What exactly is saved in a template or style?
I'm trying to create either a template, or a style, however it's done to save a specific layout. For example, I want to be able to load a new score at startup that has 3 measures per line, with a defined amount of space between each system. I tried doing this with a custom template, that didn't work, and I tried saving it as a style, that didn't work. The only thing that seems to have saved when loading a custom template is the font face and style for the title. Am I understanding templates and styles incorrectly? What are they used for? Is it possible to create a template in the common definition of the word?
Comments
A style saves the settings of the Style dialogs, also I think some of Layout / Page Settings although that is handled a bit specially I think. So, if you set a given amount of space between systems in Style / General / Page, that will be honored when you load that style into a new score.
A template is a full actual score, but when creating a new score from a template, it basically only *reads* the style settings (including the distance between settings) plus - and this is really the main point of templates - the list of instruments. So a template for orchestra might have one list of instruments (flutes, clarinets, trumpets, violins, etc) and style settings (probably small staff size, for example) whereas a template for a jazz combo would have a different list of instruments (saxophones, trumpet, trombone, rhythm section) and style settings (handwritten text font, "winged" repeat bars, etc) A template - it doesn't attempt to recreate any other specific details of the *content* of your score like how many measure happenes to be on each line. If you literally want an exact copy of a score including the measure layout, I wouldn't use templates - I'd just save a blank score and make copies as needed.
In reply to A style saves the settings of by Marc Sabatella
Thank you that answers my question. Creating a blank score and saving all of the layout settings, etc. and copying it to a new file, or "save as" after opening it, makes more sense since templates/styles don't save everything as expected.
In reply to Thank you that answers my by mikec
You don't *really* expect them to save "everything". After all, you wouldn't normally expect the same number of measures in every orchestra score, would you? Or expect them all to be in the key of C minor? Or to all begin G-G-G-Eb like Beethoven's fifth symphony does? The whole point of a tempalte is not *not* just literally copy everything from a score but instead only take those things that are liekly to be applicable to lots of other scores in the same general style. In this particualr case, it might have happened to make sense to preserve something about the original measure layout, but in general, it almost never does.
In reply to You don't *really* expect by Marc Sabatella
I understand what you're saying, about scores, and instruments and all that. There's all kinds of usage cases though. For example, maybe someone is writing a book, or making an example for educational purposes and they only want 3 measures per system, with a big space between each system, etc. It also depends on what someone might have been used to in the past. For example, Sibelius, you can create different house styles, etc. No big deal and probably won't come up with a lot of people, but maybe the handbook could say what items are saved and not saved in styles and templates.
In reply to I understand what you're by mikec
Indeed, I agree there exist *some* situations where you want additional details preserved, but most people won't expect that to because that isn't the norm. For those special situations, simplying copying a blank score works fine.
As for saving styles, MusScore has this too. Save and load. I haven't used that feature in Sibelius, but I can't imagine it applies to everything - preserving the actual measure layout, the notes in those measures, the succession of key signatures and time signatures over the course of the score, the locations of voltas, etc. Presumably it is just style settings, just like in MuseScore.
In reply to A style saves the settings of by Marc Sabatella
Will that template show up in the new score dialogue?
Can it be added there?
Couldn't find anything searching "save custom template"
In reply to Will that template show up in by xavierjazz
See https://musescore.org/en/handbook/create-new-score-0#templates. I'll see if I can search-optimize that for "save custom template," too.
In reply to See by Isaac Weiss
:)