Finale Forum

So when I see I need more measures, I have been using edit--> add measures, which adds them at the end. This works great for adding 1-4 measures, but if I add, say, 24 bars....then it just comes all packed into a system or two, not distributed out 3 or 4 to a system. What's the right way to add measures when I see I'll need more?

That's the right way. That doesn't happen to me, but try respacing after adding them.

"Respacing?" I assume there's an easier way to do that than having to select a bunch of bars repeatedly and drop them down?

Dropping them down is perhaps what got you into trouble, since it locks systems. To respace, select all and press Ctrl-4 (or whatever the equivalent is on the Mac). To unlock everything, select everything with the Selection tool and press U.

The measures will automatically widen as you add music to them, though, so I wouldn't worry too much about it just after you add them.

Yeah, that doesn't work for me....must have screwed something somehow in the settings....? If I select all and do Control-4 nothing happens. Also, notes I enter are appearing totally squished together within the bars....or rather, some bars....it's inconsistent....have not had any trouble like this before....I tried saving and shutting down, reopening the piece, no difference.

bj, you're on Windows, right? Select all, Utilities > Fit Measures... > whatever you want. (CTRL-M works the same way.) The CTRL-4 only works if there are notes in the measures.

If you space the default document, Mike, you'll see that's not strictly true.

bj nick, in Preferences/Edit, are Automatic Music Spacing and Automatic Update Layout turned on? What input method are you using? Have you tried working in Scroll View?

Okay, the "fit measures" option did the trick. Thanks! Yes scroll view. But I'm still having two "spacing-style" issues: 1) entered notes are all squished, and 2) triplets will not cooperate. #1 is restricted to THIS PIECE--THIS VERSION....not happening anywhere else. As far as triplets A(using tuplet), I have the same issue everywhere: I enter a triplet figure as single notes, everything is fine. If I try to add harmony notes, make it a chord, etc, instantly the triplet vanishes and it's just an 1/8 note. Tried it 100 different bars, s....l....o....w.....l.....y, no difference. Baffling. Yes, making sure nothing's changed: tuplet is selected, 1/8 selected....2 wasted hours on this so far.

Okay, so I can't post an image? I screen-shot the issues so people could see......

An image or a Finale file, sure.

I've since been able to solve this problem with moderator Mike's help, but for the future, I didn't see how to put in the image. If I click on image I just get text saying IMG.

Click the attachments tab below the posting text box, Add Files, then navigate around on your computer and pick the file you want to upload.

Thanks for this! Will use in future.