurement Units, like Points or EVPUs.
In that way you get simple coordinates in the Shape Designer.
An example - using Points as Measurement Units:
The height of a staff is 24 Points.
Hence the distance between the staff-lines is 6 Points - and the height of a scale step is 3 Points.

Thanks Peter, for the reminder.