Finale adding an "x" to part file names when printing to PDF

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poparad
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Post by poparad » Fri Sep 22, 2017 3:39 pm

Hi, I'm using Finale 25.4 on Windows 10 and I'm working on some big band arrangements and I'm in the process of editing and printing parts. In the past I extracted parts to separate files, but I'm trying linked parts for the first time. When I go to print parts to PDF, Finale defaults the PDF filename to "filenamex - instrumentname.pdf" I can't find an option anywhere to remove that "x" which isn't part of the original filename. It does this to all of my files consistently. Thanks!


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zuill
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Post by zuill » Fri Sep 22, 2017 8:51 pm

A known issue. I remove them manually, one at a time.

Zuill
Windows 10, Finale 2011-v26.3.1
"When all is said and done, more is said than done."

Anders Hedelin
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Post by Anders Hedelin » Sat Sep 23, 2017 12:55 pm

I do the same as Zuill. It seems unnecessary of course, and possibly a bug, but if you have a lot of parts to print to pdf, you soon get into the 'rhythm' of removing the xes.
Finale 26.3, 27.4.1
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ebiggs1
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Post by ebiggs1 » Sat Sep 23, 2017 2:28 pm

.. or they don't hurt anything if you leave them.
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BuonTempi
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Post by BuonTempi » Sat Sep 23, 2017 4:18 pm

zuill wrote:I remove them manually, one at a time.
Anders Hedelin wrote:I do the same as Zuill. It seems unnecessary of course, and possibly a bug, but if you have a lot of parts to print to pdf, you soon get into the 'rhythm' of removing the xes.
If only you guys had a machine that could perform repetitive tasks for you, based on a simple set of instructions! :lol:

Seriously, if I had to make this correction to more than a few files, regularly, I'd script it. Can't it be done in Windows with JavaScript, or DOS, or something?

Anders Hedelin
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Post by Anders Hedelin » Sat Sep 23, 2017 5:09 pm

Thanks for your understanding, BuonTempi. But I really don't mind this bit of manual labour at the end of a lengthy project.
Flutes - done. (un-exed)
Oboes - done (un-exed)...
Finale 26.3, 27.4.1
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Anders Hedelin
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Post by Anders Hedelin » Sat Sep 23, 2017 5:29 pm

Then, I'm an absolute ignorant when it comes to scripts. If I tried, unwisely, in fx. an arrangement of a wellknown Handel opera, it would likely go like this - script: 'remove all exes' - result: "eres - Alto Saophone'.
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BuonTempi
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Post by BuonTempi » Sat Sep 23, 2017 5:43 pm

Then you search for "x -" and replace with " -" (case sensitive).

If I showed you a time-saving tip in Finale, you'd use it. At the very least, there are free File Renaming utilities you can download to remove the x. There's absolutely no reason to perform tedious repetitive tasks on a computer, if you can possibly avoid it.

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motet
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Post by motet » Sat Sep 23, 2017 5:47 pm

I don't have a Mac, but in UNIX one would do something like

Code: Select all

ls -1 *.pdf | sed 's/\(.*\)x - \(.*\)/mv & \1 - \2/ | sh
hardly something that most people would have the chops to do. Or does the Mac somehow make this easier?
Last edited by motet on Sat Sep 23, 2017 7:56 pm, edited 1 time in total.

Anders Hedelin
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Post by Anders Hedelin » Sat Sep 23, 2017 5:52 pm

Thanks for taking this seriously., BuonTempi. I was actually more or less serious myself.
Where, more exactly, could I search?
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Anders Hedelin
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Post by Anders Hedelin » Sat Sep 23, 2017 5:57 pm

Thanks motet. I think I will leave this to others to brood over.
Finale 26.3, 27.4.1
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BuonTempi
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Post by BuonTempi » Sat Sep 23, 2017 6:51 pm

Anders Hedelin wrote:Thanks for taking this seriously., BuonTempi. I was actually more or less serious myself.
Where, more exactly, could I search?
As I say, you could start by using an app that does batch renaming, and use the terms I gave.

I just offer the possibility of making it easier for yourself. That's all.

Anders Hedelin
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Post by Anders Hedelin » Sat Sep 23, 2017 10:23 pm

I am grateful that you try to make things easier for me, but sometimes I think programs, plug-ins or assisting apps shouldn't do all the work for you. Here is something that really inspires me in my attempt to be a music engraver, something very not-plug-in:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BvyoKdW-Big
Finale 26.3, 27.4.1
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zuill
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Post by zuill » Sun Sep 24, 2017 3:47 am

As far as printing to pdf, I do the files one at a time, as Finale and Cute pdf don't batch print well. For each part, the print name appears with the x, I remove it, save, then go on to the next part.

the x is a result of bad programming. The programmers made it so the mus is removed. When they changed to musx format, they forgot to change the program to remove the x as well. That's my take on it, anyway. I may be wrong.

Zuill
Windows 10, Finale 2011-v26.3.1
"When all is said and done, more is said than done."

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motet
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Post by motet » Sun Sep 24, 2017 6:26 am

Hah! You're right!

I made a file called TeSt.musX and the resulting PDF was TeStX - Part 1. Since the X is uppercase in the Finale file name and the PDF file name, I think that proves your theory.

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gogreen
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Post by gogreen » Sun Sep 24, 2017 1:21 pm

As far as printing to pdf, I do the files one at a time, as Finale and Cute pdf don't batch print well. For each part, the print name appears with the x, I remove it, save, then go on to the next part.
I do exactly the same thing as Zuill does. Not really a big deal, but MM should fix this.
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Harpsi
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Post by Harpsi » Sun Sep 24, 2017 1:52 pm

I am on Windows and use a free utility called Rename-It! that works really well.
You just set up a filter to find and replace "x -" with " -".

Just google it and you will find it. I believe I downloaded it from Sourceforge.
Finale 2014.5, Finale 25, Dorico 4, Musescore 4
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