Odd spacing issue

[baytonemus]

Running Finale 14.5 on Mac with OS 10.11.6.

I'm having a couple of spacing issues with the score on which I am currently working. I had originally moved measures around manually so that I could print a copy and write the piano score (with pencil). Once entered, I unlocked all systems but was left with some collisions of both music and lyrics. Document Options/Music Spacing has the appropriate settings. The Utilities/Music Spacing command seems not to work as I would normally expect. Also, changes made to alignment and justification settings in Document Options/Lyrics doesn't apply any changes. I am, of course, applying the Utilities/Update Layout command.

Any help appreciated. Thanks!

[zuill]

So many things affect spacing. Maybe we need to see the file. Are systems locked?

Zuill

[baytonemus]

Thanks for your reply.

No locked systems. I've attached the file. Note the word "ground-ed" in mm.5, 7, & 11.

[N Grossingink]

Your systems were locked. I unlocked them, ran music spacing, and things were looking much better. There were just a few places where lyrics were starting to get too close or near overlapping. Rather than do anything else, I moved the syllables slightly to space them better (Lyrics Menu > Adjust Syllables). There is a big "X" where I did that. Many people will disagree and insist lyrics must be perfectly centered, but as a practical matter moving a few lyrics slightly is allowed by a fair number of publishers.

You had hidden some staves. From what I can see, it's really too early in this project to do that. Wait until all music is entered before starting any page layout (my opinion).

File attached.

N.

[zuill]

Regarding spacing of lyrics, there is a known bug with Finale that the larger the font, the more overlap. The programmers have forgotten to tell the program to recognize and adjust for the size of the lyric font.

Zuill

[baytonemus]

Thanks. Those are the same kinds of syllable adjustments I would have done manually, if necessary. On my original file, though, system locks were not displaying. In that same file now I'm seeing locked systems, but can't unlock them (command greyed-out in menu).

Is there an update I need to install? I've got 14.5.7098 running.

[baytonemus]

And now the systems on the file you sent are displaying as locked and I'm not able to unlock them. I have not moved any measures or locked anything, but I did add one staff.

[baytonemus]

I wasn't planning to upgrade to Finale 25 at this time, but I have a pretty critical deadline. This score has to be printed and ready for a rehearsal tomorrow, so if the upgrade will fix me, I'll probably bite the bullet.

[N Grossingink]

In that same file now I'm seeing locked systems, but can't unlock them (command greyed-out in menu).

You probably know this, but just to be sure - with the Selection Tool, select all (Command/A). The unlock command should then be active.

N.

[baytonemus]

Thanks, that was what I was trying. Maybe some kind of bug?

Anyway, I was able to access the unlock systems command through Utilities/Fit Measures...

Thanks for all replies. The info about font size affecting lyric placement bug is good to know!

[BuonTempi]

Regarding spacing of lyrics, there is a known bug with Finale that the larger the font, the more overlap. The programmers have forgotten to tell the program to recognize and adjust for the size of the lyric font.

Zuill, can you give more detail on this bug? As far as I can see, Finale gives more space to bigger lyrics.

Screen Shot 1.png (31.05 KiB) Viewed 7479 times

[Knut]

As far as I know, the bug that Zuill mentioned only happens when specifying fixed size for the lyrics font.

[BuonTempi]

As far as I know, the bug that Zuill mentioned only happens when specifying fixed size for the lyrics font.

Ah. I've tried comparing fixed and scaled font sizes at a variety of Staff Heights, and although I can see differences in the way it handles them, I can't see anything fatal. But I'd be interested in seeing some examples.

[zuill]

The problem occurs with melismas. If a long syllable is attached to an 8th, then slurs to an eighth, than the next syllable is on the next 8th, you might see the behavior. This is not with Fixed Size.

Zuill