create multi measure rest

[yang]

Why does it not allow me to merge all the rest together?

Thank you!

[Peter Thomsen]

There are several possible culprits.

You have attached a graphic, but not an actual Finale document with the problem.

Without having an actual Finale document to examine we can only guess.

1) The measures must be truly empty.
That is, the whole rests must be Default Whole Rests (= empty measures), not Real Whole Rests (= entries, whole rests).
Finale has a plug-in for the rest conversion:
Plug-ins menu > Note, Beam, and Rest Editing > Change to Default Whole Rests
By The Way:
There is also a plug-in for the opposite conversion: change Default Whole Rests to Real Whole Rests

2) A measure has Measure Attributes.
To get to the Measure Attributes window, switch to the Measure Tool, and double-click the measure.
In the Measure Attributes the option
Break a Multimeasure Rest
will prevent the measure’s right barline from getting included in a multimeasure rest.

3) Some expressions, too, can Break Multimeasure Rests.
This is an option you can de-select (similar to de-selecting the option in the Measure Attributes).

4) The culprit can also be in the Staff Tool.
Certain types of Alternate Notation will prevent multimeasure rests:
Slash Notation
Blank Notation
One-Bar Repeat
Two-Bar Repeat

[AnneMillington]

Very helpful summary, Peter. I think I have stumbled over most of these impediments!