Finale Forum

Anyone know a way to do this in a couple of clicks?

Cheers.

You'd have to manually change each full name to its abbreviated form in the Score Manager. The use of full for the initial system is more or less hardwired into Finale. Plus it's sort of "common practice".

N Grossingink wrote: ↑

Sun Oct 30, 2022 7:43 am

You'd have to manually change each full name to its abbreviated form in the Score Manager.

That's exactly what I've been doing! I guess I'm wondering if some enterprising Lua developer has automated the process

N Grossingink wrote: ↑

Sun Oct 30, 2022 7:43 am

Plus it's sort of "common practice".

I'm not exactly sure what you mean here and, not being one to assume, I have a reason for wanting them to be identical. It involves playing nice with XML exports and the miracle that is the Cantāmus app.

automate the process

You can automate the process somewhat by making template file(s) where these have been changed as you desire. Just use a template to start a new Finale file or copy in the entries made by another means.

Someone with programming chops could write a macro (e.g., using Autohotkey) which you'd run with the Score Manager open to

1. Open the abbreviated staff name dialog
2. Select all
3. Copy
4. OK
5. Open the full staff name dialog
6. Select all
7. Paste
8. OK
9. Advance to next instrument

Looping through all the instruments.

motet, I get the impression he wants to do the opposite. But your steps are dead on.

Ah, thank you. Switch steps 1 and 5.

A terrific suggestion! Thank you.

I've been directed by Jacob Winkler (the script's auteur) to this: https://www.finalelua.com/scripts?searc ... e%20staves which works a bit of Lua magic and gets the job done. Gotta love Lua!

Awesome. I do this all the time (manually copy the full instrument names to the abbreviated ones) and it’s a pain. Will have to try this script next time. Thanks.

onehunkytenor wrote: ↑

Sun Oct 30, 2022 10:29 pm

A terrific suggestion! Thank you.

I've been directed by Jacob Winkler (the script's auteur) to this: https://www.finalelua.com/scripts?searc ... e%20staves which works a bit of Lua magic and gets the job done.

I have downloaded the script, put it in the Lua Scripts directory, re-started Finale, it shows up in the right place with my other (correctly working) Lua Scripts, but it gives me an ERROR when trying to use it: \MakeMusc\Finale\27\Plug-ins\LuaScript\staff_rename.lua:723:bad argument#1 to 'SetSelectedItem' (number expected, got nil).

Any ideas why? or what to do?
Thanks