Release notes for MuseScore 3.5 Alpha (May 6, 2020)

Updated 3 years ago
This page shows old instructions for MuseScore 1.
For MuseScore 4 users, see Release notes for MuseScore 3.5 Alpha (May 6, 2020).
Build number Date Announcement
macOS 10.10+: 3.5.0.26969, Windows 7+ (32 and 64-bit): 3.5.0.11614, Linux AppImage: 3.5.0 (revision: 1ee2fe3) 2020-05-06 https://musescore.org/en/3.5alpha

New features

  • Option available in Preferences for playback of chord symbols
  • Mid-staff instrument changes now do almost everything automatically (see below)
  • Support for Orca (Linux) screenreader
  • Hairpins, voltas, and other lines now adapt anchor points when dragged
  • Much more functional piano roll editor (see below)
  • Splash screen displays progress messages while loading MuseScore
  • #293113: New Score Wizard automatically numbers instruments
  • #18897 partial fix: Property for beam style of tremolo (all strokes attached to stems)
  • #296075: Style for hiding brackets which span to a single staff when empty staves are hidden
  • #203026: Properties and styles for measure number positioning, including centered and below staff
  • #65241: Property and style for position of multimeasure rest numbers
  • #299644: Property for fretboard diagram rotation

Improvements

  • #16077: Double-click a header, footer, or instrument name to access the dialog for editing it
  • #27371: Score tabs can now be closed using mouse middle button
  • Improved layout of two-note and single-note tremolos, with and without stem
  • #93376: Smooth scrolling during playback in Continuous view
  • Various improvements to simplify searching and loading backup files
  • #303617: Metric modulation for dotted eighth to quarter

Fixes

  • JACK audio/MIDI worked incorrectly on some platforms
  • #148311: Loop playback skipped final rests in the last measure
  • MIDI note-off events were not sent in some cases
  • Undoing slur addition to a range only removed one slur
  • Canceling a selection worked incorrectly in some cases
  • macOS package was not notarized in Apple
  • Various fixes for the text editing process

List of other issues resolved

Here is a complete list of all the other issues resolved and improvements made in this update:

Playback

  • #299697: Repeat play a bar, goes back to first bar briefly
  • Playback multiple subsequent grace notes as acciaccaturas
  • #301340: Dynamic playback after repeats does not match with score
  • #303678: Add ability to change tuning for more quarter tone accidentals (one and a half sharp, one and a half flat)
  • Add channel and polyphonic aftertouch support to fluid
  • #290034: Repeats play in newly-opened scores, even if "Play Repeats" button is OFF
  • #289898: Cresc./dim. are ignored for tremolos

Synthesizer, MIDI, JACK, etc.

  • #279471: Allow for note cutoff time to be specified in absolute rather than relative values
  • #294834: Midi note-off messages not sent during editing
  • #294836: Midi note-off messages not sent when stopping playback
  • #153656: Pedal On/Off shouldn't be immediate for compatibility reason
  • #301116: Don't write default note event values along with non-default ones

Layout and automatic placement

  • Fix wrong hairpin length if score ends with MM rest
  • #302571: Disappearing beam while editing slur node
  • Fix some spanner segments not scaled after spatium change
  • #277712: repeat sign when add lines
  • #297482: Score layout shifts when saved etc.
  • #297501: Layout shift of slur after reload
  • #301115: Invisible articulations affect layout of other articulations
  • #121416: Show instrument name on lower staff when upper staff of multi-staff instrument is empty and hidden
  • #290409: Stave brackets disappear on a 1 line percussion staff
  • #301684: Different clefs when concert pitch
  • #298638: Disable courtesy clef doesn't restore layout of previous system
  • #300693: Figured bass continuation not drawn to end note in voice > 1
  • #284344: Ambitus not redrawn on Update Range
  • #300738: Ottava (8va/8vb) number is too big
  • #294085: All elements set to normal position if all rests in voices other than voice 1 are deleted
  • #302281: Wrong default note group for thirty-second note in 12/8
  • #293593: Issues with ottavas
  • #299246: Hiding courtesy time signature only works for the first staff
  • #302316: String number under slur interferes with slur.
  • #285434: Certain 2.x frame texts imported with no style, resulting in wrong size etc.
  • #280343: Repeat measure signs: not vertically-centred in tablature
  • #298273: System divider goes away
  • #294890: Spacing for center-aligned chords not honored until second layout
  • #301555: Invisible arpeggios and glissandi occupy space
  • #291699: Stems and beams for small chords don't align correctly
  • #302590: Inconsistent alignment of chord name above fretboard
  • #301259: Wrong offset used for text elements with non-default text styles

Notation related commands

  • #291688: Time signature change doesn't appear in parts which don't have voice 1
  • #43906: Support for entering 256th, 512th and 1024th notes/rests
  • #294298: Diagonal line: End hook can disappear or elongate when Begin hook is set to "None"
  • #301478: Relative text position inside a frame is not saved for scores imported from 2.x
  • #298959: Note changes pitch, but accidental is not changed
  • #105936: Tempo entered in Create New Score wizard always uses quarter note
  • #284682: Position offset when moving cross-beam notes with the mouse
  • #301605: Undoing slur addition to a range only removes one slur
  • #298541: Chord symbols deleted on paste
  • #301103: 'Straight' text does not work, since all options in the "Swing settings" tab are unchecked
  • #301174: Undo selects an extra measure
  • Make measure numbers deletable
  • #299768: Hairpin: when copied, all custom settings are lost and the element resets to default
  • #287998: Courtesy time signature not removed when subsequent measures are deleted
  • #284434: "hide courtesy key signature" not working when hiding for only one staff of multiple-staff score from context menu
  • #286497: Unchecking 'Create courtesy clefs' hides all clefs at the beginning of a measure
  • Fix extending hairpin to multiple systems with Shift+arrow with middle grip selected
  • #280584: Changing clef with courtesy disabled changes courtesy but not main clef
  • #151121: Clef disappears into the second measure when courtesy clefs are disabled
  • #300718: Cannot increase the duration of a chord/rest within a nested tuplet.
  • #301753: Allow figured bass directly on selected rest (in bass line)
  • #288495: Allow user to select flats or sharps for enharmonic key signatures
  • #280311: Tie broken when using Split Staff
  • #286058: Changing Key Signature in Main Score (Via Transposition) Does Not Result in Changed Key Signature in Part
  • #287662: Key signatures at start of selection transposed via Tools / Transpose lost on save
  • #229246: Staff incorrectly numbered in "Instruments" dialog

Usability

  • #293129: Lyrics mode: shift+left/right does not take effect until release of Shift
  • #301124: "Score pathname" in "Score properties" not updated on "Save As..."
  • #121906: annoying tooltip while editing footers
  • Make the remaining templates to fit one page for a better thumbnail
  • #302372: Palette Search: filters palettes but not items
  • #279859: immediately dropping break onto vertical/text frame doesn't always get applied
  • #303403: "Play Repeats" button does not reflect default repeat behavior
  • #302388: Insert instrument into list at selected point instead of always at the bottom
  • #301929: No reminder to save, if you quit program before entering anything in a new score
  • #300926: Problem selecting and entering a whole note
  • #288679: Can't add shortcut for save as
  • #298955: Duplicate elements applied for each note in chord with range selection
  • #297426: The playback cursor is not repositioned when selecting items other than notes, rests or measures
  • #304612: In context menus, "Remove Selected Measures" uses wrong string and does not show shortcut, and/or does not appear
  • #291314: Make double-clicking volta in palette get applied to measure's first staff by default, unless user holds control to drop to the selected staves
  • #302171: Preferences | Shortcuts should also search by keyboard shortcut
  • #101991: Menu mnemonics A-G create note in note input mode
  • Add reveal in finder / show in explorer / open containing folder option in metaedit dialog.
  • Add support for deleting (custom) metatags.
  • Clicking 'style...' when the selection is a measure number opens the right edistyle page
  • Fix anchor lines disappearing after dragging an edit grip
  • Draw anchors at staff bottom if element is placed below
  • Always show anchor lines for elements which have them
  • Fix restricting dragging text elements to page boundaries
  • #301108: Difficulty canceling a selection
  • #303194: Wrong working directory when MuseScore is launched via a file association under Windows
  • #302282: Note entry does not begin on first chord or rest in selected range

Piano Roll Editor

  • #304302: Add buttons to piano roll editor to make editing options explicit
  • #278988: Allow copy and paste of notes in piano roll editor
  • #278977: Allow individual stripes to be highlighted in piano roll editor
  • #279210: Allow changing properties of multiple notes in piano roll editor
  • #289425: Add more means to zoom in piano roll editor

Playback panel

  • #295443: Edit > Preferences > Note input > Enable MIDI input vs. Toolbar > Toggle 'MIDI Input'
  • #123141: Playback panel: Turning loop OFF leaves loop in/out buttons ON

Palettes

  • Palettes: Avoid triggering application shortcuts
  • Add Measure Number element to palettes
  • #300596: Select-all [Palette Search] text upon utilizing shortcut command for fresh searching
  • Palettes: Implement Type-Ahead Find with incremental search

Inspector

  • #302603: Changing "Direction" has no effect on bowing symbols
  • #288372: S button beside "placement" property of fingering resets the property
  • #288962: Score display does not respond to unchecking of "Begin/Continue/End text" boxes
  • #301304: Text style parameters not updated
  • Make several inspectors collapsible
  • Fix margin and spacing of tuplets inspector
  • #297176: Intending to scroll Inspector panel modifies property value if cursor is above

Instrument Change

  • Show "Select Instrument" dialog on adding instrument change
  • Automatically change clef and/or key signature for new instrument
  • Automatically change text of instrument change notation to new instrument
  • Automatically change long and short instrument names to new instrument
  • Maintain instrument change transpositions when changing key signature
  • Automatically reverse clef, key, and text changes when instrument change is deleted
  • Add instrument change only once for range selection
  • #289006: Expose "Select Instrument" in Inspector for Instrument Change text

Text editing

  • #295156: Text edit mode: Select All shortcut does not highlight text until [Ctrl] is released (regression)
  • #292652: Blank lines of text consisting only of a RETURN are too small in height on some scores
  • #293724: Ctrl + Backspace does not work
  • #291402: Text edit mode: newline character can't be removed by Delete
  • #295544: Actions applied during text editing more automatically revert on return to normal mode

Save Online

  • Prevent the loss of the user's score URL by automatically saving the local score file when receiving the URL from the web server during the “Save Online” operation.

Selection Filter

  • #301543: Selection Filter's Checkbox Not Checked After Restart
  • Split Selection filter for Dynamics/Hairpins and Articulations/Ornaments

Backup files

  • #295701: Able to open backup files as an import
  • #125656: Put the backup file in a separate folder
  • Add (advanced) preference for backup folder. To get the old behavior, just set the setting "application/backup/path" to an empty string. Its default value is ".mscbackup"
  • #295310: Add an advanced preference option of disabling backup file generation

Visual interface

  • #279877: Continuous view: white block appears when wallpaper changed from default to PNG image
  • #293785: Chord symbols jump when user goes into edit mode
  • #304613: Format > Style > Measure numbers : The 2 dots ":" are missing after "Horizontal placement"
  • #292606: image attached to a measure doesn't show
  • Use palette background color for keysig chooser in the New Score Wizard
  • Fixed anchors blinking effect during the drag
  • Fixed clipping issue in Note Spelling (edit style ui)
  • #276002: "Dark" Theme for the Timeline
  • #302114: Wrong default GUI font under Windows
  • #278080: Request to show empty page rather than no page for score with no content
  • #304466: The “I/O” tab of the “Preferences” dialog should use radio buttons instead of checkboxes
  • #277472: Tour dialogs overlap with the highlighted area
  • #300912: Adjustment handles don't disappear immediately after undoing adding element
  • Visual interface fixes for bend canvas

Corruptions and/or loss of data, crashes

  • Fix various crashes reported via crashReporter
  • Fix a critical error when importing ove files
  • Score comparison tool: avoid crash on inability to merge text diffs
  • Fix a crash on leaving text edit mode without editing text
  • #302643: Crash on advancing to next chord symbol with no chord symbol entered
  • #303189: Staff/Part properties >> Advanced Style Properties >> Stemless crashes MuseScore
  • #300635: Crash when using palette item upon a staff-text
  • #303712: Crash when extending note into "let ring" and "Palm Mute"
  • #304238: Crash when using 'Image capture'
  • #298108: Sporadic Crash when dragging a 'Brace' from palette to score using Bravura
  • #304333: Using Edit > Preferences causes crash when no score is open
  • #302304: Musescore 3 Crashing
  • #299788: Crash when deleting a local Time Signature.
  • #301847: Crash on copying a measure Number
  • #292631: Crash when glissandos break a certain layout
  • #295207: Mscz file corrupted after splitting a measure
  • #300855: Trying to add text to a vertical/horizontal frame after double click causes crash
  • #303585: MuseScore crashes when trying to open a no longer existing score
  • #282492: Musescore crashes trying to open a mscz converted from a PDF
  • #289643: Crash when launching playback in presence of unexpected voltas
  • #302447: Crash on space in score part id
  • #301436: Iterating over elements with Alt+right in score with MM rest shows weird barlines, crash is possible
  • #302011: Grace note tie crash
  • #301488: Changing instruments from a tablature crashes the program
  • #298899: Accessibility: crash on Palette search with Qt 5.9 and NVDA
  • #301946: Crash when realtime automatic reaches end of partition
  • #301414: Corrupt tie created on paste of tied note that requires additional tie
  • #303611: Adding fixed spacer can clash with vertical frame below, causing a crash.

Accessibility

  • Fix telemetry dialog accessibility
  • Make note input ToolButtonMenu accessible for keyboard users
  • #301584: Palettes: give all elements unique names
  • #239181: No (useful) screenreader feedback on fretboard diagrams
  • #297040: Accessibility: Palette keyboard navigation is non-standard
  • #301789: Accessibility: no speech for key signature chooser in New Score Wizard
  • #302822: [Accessibility] - Breaks can't be accessed via keyboard
  • #301496: Voltas not reachable by keyboard
  • #299387: Support screenreaders other than NVDA

Plugins

  • Plugin API: add Score.pageNumberOffset property
  • Remove manual (helpbrowser) from the plugin creator. Clicking on the help button now opens the online API.
  • Add interactive version of Note Names plugin
  • Add documentation for state.undoRedo in onScoreStateChanged handler in plugins
  • Add Cursor.stringNumber property to use with tablature scores
  • Add Cursor.rewindToTick() function
  • Allow plugins choose if Cursor is synchronised with score input state
  • Plugins: fix a crash on getting element's parent if parent is null
  • #299539: Plugins are not run correctly when running musescore in converter mode.
  • #303495: ABC plugin not working on macOS 10.14 or later
  • #301561: MuseScore2 to Musescore3 : pagenumber pagepos ?

MusicXML, Capella, MIDI, audio files, svg export/import

  • #301113: [MusicXML import] page size and margins not imported
  • #271445: Include .xml suffix for export
  • #301671: [MusicXML export] section breaks in horizontal frames do not reset measure numbers
  • #301672: [MusicXML import] crash on empty credit-words
  • #299661: [MusicXML export] breaks in horizontal frames not exported
  • #23187: [MusicXML export] Layout exports despite being disabled in Preferences
  • #303780: Can't export musicxml file to midi via mscore command line on OSX Catalina
  • #300542: [MusicXML import] word-font not imported
  • #294643: [MusicXML export] harmonic notation not exported
  • #301320: [MusicXML import/export] incorrect handling of small notes, grace notes and cue notes
  • #104731: Text lost when musicXML file imported
  • #291758: [MusicXML export] - Tbox and Vbox after measure 1 don't export
  • #298855: [MusicXML export] - trill on rest not exported
  • #57791: [Capella import] Add support for importing chord symbols
  • #290764: MuseScore saves out invalid MusicXML file
  • #301079: Request: Add track names to exported midi file
  • #302118: Need 24 and 32 bit audio exports
  • #303902: Export to SVG with trim via command line results in blank image
  • #300694: Capella .capx import doesn't properly recognize hidden empty staves at start of score
  • Fix audio export of scores with incorrect synthesizer settings in non-GUI mode

Instruments

  • Pocket Sax improvements
  • #303863: MuseScore Tone
  • #290987: B# and Cb octave change
  • #300172: Problems with Bass Clarinet
  • #304756: "Vocals" 'instrument' has wrong ranges set in instruments.xml and the templates using it
  • #301656: Additional brass instrument "Baritone horn (Central Europe)" for the list of instruments.
  • Adding Spanish Bandurria and Spanish Laud popular instruments
  • #304452: How do you unmute an electric guitar?
  • #301529: Wrong Sound for Brass Instrument Cimbasso
  • #283111: The Octobass; an instrument 2 octaves below the cello, in the Bass clef 15mb.
  • #188771: Muted trombone?
  • #302009: E-flat Piccolo Soundfont?
  • #302586: Automatic Transposition Issue?

Miscellaneous

  • Update Bravura and BravuraText to latest Steinberg version 1.32
  • Fix MacOS notarization error
  • Add SMuFL "Other baroque ornaments" section (U+E570–U+E58F) to mscore.ttf
  • add Breton language
  • #301786: Add Barbershop Quartet Template for Women
  • #287955: In Windows Explorer, files with special characters in filepath don't open when double-clicked
  • #301387: Wyschnegradsky Accidentals missing in Accidentals Pallete
  • Add framework for handling unrecoverable errors in MSCZ files data
  • Make 'Hide courtesy clef' available for both courtesy and main clef, similar to what happens in the inspector
  • #301600: Option to disable the pop-up "Reset the positions of all elements?"
  • #282246: "Other" appearance in Time Signature Properties does not work
  • #294542: Allow setting notehead scheme on a note-by-note basis in the Inspector
  • #188061: Values in sp unit don't remain unchanged after changing spatium
  • #275659: Page Settings - Redundant "undo" ent
  • Fix file type filter sometimes not shown when saving

Telemetry

  • Disable sending all events to telemetry, but the ones responsible for Crash Free ratio

Developers area

  • #303707: Enable compilation and running of mtests on Windows with MSVC
  • #286842: Assertion failure on adding instrument change in score with parts
  • Switch AppVeyor builds environment to Microsoft Visual Studio 2019
  • fixed issues from PVS-Studio report
  • Reload sources for QmlDockWidgets if errors occur the first time