Line Tool start/end points

[Slavicek]

This is a bit of unusual problem for me and I'm not quite sure what to search for to solve it. I apologize if this topic has already been discussed at the forum, and if so, I would kindly ask for someone to direct me to the thread.

I have created a custom line with Line Tool and wanted to draw a line along the staff. Prior to that I have also applied a custom staff style (I attach the staff style screen capture in the case something there might cause the problem). The bars are filled with some hidden rests, but never mind that now.

Usually when I draw a line, the beginning of the line "hooks" itself up to a note, a rest, or beat in general, and so does the end of the line. It would have taken me a bit more time to figure out how to take screen captures with visible mouse cursor, so I simply took a photo of the screen with my phone. On the top image I marked with a red circle the appearance of the cursor, obviously showing the starting position for the selected line. However, the moment I move the cursor further left to the next bar, the starting position remains attached to the previous bar instead of the one in which I wish to draw the line (lower image). What follows then is that no matter where I placed a cursor on the screen / in the score, the resulting line will actually appear in the first bar, as if it is impossible to draw line in any other bar.

It is, of course, possible to move the line manually after it has been positioned in an unwanted bar and drag it to the bar I wanted, but it cannot be drawn there directly. And the funniest thing of all is that it only works so for some staves in the score and for others works perfectly normal with the line being placed in any bar whatsoever.

I'm not sure if I made myself clear, but if anyone had similar issues, please do share.

Custom Line 7.jpg

staff styles.JPG

[Michel R E]

is there any reason you can't simply make a 1-line staff style?

I'm not sure I understand what it is you are trying to achieve. nor what you mean by "line".

You mention a line that you created as a smart shape. but there's no additional line in the image you posted.

[Peter Thomsen]

Slavicek,

The better we understand, the better we can help.
It might help to know, exactly what you need, and why.

… I'm not sure if I made myself clear …

I am not sure I understand your description (= I am confused!).
Hence I have some clarifying questions:

… However, the moment I move the cursor further left to the next bar …

Example:
The starting position is in e. g. measure 14.
Then you move the cursor further left, to measure 13?

… the starting position remains attached to the previous bar instead of the one in which I wish to draw the line (lower image) …

The lower image shows the dialog box Staff Styles?

I suspect that you perhaps attached the wrong image(s). (?)

[Anders Hedelin]

Your explanation of the the 'line' is unclear. If you mean a one-line staff, I think Micel R E gave you the right hint. If you mean something else, please explain.

[N Grossingink]

I read your comments to say that a custom smart shape line will not maintain its position during and/or after entering it. You're using Independent Time Signatures (Staff Attributes). That's what's causing the problem - it's buggy as all hell.

I think Motet has a workaround for this which helps somewhat. He'll see this I'm sure and might comment further.

[Slavicek]

Hello everybody and thanks for the replies.

N Grossingink seemed to have been the closest of what I tried to explain, but I see the term line is the confusion.

1) The problem I'm having is with Smart Shape Tools, specifically Custom Line Tool.
2) The screen capture of Staff Styles I included is just in case that something might be wrong there that's causing the problem, but I'm not sure if that's the case.
3) The staff lines and the fact that this particular staff consists of one staff line only is irrelevant, it could just as well be full staff with five lines.

Imagine wanting to place a piano pedal marking (in the form of a line from Smart Shape Tools) under the staff. Usually such lines (Smart Shapes) position themselves by default under a specific note, rest, or a beat where we initially click with the mouse. Then we drag the line with the mouse depending on the desired length.

What happens in my case is that the line starts off at the beginning of a bar, but somehow refuses to prolong itself further to the next bar, as if pedal needs to be changed every single bar.

Again, it can be solved by displacing the line manually after we have placed it already, but that is not what I am looking for (adjusting dozens of them in a single score can take a while). Also, it doesn't work for every single staff so and for some of them prolongs itself normally as expected (that why I personally think it's a bug rather than some overseen setting).

Anyway, I am enclosing a new photo I took. You can see the cursor on the upper image at its starting position from which I place pedal line. On the lower image of the same photo the cursor clearly stands further on the left where I dragged it, but the line did not proceed. It stopped at the end of first bar in which it has been placed. I cannot even start the pedal line in the second bar, it always "grabs" the first bar somehow when I'm starting to draw.

novi.jpg

[motet]

As N. says, independent time signatures will cause this. Are you using them?

[Slavicek]

As N. says, independent time signatures will cause this. Are you using them?

I haven't paid attention to it until now, but yes, they independent time signatures were marked "on" within the Staff Style I used for these bars. However, when I turned them off, Finale told me this Staff Style can only be used for the full bar, not only a part of it (which is actually something I need).

Or am I adjusting the independent time signatures at the wrong place? It would be nice to use Staff Styles for a part of a bar only, without Smart Shape Tools behaving to buggy.

[motet]

Your picture above does not show independent time signatures for the Empty 1-line staff staff style. The black square in the box, as opposed to a check mark, indicates there's no change to that setting.

Independent time signatures are used to have 12/8 in one staff and 4/4 in another, that sort of thing. But it sounds like perhaps that's not the problem here.

[Slavicek]

Your picture above does not show independent time signatures for the Empty 1-line staff staff style. The black square in the box, as opposed to a check mark, indicates there's no change to that setting.

Independent time signatures are used to have 12/8 in one staff and 4/4 in another, that sort of thing. But it sounds like perhaps that's not the problem here.

Yes, it doesn't seem to be causing it.

I think I did locate the problem, though. Smart Shapes work splendid with all the staff styles, EXCEPT the ones that are using one-line staff instead of full five or zero. Literally every combo makes no change, but as soon as I put number of staff lines to one, pedal markings and all similar smart shapes begin to behave weirdly.

Does anybody have any idea how to fix this one?

[motet]

Can you apply the smart shapes before the staff style?

[Peter Thomsen]

… I think I did locate the problem, though. Smart Shapes work splendid with all the staff styles, EXCEPT the ones that are using one-line staff instead of full five or zero. Literally every combo makes no change, but as soon as I put number of staff lines to one, pedal markings and all similar smart shapes begin to behave weirdly …

Unfortunately I am unable to duplicate this problem.
For me, smart shapes work without problems in 1-line staff style.

What happens if you do things in the reverse order?
I mean, first add the smart shape, then apply the staff style for 1-line staff.

[Slavicek]

Yes, placing smart shapes before applying the staff style solves the problem of placement. If the process is reversed, as described before, it simply won't work. I guess it's some bug concerning one-line staff option, but this workaround is actually sufficient for my case.

Thank you all for helping out