Group folding

• Oct 14, 2017 - 04:33

When working with big scores, like orchestras, the instruments are arranged in groups, like woodwinds, voices, strings etc. The usual approach for someone who deals with such scores is to buy a big computer screen and turn it sideways, for example.

I think it would be useful if there's an easy way of toggling a group's visibility. Maybe I'm working with the strings, down below the score, and woodwinds, way up high. The inner section of the score have no use for me at the moment. So, I click somewhere near the left corner of the main screen, right over the group I wish to fold, and the corresponding staves become invisible until I toggle them on again. Something like a folding menu.


Comments

It might be useful to use View->Documents side by side (or possibly Documents stacked) from the menu. You don't have to have two documents open so you can use it to view two different parts of the score at the same time. You do have to manually scroll each section of the score though, but it might be less tedious than making parts of the score invisible to allow them to be on the screen at the same time.

In reply to by Borale

iirc QT does support a list tree structure which allows expanding and collapsing items, which will do what you want. The view/data framework QT uses is supposed to allow interface changes, such as a collapsable group, without disturbing the underlying data (functions). However, MuseScore has deliberately avoided using QT's 'special' signal/slot mechanism, so it might be more problematic to implement. I would also like this when playing a score because many times I can't see the instrument(s) notes that are actually playing.

In reply to by Borale

With the work that's been done on the timeline for version 3, it appears that hiding and unhiding instruments will become as easy as a single click on an instrument while the timeline is visible, which can be all the time if you like. It can also be toggled with a single key. You will have to scroll a little in the timeline to see the instruments you want to make invisible in a large score, but it will be far easier than is currently possible.

I have been involved in discussions about being able to group instruments in a manner you are talking about, and I think it would be a small jump to be able to make all of the instruments in a group visible or invisible as needed like you are requesting. I have seen nothing that tells me this work is being done, but I don't test 3.0 nightlies yet.

Do you still have an unanswered question? Please log in first to post your question.