Keyboard mnemonic for Export from File Menu

• Dec 24, 2023 - 17:28

Hi community,

With other score engraving software, I do a lot of "exports", so I prefer to use keyboard shortcuts or keyboard mnemonic to make the export easier. On MusesScore 4.2, I can easily make an export with cursor going File > Export. However, I cannot do the same with tapping on keyboard Alt+F, and then E .
When I press E, there can be three scenarios happening by random:
1. MuseScore just opens a new window with the new file dialog; (this happens most of the time)
2. Nothing happens and File menu remains open with lost of focus; or
3. MuseScore opens Export dialog correctly (this happens in rare occasions)
I don't know if three is something I have mis-configured on my computer, or it is simply just a bug.

Also, probably feature request: it will be great if there is an actual keyboard shortcut for opening the export dialog in future release. :-)


Comments

You can create a shortcut to the export dialog.
Edit>Preferences>shortcuts. Type "export" in the search shortcut box in the upper right. Then select "define in the upper left. decide on a letter to use. "E" is already in use. I used "O" just to see if it can be done. It works. "O" isn't a great choice. Maybe there are others. I suppose you could change thigs to make "E" work.

Thank God, I thought I was going crazy with ALT+F, E opening a new window. :) Another thing is that if you go to a menu item with the arrow keys, pressing ENTER in the numeric pad doesn't activate it. Also, speaking of the export dialog, one would expect ENTER to click the Export button. Instead ENTER in the numeric pad does not do anything. ENTER below the BACKSPACE key toggles the Main score checkbox on and off. Very inconvenient for keyboard-accostumed users.

I think I have found another problem: I have later tried to add a shortcut key to open the export dialog. I tried to assign Ctrl+Alt+E to open the Export dialog, but when I pressed Ctrl+Alt+E, the Edit menu opened/dropped down and nothing else happened. I guess MuseScore may have mixed up the combination of Ctrl+Alt+E with Alt+E ?

I guess I'm not understanding why you want to press 2 keys to open the Export dialog. Or is it three. When it can be done with one.

In reply to by bobjp

Suggestion for a one key shortcut? To avoid conflict with other existing shortcuts, usually custom shortcuts are with one or more modifier keys. Isn't that the case? AFAIK, E, Ctrl+E, Alt+E have already been taken.

In reply to by sccy

I think what bobjp is trying to say is that if you want really quick access to the Export dialog, you could assign a one letter shortcut to it. There are several letters that are not used as shortcuts. For example, I have assigned Z to "join beams". But of course, if you prefer to include one or more modifier keys to the shortcut, it is fine, up to you. Also you can override existing shortcuts. "E" and "Alt+E" are not a good idea, but you could assign CTRL+E to the export dialog if you insist on the shortcut being with the letter E and don't care about losing the pre-defined "CTRL+E" shortcut for "Add expression text". :)

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