Vertical placement of dynamics

[mark carlson]

No matter how I set the category designer for vertical placement of dynamics, it always places them either right on the notehead or right above the staff; I have to move every one manually. I would think that choosing "Below staff baseline or entry" would be just about perfect, but it doesn't matter, because the dynamic always ends up right on the notehead.

How can I get this to work properly? I'm wasting a lot of time having to drag the dynamics to the appropriate place every time I enter one.

Thanks,

Mark

Finale 26.3
OS 11.5.2

[miker]

What's wrong with the defaults? Are you creating something different?

Could you post one of your files with the problem?

[motet]

Make sure horizontal and vertical offsets are as shown in the picture. Also, when you're applying them, make sure that you point right at the note and that the cursor is a "single" arrow, not a double-lined one.

[mark carlson]

What's wrong with the defaults? Are you creating something different?

Could you post one of your files with the problem?

Maybe it's because this file originates from 1997 and the default settings were different? I don't know, but now matter how hard I try to reset them, nothing actually changes.

I'll post the first two pages of the score below.

[mark carlson]

Make sure horizontal and vertical offsets are as shown in the picture. Also, when you're applying them, make sure that you point right at the note and that the cursor is a "single" arrow, not a double-lined one.

I do have it set like that, but it's not having any impact on the actual placement. Score to follow.

[mark carlson]

Here are the first two pages of the score. The dynamics that are there were either already there from when I first copied this piece onto Finale in 1997, or I moved them by hand--EXCEPT for bassoon 2, m. 3, I just put that there to show you how the dynamics are currently placed.

Thanks!

Mark

[miker]

Mark, I did the XML export/import thing, and that seemed to clear it up. Expressions that I entered went where they belonged.

[motet]

The individual dynamics are not set to use the category positioning, and also the offsets in the category positioning are messed up. See below (my units are EVPUs). If you don't want to go the MusicXML route, you could fix the category, then change the dynamics one by one to use the category positioning.

[mark carlson]

The individual dynamics are not set to use the category positioning, and also the offsets in the category positioning are messed up. See below (my units are EVPUs). If you don't want to go the MusicXML route, you could fix the category, then change the dynamics one by one to use the category positioning.

Aha! Thanks so much. I reset each dynamic so that it uses the category positioning, and all is fine, now. Eventually, I'll have all of my old pieces edited, and these things will be less and less of a problem--I hope!

Mark

[mark carlson]

Mark, I did the XML export/import thing, and that seemed to clear it up. Expressions that I entered went where they belonged.

Thanks! I reset each dynamic individually, since there aren't that many of them. I'm very happy to have learned new stuff about Finale!

[motet]

I'm glad it worked. I'm a little baffled, since your dynamics category has those wild offsets, as shown in my picture.

[mark carlson]

I'm glad it worked. I'm a little baffled, since your dynamics category has those wild offsets, as shown in my picture.

I was copying the numbers from yours, before I understood that you used EVUs, and I was using inches. Once I put them back to normal inches measurements, they were fine.

[motet]

Hah!