The 'move-the-extra-notes-to-the-next-measure' bug

[Jay Emmes]

In the latest update of Finale 25 (at least I have not noticed this bug in previous versions) the "Move the extra notes to the next measure" option is not working properly. When I choose this option Finale doesn't move the extra notes into the next measure, but repeats the 'moved into measure' in the previous measure. Sounds complicated, but allow me to give an example.
Say I have a measure (time signature 2/4) with five quavers - one too many. Leaving that first measure in the speedy entry tool invokes a pop up dialog that presents several choices to solve the problem of too many beats. I choose "Move the extra notes to the next measure". Finale should then move the superfluous quaver into the next measure. When I leave that next measure, I should now have two measures: one with the right number of quavers (4) and one with the extra quaver that was just moved into that measure, right? Instead, Finale presents me with twice the last measure: the one with the extra quaver — the original first measure (four quavers) is gone.

I have noticed this in all documents: old documents that were created with previous versions of Finale, in documents created from templates and in new documents created from scratch.

Anyone else noticed this?

EDIT: This bug manifests itself not in the first dozen of measures, but is quite persistent after, say, thirty measures or so.

[zuill]

I'm using v24.3 and have never seen that behavior. I guess we're going to need to see a file, or have more info.

Sometimes a corrupt preferences file can cause unwanted behavior, so that should be considered.

Zuill

P.S.: I just saw that you are on a Mac. This might be a Mac only behavior. I use Windows.

[Peter Thomsen]

Jay Emmes,

I am on a Mac, too, with Finale v25.3 - and I am unable to reproduce the issue you describe.

Could you provide exact steps to reproduce the problem, like e. g.
“Begin from a new Document Without Libraries …”
?

[Vaughan]

This bug has been around for some time and I actually thought it had been squashed, although it seems to have taken on a slightly different form in Finale 25. AFAICS, on my system it seems to manifest itself only when the second, 'overflow' measure isn't completely on screen. If, for example, in a 4/4 measure, I enter three quarter notes and then a half, Finale warns me about there being too many beats. If I select 'Leave the measure alone', there's no problem. If, however, I select 'Move the extra notes to the next measure', and the next measure isn't completely on screen, I will get the overflow value, in this case, a single quarter note, in both measures. Any attempt to erase either measure will erase the contents of both. I usually use the method of overfilling a measure as a means to tie over barlines. When I want to do this, I simply have to make sure that both measures are completely visible.

[Jay Emmes]

Just now I had it happen with two measures that were fully in view (in Page View).

With your comment in mind, Vaughan, I experimented with a partially hidden second measure (in Score View, measures 14 and 15), but the results were as they should be: no bug in this case. I repeated the experiment in page view, same measures: results as they should be. Repeated the experiment once more, now on measures 204 and 205 and the bug was present, both in Score and in Page View.

This little experiment confirms my hunch that the bug manifests itself further on in the score, not in the first couple of measures. An 'undo' or two usually suffices to set matters straight, i.e. get the two measures as they should have been, but it's an extra action I should not have to perform had Finale functioned as to be expected.

[zuill]

Is there more than one measure number region? Are there any measures selected to not be counted in measure numbering? There are bugs with certain scenarios if you choose to show defined measure numbers. If this scenario is what you are dealing with, you might try the option to show real measure numbers.

Zuill

[Jay Emmes]

None of that. This bug is present (reproducible) in all documents, old, new, large, small, you name it.

[zuill]

If this ever happens to me, I will try to investigate further and report back. 20 years with Finale and this is news to me.

Zuill

[motet]

I have never seen it, though I only use it when I've made a mistake, so it doesn't come up that often.

[Jay Emmes]

Might well be just a problem with the Mac version of Finale.
I'll report it to MakeMusic. It is persistent enough to presume it is a veritable bug.

[motet]

If you don't give them the exact steps to take, don't expect them to experiment to find it.