Scroll View proposal

• Apr 18, 2011 - 22:41

In another thread, I suggested a possible way to implement something like Finale's "scroll view" without completely altering the architecture of the program. Simply implement a command that temporarily sets page size to something just tall enough to fit one system, and is arbitrarily wide. The command should be a toggle, so hitting it again restores the original page size.

I just tried taking a score, removing all line and page breaks, and setting my page size to 2000x60mm. I had to also set the plastic line fill threshold to 100% so it didn't try to stretch my music out unnecessarily. It instantly looks, feels, and works a whole lot like Finale's scroll view. Playback scrolls just fine, as does horizontal scrolling via mouse wheel. Missing is page up/down to scroll via keyboard. But I'd argue that many would want page up/down to work system by system even in "regular" view. Even word processors don't really move to the next physical page with those keys - they go a screenful at a time. I'd suggest that page up/down should do something similar in MuseScore, with Ctrl-Page Up/Down or something similar to actually move by page.

The scroll view should probably suppress display of vertical frames. Right now the title ends up taking up a whole giant page to itself. It should also disable the hide empty staves option. Probably a couple other details to iron out here and there. But it actually works well enough as is that I may start using this technique when initially entering my music. And that's the only time I would generally want this mode, anyhow. I don't normally start worrying about line or page breaks until I'm basically done with note entry, so I don't even care is MuseScore ignores line/page breaks during initial note entry. I'd then switch to regular view, add my breaks there, and not actually care so much what MuseScore did should I for some reaosn go back to scroll view.

BTW, it seems like the only thing needed to implement a fairly useful plug-in to automate the toggling would be a way to set the last system fill threshold, and a way to store the original value of this and also the "real" page size with the document should someone save it while in "scroll" view. I suppose, if nothing else, a plug-in could potentially store that info in a sidecar file. A plugiin could possibly even delete line breaks (not sure about page breaks) but save their locations for later restoration. But it would be better if there were support for hiding vertical frames, setting the hide empty staves option, etc.


Comments

I think I'd actually prefer if the Hide Empty Staves option remained.

EDIT: Finale Scroll View appears to be a horizontal thing, in which you would indeed be better without this feature.

I had thought of the scroll view being a vertical thing (think someone said something that pertained to it), but perhaps it wouldn't be a good idea.

In reply to by chen lung

Right, one long horizontal scroll. The idea being that two adjacent measures are always actually adjacent on the page - no such thing as a line break. This makes entering and basic editing of notes a lot more straightforward, you never have to jump around on apage to get from one measure to the next. Most Finale users start off a score in this mode, then switch to Page View once all the notes are entered. Maybe some back and forth, but basically, mostly scroll view at first, msotly page view toward the end.

I suggested disabling "Hide Empty Staves" because it's really meaningless if the music is just one system. Unless, I suppose, if one staff was really completely empty for the entire piece. No harm in hiding it in that case. I was just concerned that if your score had page breaks, and MuseScore wasn't suppressing those, you'd have some systems with more staves than others, and it would be difficult to find one page height to use that worked for the whole score.

I added a comment on the enhancement request for this as well. It is an extremely useful feature and it would be a great addition to MuseScore.

I just wondered about repeats.

Instead of ordering the same section to be played so many times (and the volta, etc), could there be an option to display these linear (creating more pages)?

Maybe this could be a plug-in generally, and not just limited to scroll view.

A possible problem would be multiple lines of lyrics.

I'd probably consider this a minor feature, but it could be useful :).

In reply to by chen lung

Re: expanding repeats in scroll view:

One use is for those who don't appreciate jumping around the score (particularly if there's fast sections), and want everything presented linear for simplicity.

Sounds like maybe something that could be enabled only during playback, then? I can see the value there. it's during editing that I see only potential for confusion with no benefit.

In reply to by chen lung

Well, if I think about this as a new general purpose playback mode, not just something specific about repeats, lots of things come to mind. Most obviously, a way to set a start and stop point for looping playback, control the metronome, on screen tempo control for temporarily slowing down/speeding up the playback (eg, moving the control on the play panel to this screen), a "scrubbing" playback mode as in Finale, where hovering over a note plays and holds the notes at that time position in the whole score (ie, in all instruments) - and that's just the things that don't a ctually allow for editing.

Ultimately, I could also imagine controls that allow you to "conduct" dynamics and tempo changes that would then be recorded into the score, maybe even allow for rel-time MIDI input, and well, all sorts of playback-oriented enhancements that I figure really belong in a separate program. But heck, maybe that's what this would be?

In reply to by chen lung

Yep cool, have downloaded the latest pre-release for Mac (Musescore-1.2-pre2). Apologies for the dumb questions, but where in this new version of Musescore would I find the 'continuous layout' option? I've looked in Layout, Display and General Styles but can't seem to find any mention of it.
Thanks!

In reply to by jozzbeat

Not the pre-release, the nightly build (choose the latest - 5497). The nightly builds aren't stable yet - just incase you plan to do any work :). Sometime this year, 2.0 will be available.

I recommend uninstalling the pre-release and if you don't have it, download 1.2 (link available in the top corner of the website) - the stable version.

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