Can we auto space measures evenly in v26?

[Djard]

I selected the entire document then tried applying Note, Beat and Time Spacing. I did update the layout after each selection: none of the options space the measures evenly. The Rebar option also fails. The manual appears lame in this matter. I found nothing among the plug-ins. Anything else I can try?

[miker]

I thought there was something like setting the max. and min. measure sizes to the same value. I’ve never wanted to do it, so I haven’t studied the method. But I’m reasonably sure that whatever method used to work, still does.

[Peter Thomsen]

Djard,

Are you talking about the (external) distance between the barlines, or are you talking about the (internal) note spacing inside each measure?

If you attach a (small) Finale sample document with the problem, then I am sure we can find out what is going on.

[motet]

People request measures all the same width from time to time, but I've never understood why.

[mmike]

Remove all system locks first, then select the whole document > right-click > Edit Measure Attributes > select Change Width and enter the width you want. This creates all measures at exactly the same size (distance between barlines). If you size it larger than what you had originally, you need to update the document layout to see the extra pages that were created.

[Djard]

That works! Thank you.

Peter: I was referring to the distance between the bar lines.

Motet: I too prefer automatic spacing, based on how heavily a measure is populated. But too often, I find that Finale's determination of measure width is inaccurate: some measures appear cramped or sparse. So I would like to space them evenly then manually adjust those that need to be widened or shortened. It sounds neurotic, but my scores are comfortable to read and look balanced (to my eye).

[motet]

You might also try JW Note Spacing.

[motet]

The measure width setting has always been somewhat mysterious to me. The units seem to be EVPUs (though it's a little off--see Width = 96 below).

If systems are locked and there's not room to contain the stated width, a smaller width will be assigned, but if you come back to the measure attributes again, the larger number will still be there (try setting the width in all the measures in a locked system to a large number). If you respace, though, the large numbers are cleared.

The contextual help is very vague on Width.

[Jetcopy]

The measure width settings have also baffled me. There are times where I put "0" in for the minimum width. In my thinking, an empty measure with a whole rest should be the smallest width measure in a file. But Finale will make a measure with a rest in it bigger than a measure with a whole note in it. That makes no sense to me.

[Djard]

The unit for setting the distance between bar lines is inches. If you do not enter the correct distance in the attributes panel, the last measure in each staff will be shorter or longer than those preceding it. Thanks to the valuable help I get at this forum, I added the following to my guide that, so far, is over 800 pages long.
__________

• Space Measure Widths Evenly:

You may want to space measures evenly
and use the measure tool to manually
widen the heavily populated ones.

1. Selection Tool -> press "Ctrl + A" to
highlight document or use the "Shift"
option to select a region in the score.
2. Utilities (upper text menu) -> Unlock
Systems.
3. Right-click in any part of highlighted
area -> Edit Measure Attributes.
4. Check box for "Change Width" -> enter
the desired width. For instance, if the
left page margin is 0.6" and the right
is 0.5" and the the key is C (no
accidentals), enter 2.068."

In keys with many accidentals, the
width of the measures will be smaller.
Keep changing the width, until the
last measure in the staff is identical
to the rest therein.

NOTE: If the length entered is too
small or too large, the last
measure in the staff system
will be uneven. If the length
you enter is larger than the
original, extra pages may be
created at the end of the
document, after the layout is
updated.

5. Utilities -> Update Layout -> scroll
to the of document and check that no
extra pages were added. If so reduce
the length of the measures or change
the number of bars per staff.
6. Utilities -> Lock Systems.

[motet]

My mistake. The units are whatever Edit/Measurement Units is set to. I think they're scaled to the page scaling, though.