Best way to create a template

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AndrewScottMusic
Posts: 21
Joined: Wed Apr 20, 2022 2:52 am
Finale Version: 26.3
Operating System: Mac

Post by AndrewScottMusic » Thu Jul 28, 2022 6:50 am

Hello Fellow Finale Fans,
I'm trying to create a template into copies of which I can paste all my random arrangements, thereby creating perfectly formatted, marketable presentations with one click of the mouse.
It would be a good idea if it worked.
My latest attempt only gets me this far:

I have begun arranging Eine Kleine Nachtmusik for Piano and Flute.

It's going well until I try to copy the flute part from Eine Kleine - Flute & Piano.musx into the file Template - Flute.musx.
Copying from here:
https://andrewscottmusic.com/downloads/ ... Piano.musx
to here:
https://andrewscottmusic.com/downloads/ ... Flute.musx

What happens then is that all my carefully contrived dynamic markings appear in some crappy font that I neither like or want.
Both files have Maestro as the default music font.

I don't want to change all the dynamic markings one by one.

I want the new file to be a template into which I can copy parts from other files and they will look ideal.

When I copy and paste from one file to another, do both files need to have the same .LIB files loaded?
I'm using these, but the system still lets me down.

https://andrewscottmusic.com/downloads/ ... ptions.LIB
https://andrewscottmusic.com/downloads/ ... ations.LIB

All help gratefully received.
Attachments
Eine Kleine - Flute & Piano.musx
(194.73 KiB) Downloaded 29 times
Last edited by AndrewScottMusic on Thu Jul 28, 2022 9:11 am, edited 1 time in total.


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N Grossingink
Posts: 1786
Joined: Mon Dec 19, 2016 2:50 pm
Finale Version: 27.3
Operating System: Mac

Post by N Grossingink » Thu Jul 28, 2022 8:42 am

The file info dialog shows your Flute template was started in Finale 27 and subsequent work was done in Finale 26. That's not a good idea because Finale 27 is a completely different animal because of the switch to SMuFL format fonts. The odd dynamics are in Finale Maestro font, which is the Finale 27 SMuFL font which Finale 26 can't display. The I think the file is confused as to the font usage.

The Flute and Piano file was started in Print Music 2011 back in 2012 and most recently worked on with Finale 26. That spells trouble.

If you have both Finale 26 and 27 you're going have to decide which one you want to use and stick with it. I would make a new Flute and Piano template (one version or the other), copy your present Flute and Piano into it and if necessary fix the dynamics. The dynamics don't have to be fixed one by one - just change the font selection in the expression category they end up in.

By the way, you don't have to have a separate Flute part template and go to the bother of copying in the Flute. The Flute and Piano score will contain a linked Flute part.
N. Grossingink
Educational Band, Orchestra and Jazz Ensemble a specialty
Sample: https://drive.google.com/file/d/1pFF5OeJDeLFGHMRyXrubFqZWXBubErw4/view?usp=share_link


Mac Mini 2014 2.6 Ghz, 8Gb RAM
OSX 10.15.7
Finale 2012c, 25.5, 26.3, 27.3

AndrewScottMusic
Posts: 21
Joined: Wed Apr 20, 2022 2:52 am
Finale Version: 26.3
Operating System: Mac

Post by AndrewScottMusic » Thu Jul 28, 2022 9:16 am

O I see.

Another arranger created the Finale 27 file.

I didn't realise that there was so much incompatibility.

As for the 2011 file, is there any way to modernise that, whlst retaining all the display settings?

I've been making arrangements on and off for years and don't want to start over for each one..

And what about the LIB files?
Are they important?

Thanks for your valuable insight so far, N Grossingink

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N Grossingink
Posts: 1786
Joined: Mon Dec 19, 2016 2:50 pm
Finale Version: 27.3
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Post by N Grossingink » Thu Jul 28, 2022 2:14 pm

I notice that your pages have no margins and your page sizes are unusual. Is this for formatting music to be viewed on an iPad?

If I were you, I'd create a brand new Flute/Piano score and use that. Reconstruct from scratch any settings you may have made. Use this file as a template, that is, keep it untouched and use a copy to start a new project. The files you attached look like they have a lot of inbred problems.
N. Grossingink
Educational Band, Orchestra and Jazz Ensemble a specialty
Sample: https://drive.google.com/file/d/1pFF5OeJDeLFGHMRyXrubFqZWXBubErw4/view?usp=share_link


Mac Mini 2014 2.6 Ghz, 8Gb RAM
OSX 10.15.7
Finale 2012c, 25.5, 26.3, 27.3

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ebiggs1
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Joined: Tue Dec 06, 2016 8:57 am
Finale Version: Finale 27.3
Operating System: Windows

Post by ebiggs1 » Fri Jul 29, 2022 2:33 pm

It is mandatory you stay in 26 or 27. Are you making a template or a file? I would use, and do, always make a musx file and not a template. A template does not store enough info for my liking. And Finale doesn't help by not storing the template in the correct folder automatically. A mystery to me because you have to specify a template folder.

In your case it is probably going to be easier to start over with exactly what you want. Make a musx file and save it. Then do a "Save as", rename it, to your updated work. You can still copy just the notes from your existing work.
Last edited by ebiggs1 on Mon Aug 08, 2022 1:57 pm, edited 1 time in total.
Finale 27.4.1 - Perfect Layout Silver - Note Performer 4.4 - SmartScore Pro 64 - Windows 11
President, The Shawnee Concert Band, Composer/Arranger, retired Music Teacher.

AndrewScottMusic
Posts: 21
Joined: Wed Apr 20, 2022 2:52 am
Finale Version: 26.3
Operating System: Mac

Post by AndrewScottMusic » Mon Aug 08, 2022 5:54 am

Thanks ebiggs1.
sorry for the misnomer.

When I wrote "template," I was thinking of an MUSX file that contained all my layout preferences.

I had forgotten that Finale has a slightly different understanding of that word.

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ebiggs1
Posts: 1424
Joined: Tue Dec 06, 2016 8:57 am
Finale Version: Finale 27.3
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Post by ebiggs1 » Mon Aug 08, 2022 1:59 pm

Yeah, you're right. MM needs to rework the template file system and how it saves them. But then MM needs to rework lot of stuff but we have "File Sharing"! :shock:
Finale 27.4.1 - Perfect Layout Silver - Note Performer 4.4 - SmartScore Pro 64 - Windows 11
President, The Shawnee Concert Band, Composer/Arranger, retired Music Teacher.

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