BUG: Musescore drumline causes unnecessary changes to UI.

• Apr 22, 2019 - 19:37
Reported version
3.0
Type
Functional
Frequency
Once
Severity
S3 - Major
Reproducibility
Always
Status
by design
Regression
No
Workaround
No
Project
MuseScore

Original Posts:
https://musescore.org/en/node/285008
https://musescore.org/en/node/287924

Upon installing the Musescore drumline in Musescore 3 or Musescore 3.1 on Windows 10 through the Resource Manager, drastic changes to the UI occurs: the Font of the entire UI increases in size, the Transport Control taskbar shifts to the bottom and the selection of taskbar note options decrease. The user has to then manually readjust the taskbars and decrease the fontsize in preferences to return the GUI appearance to default settings. MDL workspace has all the additional workspace components under "view > workspaces > edit > MDL", unnecessarily checked. I suspect the author of the extension forgot to remove his personalized workspace GUI customization before submitting it. In my opinion, the extension by default should only add its specific features (e.g., palette options) without modifying the users workspace appearance.

"Reset all preferences to default" in Preferences only returns the font size to the original size. It does not reset positioning and options of taskbars (e.g., my note options on the taskbar are still limited. I need to recustomize the note taskbar to return it to default). As a side note, should there not be a way to reset all the taskbars without having to do a total factory reset? Maybe taskbar resetting should be included in the "Reset all preferences to default" command and/or as an option in the right-click taskbar menu and in the View menu.

Thanks,
Sam

Comments

• Apr 29, 2019 - 06:27
Status active ⇒ by design

This is by design. MDL does change workspace layout and does reduce the number of options in the palette. The options removed are unnecessary.

MDL is designed for optimizing the workflow for marching percussion composition and arranging. If you have MDL installed and wish to write for other types of instruments/ensembles, simply toggle between workspaces.

Reply

• Apr 29, 2019 - 13:16

Thanks for replying. Personally, I would prefer to retain my workspace (e.g., position of transport controls such as play) when working on a score using Drumline with melodic instruments. Musescore doesn't offer an easy way to reset GUI components in a defined workspace, so each changed GUI element has to be manually reverted if one wants to retain the default layout. Regardless, I can work with it, although I am not clear on the function of increasing the general GUI font size.

Reply

• May 22, 2019 - 22:12

Thanks to those who directed me to this thread. And thank you to the creator of this wonderful Resource. I'd like to lend my voice to this issue.

It feels very intrusive and shocking to suddenly have my GUI settings changed upon installation of this Resource. It would be nice if there was some sort of warning about fonts and toolbar settings being changed prior to installation, even if just on the MDL web page.

Toggling between workspaces doesn't fix the GUI font and taskbar position settings back to normal (I would assume marching percussion composers aren't innately hard-of-seeing and requiring increased font sizes, so I just don't understand the change. Then again, maybe I'd be composing with a tenor drum strapped to my chest, which would push me farther away from my computer screen) so that makes things difficult.

As for the omitted note options... perhaps an "MDL Advanced" workspace could be included that has the Advanced stuff, similar to the "Basic" and "Advanced" workspace options that come with Musescore.

Reply