cannot save or export files compatible with MuseScore 3

• Dec 19, 2022 - 21:08
Reported version
4.x-dev
Type
Functional
Frequency
Once
Severity
S3 - Major
Reproducibility
Always
Status
by design
Regression
No
Workaround
Yes
Project
MuseScore

Maintaining a way to save old-format files (even with the caveat that new features might not be representable in the old format) is crucial in a tool used for collaboration between musicians, some of whom may not be able to update to new software versions on the same schedule. MusicXML is not a sufficient workaround, as the formatting of the music is an important part of that collaboration.

Comments

• Feb 8, 2023 - 16:13

Maybe a more constructive way to frame this is that there is a desire amongst users to be able to create files in MuseScore 4 and open them in MuseScore 3 while preserving as much of the formatting as possible. The current combination of MuseScore 4 MusicXML export and MuseScore 3 MusicXML import loses a lot of that formatting. If MusicXML is the intended interchange mechanism between the two versions, then it would better meet the users' needs to improve the amount of formatting preserved in it (which may require changes to both the export in MuseScore 4 and the import in MuseScore 3). In the meantime, my own workaround has been to downgrade to using MuseScore 3, so that I can continue to collaborate with folks who have yet to upgrade.

Reply

• Feb 8, 2023 - 16:21

Sure, understood, but that just isn't the case and is so by design (and ever since, same happend on every major release change of MuseScore)

MusicXML won't be able to retain all the layout details, it isn't made for that, but it is the best format available for interchanging scores.

Reply