V3 file completely broken layout after just opened and saved in V4

• Jan 6, 2023 - 14:34

Hi!

I've created a file in MuseScore3, added three instruments, and then just added some chord diagrams.
After just opening and closing the file in MuseScore4, layout of the file is completely broken.
Screenshots of layout in V3 and V4 are attached, as well as the original .mscz file created in MuseScore3.

Thanks!


Comments

In reply to by Jojo-Schmitz

"Add a system break at measure 6 and 19"

Well, I don't really consider that a solution.
In my opinion, maybe I'm wrong, this kind of broken layout simply shouldn't happen just because I've opened and saved the file in the newer version of the software.

I believe this is some kind of bug that should be solved by developers.
Otherwise, how can I work with my older files in new version if things like this happen?

In reply to by Jojo-Schmitz

Are you just regular user commenting or some official person from MuseScore?

Because if you are in any way official representative, it's quite unbelievable to leave comment like this.
It's like Blender 3D has new major upgrade, I just open and save my file, and my 3D model is broken in hundred pieces, and you say "not much wrong with that". It shows complete lack of understanding of software development on the basic level.
Therefore, sorry, but someone with more experience should replace you on the forum.

But if you are just regular user who likes to give comments, we'll just have to agree to disagree I guess.

In reply to by Jojo-Schmitz

"I'm not an official representative, but not just a regular user either."

Look, please don't take this as a kind of personal attack because it isn't that, and I really don't have anything personal against you, I believe you have good intentions.
But as I said before, your comment "not much wrong" sends message that you lack basic understanding of some basic things in software development, and one of those basic things is called "backwards compatibility". That means that older files should be seen without any kind of change in newer version of software.
MS4 has failed this test in a big way.

Btw, the file I've sent here is a copy of original file.
So, to explain it in detail, here is how it went. I've created original file "A".
Just to be sure to have backup, I've created a copy of the original file, call it file "B".
I hope we'll at least agree that copy-paste doesn't change file?

Then I've opened the file "B" in MS4 and saved it.
After that, and after my file complete lost it's original formatting (I guess I've used wrong word "layout", sorry, I'm not native speaker), I've made screenshot and send it here.

The attached file opens fine for me in MU4 reporting that it was last saved in V 3.6.2 and the layout looks just like the attached picture of the version 3 layout. Are you sure that the file you opened in MU4 to produce the picture of the version 4 layout is the same file that you attached here?

In reply to by SteveBlower

"Are you sure that the file you opened in MU4 to produce the picture of the version 4 layout is the same file that you attached here?"

Yep, I've created that file in MS3.
Then I've just opened and saved it in MS4. The result you can see in the attached screenshot.

In reply to by MarinR

It opens fine in MS4for me, also.

But if I do any kind of Save there are problems. Save or even Save As results in the problem with chord charts on re-opening.
Also, if I do an mxl save, on re-opening the chord charts are missing.

Also , if I start to add notes to the initially opened file, the chord charts go wonky.

In reply to by bobjp

"But if I do any kind of Save there are problems. Save or even Save As results in the problem with chord charts on re-opening."

I've never said that problem is when I open the file.
Problems arise, as you have witnessed, once the file is saved, without any editing at all.
For me, that's quite a major issue, and makes me no confident at all that MuseScore4 will not do something similar to my other older files and therefore I'm not using it at all until it gets major new upgrade.

In reply to by MarinR

Some things come to mind.

I open MS3 files in MS4 all the time. I work on them and save them without issue. But then I don't use chord charts.

It is interesting to me that the charts go funny when I start to edit your file.

What do you think that suggests to me? I'll play with it later if I get a chance.

No "backwards compatibility" problems for me. This forum is not the place for developers to comment. This is normal on any software forum I have been on. And if a developer does make a comment, they always identify themselves as such.

In reply to by MarinR

Aaah! - you saved it in MU4 rather than just closing it as you said in your first post. And indeed if I open it in MU4 and then save at and re-open it it looks wacky.

It seems a bug to me that after saving and reloading there should be any difference in the appearance. I can understand that the new spacing algorithm in MU4 would lead to different results than in MU3, but that should be apparent on opening the score before it is saved.

Actually I can reproduce the layout change by switching to continuous view and back again. That forces everything to get relaid out so it seems the bug is that the initial layout immediately after loading is not the "real" MU4 layout; that only becomes apparent when something is done to force the re-layout.

I thought I had seen an issue on Git hub reporting similar format changes after saving and reopening but with a score created in MU4 rather than in MU3. However, I can't now find it amongst the 1.2 k issues and counting.

Perhaps this should be reported on Git hub where developers hang out and they may identify it as a duplicate if there is another similar issue. And with luck the problem will get fixed. In the mean time, adding one or more system breaks in the appropriate spots will allow the fingering diagrams to be more spaced out and avoid the stacking that causes the dramatic wackiness..

In reply to by SteveBlower

Thanks to all of you who took your time to test the file I've sent.

Btw, I'm confused about one issue. If nobody from developers, or any official person from MuseScore is checking this forum then what's exactly the point of this thread?
Just complaining for the sake of it? :-)
I thought that reporting issues here will have some benefit to future upgrades?

@MarinR... You wrote:
Otherwise, how can I work with my older files in new version if things like this happen?
Try this:
Open your older file in MS3 then use menu item: Format > Add/Remove System Breaks and click 'Add system break at end of each system'. This will "lock in" the MS3's layout system breaks. Then open in MS4. In the rare instance that MS4 breaks automatically at an undesired measure, you can close then re-open to re-set the layout or adjust the stretch manually for any instance where a different number of measures is needed on a particular system.

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