Adding guidelines (as in graphical design software) to improve final score layouts

• May 3, 2013 - 15:11

Hello,
I'm progressively using MuseScore more and more in my "serious" projects.
The more I use it, the more I like it.
But there is one feature that would make me really happy:
having guidelines to help improve the final layout of the score (to better control spatial disposition of graphical elements).
By that I mean those floating guidelines (horizontal, vertical, diagonal) common in graphic design software (such as InkScape, that I use to create extra graphic notation for my scores).

Some desirable options:
1. Vertical, horizontal, diagonal guidelines;
2. Hide and unhide guidelines;
3. Enter guidelines both dragging with the mouse or with a precise numeric entry (120 mm, 400 px, 6.5", etc);
4. Optional snap objects to guidelines.

I have some background in graphic design, so I really know from my experience how guidelines are useful for overall better graphic results in any kind of layout. And this is a feature I miss since the first day I worked with notation software.
Even feeling MuseScore development not about competition, adding this feature would put MuseScore one step forward Finale and Sibelius, because as far as I know they don't have anything like it.

Thanks a lot,
Rodolfo

www.rodolfovalente.com


Comments

I agree, it could prove useful. Meanwhile, though, you can do quite a lot just by using Style options to set default positions for as many elements as possible. And if you decide you want to align things above and beyond this, don't move them manually, but instead use their properties (right click memu) to position more precisely.

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