> Well, clip files accomplish the same thing between files thatdrag-and-drop does INSIDE the same file (except for clefs, apparently, which ARE copied in clip files, but not by default by drag-n-drop) which makes really two DIFFERENT methods. Drag some measures around, and between files, to see what method does what. You know, check out under the hood, kick the tires, etc.
If it's the same thing why is it called something different? Why does it have a different method?
I don't know. I don't know why when you drag and drop between two different files you copy different things than when you copy inside the file. All I know is: I know it, and I operate knowing it. I'm sorry this inconsistency seems to screw people up, but it's what I know. I can't even change it, like I politely change the way I like to tune leading tones when I play with string players, because they seem to like them way sharper than sounds good to me.
> >What is the purpose of clip files?
See above.
I still don't get why it's necessary. There is not a single other application that I've ever used that had more than one copy mode.
Yet, I am glad that I have two different methods, as I take advantage of the differences to make my work go faster. But you have a point about the clef change inconsistency.
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>Finale should be able to know if where it's copying from and where to >and then be intelligent about what it copies. It should copy all clef >changes if the source and target clefs for the systems are the same, >don't you think?
Hmm, not me. I often drag cello parts to double bass staves, then transpose 8vb with a key stroke. Or trombone parts to saxophone staves. . . .
All right, same clef and transposition.
Or 1st trombone parts to 2nd trombone staffs, then hitting the 8vb transpose key? I don't know whether I would agree with your idea here. It would cause me, personally, much more work if the clefs (and the measure attributes, and the measure-attached expressions) always copied with control C - control V. I work very comfortably knowing that those differences exist between the two methods. But I agree that there should be consistency with clip files, or else drag-and-drop between files should behave the same as within the file.
When you were complaining about the way lyrics copy (they got moved down a verse, and thus had a lower baseline, argh!), I understood you. That was a big problem that I pulled hair out over, too. The clefs not copying as default behaviour, though, I never had a problem with.
The point is, Finale should have sufficient information to know that the exact same notation is going to be correct with the same clef changes, and it should copy them.
Maybe knowing that copying clefs is available, even if it isn't the out-of-the-box default, could be enough?
Well, for me, the problem is in the whole concept of having completely different behaviors for different modes of copying. To me, all copying is the same. That it is different behind the scenes is irrelevant to me, the user -- I should not need to understand that there's a difference in order to use the program.
This is what Joel Sposky calls a "leaky abstraction," where the underling complexities of implementation bleed through into the UI:
http://www.joelonsoftware.com/articles/LeakyAbstractions.html
(Joel is a wonderful writer, and I think that, even though he's mostly writing for programmers, even non-programmers can learn a lot about why computers are frustrating from reading his articles)
Ha ha! I laughed out loud at his analogy to Hollywood actor transportation! He is very funny, and a good explainer. I understood right away when I thought about deleting measures in Finale: if I clear the contents of the measures first, I can remove the measures from the middle of a score very quickly. If I don't clear them first, it can take many minutes on a large score. I imagine that this is because a whole lot of data needs to be shuffled around when the measures are full, and a lot less needs to be shuffled if the measures are empty. I guess I saw the abstraction leaking, and avoided the leak, even though I didn't know the details.
Christopher _______________________________________________ Finale mailing list [EMAIL PROTECTED] http://lists.shsu.edu/mailman/listinfo/finale
