saving styles and templates

• Dec 8, 2022 - 17:33

I've been trying to Save As a Template/Style after selecting the fonts, allowing me to load the style after I start a new score. But when I go to load the newly created style into another score it's not there.
So then where is it? How do I save a score layout I want to use in the future. As always I appreciate your help.


Comments

Normally this works.
Styles are stored in the directory '.../Documents/MuseScore3/Styles' (not sure about the name or path, since I have a German installation and I'm using Windows. This directory should be next to your parts or template directory.)
If you open an older score, you select 'Format/Load Style...' and you can load an other style file with the extension 'mss'.
If you have created a score with the desired styles and want to use it again, you must save it with 'Format/Save Style...' in the above mentioned directory under a suitable name. It (almost) doesn't matter if it's an already completely created large score or a simple example. The advantage with an existing larger score is that you already have many style variations (score name, song text, staff text, etc.) customized to your liking, and you've seen what that looks like.

Under 'Edit/Preferences.../Score' you can set a style file as default file. Specify the full pathname to the style file. Then when you create a new score, this style will be used in the future. Of course, you can override this style by loading an other one.

In reply to by HildeK

Thanks HideK
I created new scores with MuseScore 3.62, as I earlier explained when I want to use that style again I can't find it. However, after receiving your instructions I created a new score. Then from Load Styles dialog box I selected the folder msc backup and I choose the earlier created file which I saved to msc backup.
Next, I selected the file I created earlier, and that file template loaded and my new score was setup for me, saving me a lot of work.
I learned the after creating a new style it must be saved to the msc backup folder, otherwise it's lost.
Thanks for your help. Robert

In reply to by iceorchard

? You should never save anything to the backup folder.

It's not quite clear what is going wrong, but it sounds like you are getting confused between templates and styles - two different things. Termplates are ordinary scores, with the extension MSCZ, but saved to your Templates folder. These are used when you first create a score; you don't load them into existing scores. That's what styles are - files with the extension MSS, created via Format / Save Style. If you've set up a score the way you want, you'd want to save the score itself as a template (to your Templates folder) but also save the style file to your Styles folder. No backup involved at all.

In reply to by iceorchard

Template:
Templates are predefined setups for e.g. your band with all used instruments.
You create a score with multiple instruments (normally used in you band), including preferred styles and save it as NAME.mscz in the templates folder. You don't have to fill out any notes at this time, but there might be some in there with no effect.
When creating new scores you will find this template in the New Score Wizard under 'Custom Templates'. Then you will get a score with these instruments and settings. As usual, you must choose the key, time signature, and number of measures for the new score when you create it.
Of course, the style you used before creating the template will be used then as well.

Style:
A styles file mainly defines text formatting (size, font etc.), line withs, distances and positions of elements and many other things that determine the appearance of the score.
Styles files are located in the styles folder, next to the folders for templates, scores, plug-ins etc. If you have a score with the styles you like, use 'Format/Save style...', choose a name and you will get a file with extension mss in you styles folder. This file can be loaded into any existing score using using 'Format/Load style...' .
Additionally, as I wrote above, you can define a path in 'Preferences/Score' to a style file. This will then be used automatically for each new score in the future.

In reply to by HildeK

Thank you Hilde K for your time and effort to help me. If you have a score with the styles you like, use 'Format/Save style...', choose a name and you will get a file with extension mss in you styles folder. Give the file a name and save it. That's all there is to it.
In the past, however, when I tried naming the file a dialog box would open showing a highlighted file with the wrong extension type. I accepted it even though it was not a mss type, then clicked save. Later when I wanted to load the style it was missing. But after reading your correspondence, I noticed that the default file type next to the pole where the file name is to be entered is the file extension mss.
Therefore, I ignored the default highlighted file I saved to only god know where, and simply entering the file name and clicked save. It worked like a charm. Robert

In reply to by iceorchard

If you saw a dialog box defaulting to wrong file type, then you were almost certainly using the wrong dialog. Saving a score offers the MSCZ filestype, saving a style offers MSS.

If you ever do encounter a case where you believe the dialog is offering the wrong type, please report it so it can be fixed (or we can help you find the correct dialog).

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