Include in Measure Numbering checkbox not doing anything

[truszala]

I am using a Free Trial version of finale for Mac which I downloaded only a few days ago, so it should theoretically be equivalent to the latest version.

I am trying to prevent pickup measures within a movement to be included in the measure count. Usually the "Include in Measure Numbering" checkbox works, but sometimes when I uncheck the box, no change appears in the measure number. No idea what's going on.

Here's the sequence of measure numbers I see (in scroll mode):

Zrzut ekranu 2019-08-07 o 19.02.02.png

"Measure 19" is the one that I want to exclude: it's an eighth note pickup.

And here's the list of measure number regions, if it might help:

Zrzut ekranu 2019-08-07 o 19.00.08.png

Thanks!

[zuill]

I would need to see your file to be able to help. If you want to delete the music and just keep the blank measures, that would be fine. Often these things can be sorted out, but not by just a description and a picture.

Zuill

[truszala]

Oh, duh, sorry: I've attached the file here.

[motet]

Without looking at your file, "1 to 18: display as -16" doesn't make a lot of sense.

If a measure isn't in a region, there's no need to uncheck "include in measure numbering."

[zuill]

I think the order of setting things up confused the issue. There is a bug regarding not including a measure in the count, but I don't think that is the issue here. May I suggest setting preferences to show Actual measure numbers as a start. Then, set ALL the measures to be included in the count (you can go back later and change individual measures when all the measure regions are defined). Next, delete all your regions and start over, using the Actual measure numbers. Lastly, set up your regions. After this is done, then go back and uncheck the option to be included in measure numbering on the pickup measures. Hopefully I've explained things clearly.

Zuill

P.S.: Was this a file created from scratch in Finale?

[motet]

Either you can have one measure number region and uncheck "include in measure numbering" on the pickup measures, or you can have multiple regions in order to skirt the pickup measures. No need to do both. Unless you've got multiple movements and are starting the number over at some point, I would go the one-region route--easier.

I would take Zuill's advice and start over, deleting your existing regions and, in the measure tool, selecting all and checking "include in measure numbering", in case you unchecked that in the wrong measure somewhere.

[truszala]

Great, thanks for the help.

Without looking at your file, "1 to 18: display as -16" doesn't make a lot of sense.

Why doesn't that make sense? The first actual measure in the piece is a pickup measure and, using the one-region technique, excluding the first measure from the measure count returns a very similar result.

P.S.: Was this a file created from scratch in Finale?

Zuill, these files actually aren't created directly in Finale. Many of them actually have quite a complex provenance: .mxl -> Musescore -> .mxl -> Finale. But that shouldn't be much of a problem, right? Especially if I start the measure numbering from scratch each time.


Something that makes the problem slightly more complex is that the movement I'm working on is also full of first/second endings. The convention I would like to use for measure numbering is e.g. first ending = m64a, 65a, etc.; second ending = m64b, 65b, etc. From what I understand, in order to do this I need to create new measure number regions especially there. So, the technique I attempted was:

1.) start measure numbering from scratch
2.) make one big measure number region
3.) exclude pickup measures from the count starting from the very beginning, until I get to a first/second ending
4.) cut down the global measure number region to end just before the first ending
5.) make a new measure number region for the first ending
6.) new measure number region for second ending
7.) new great big measure number region, reaching from end of second ending to end of piece
8.) repeat steps 3-8 until the end.

The result looks good in the Finale file. However, once I export to .mxl, everything gets corrupted. One of many examples is that the initial pickup measure is included in measure count. Don't know why this should be the case.

And one more thing: There's a rather strange bug (so it seems) with the measure number regions. For example, with measure region 9: if you delete the the number in "Includes Measure" completely, you lose the ability to adjust the starting number. "Display As" never changes. But, if you make sure never to delete the number in "Includes Measure" completely, i.e. writing the new number first and then deleting the old one, you keep the ability. Just wanted to make sure that this is a known bug.

I've attached the new Finale file.

[zuill]

There is a known issue that is referenced in this Topic: viewtopic.php?f=5&t=17597

Look on the second page of the thread and see what MakeMusic has said about how you change the ranges in the settings and how to avoid the known bug.

However, don't expect too much when going from program to program via XML, or any other method. There are limitations. We can't expect some of the more complex capabilities of Finale to translate correctly to other programs. I think is has more to do with the complexities of control Finale has that other programs don't.

For my money, I would just create measure number regions around pickup measures, instead of unchecking to include in measure numbering. An, at the same time, choose to view actual measure numbers to avoid confusion as to where you are in the document. You can then toggle back to Defined Measure Numbers to check the new regions. It might take more work, but might give better results. It's hard to tell with your document, as it appears somewhat convoluted to me. I tend to keep things a bit cleaner when setting things up. If you still want each movement to have only one region, and want to use the option to skip in measure numbering, then definitely use Actual Measure Numbers set in preferences.

Zuill

[N Grossingink]

I'd suggest in the future, if you attempt any more projects that have such a convoluted history of XML imports/exports, you add an additional final step. After you have the final Finale file, take that file and copy all of the entries into a clean, unused template that was created in Finale alone.

It seems, to me at least, that this will strip out any inconsistencies that may linger on. The entries themselves give little trouble, but the "skeleton" (measure numbers, staff and measure attributes, etc.) seems to inherit unasked for properties. These do not transfer over when entries alone are copied and pasted.