shape designer work around for smart shape?

[Hollyho]

Finale 2014 MAC
For some reason my smart shape tool refuses to draw crescendos and decrescendos, anything really. It just slides empty dashed boxes that disappear. I am trying to use shape designer within the expression tool as a work around. I successfully created my cresc and decresc, but every time I put one in the score and then adjust the length etc, it changes all the rest of them in the score to match the new one. Please help! Either the smart shape tool needs to start working, or I need help knowing how to unlink the manually created shapes from each other.
Thanks!

[miker]

Have you restarted the computer?

[motet]

To draw a crescendo or decrescendo you need to double-click and drag. Sounds like you're just single-clicking and dragging.

The shape-designer expression behavior you're describing is actually a feature. If you apply them by clicking in the Expression tool and picking them from the list, they'll all be linked. If you apply them with a metatool, then they'll be independent.

But I'm guessing you just need to learn how to use the Smart Shape tool. These are preferable to ones you cook up by yourself because the endpoints are attached to beats and thus do the right thing if the measure width changes, and work in both score and parts.

[N Grossingink]

To draw a crescendo or decrescendo you need to double-click and drag.

To enlarge upon Motet's instruction, double click, holding the mouse button down on the second click. Then move the mouse rightwards to draw the shape. It does take a bit of dexterity, but after 2 or 3 becomes second nature.

N.

[zuill]

Addressing the workaround using shape expressions, independent adjustment of the same shape requires the use of a metatool.

Zuill