Brennon C. Bortz wrote:
Hi All,
I've been lurking on the list for quite some time now, and have been using
Finale for about 7 years. To this point, every Finale file I have created
has been done in a different way. I've never had time to sit down and
create templates, etc. I know that in the long run, this could be costing
me a lot of time. I'd like to ask if there is a standard, or most
efficient, order of "doing things" when creating a Finale file from scratch.
I am always finding myself going back to reinvent the wheel every time I
create and fine-tune each file. Has any type of checklist been created for
this use?
I haven't formalized it to a check list, but this is a rough order of my
operations, if I am not using an existing template:
1) Open two new "empty documents" / documents with out libraries [same
type of document / different names]: I use one for the new document,
the other is a scatch document in which I define articulation and
expression items that I may want to save for future use.
2) On the work document, enter all relevant information into the File
info boxes.
3) Set margins, both on the page of the active document, and in the
"Document options > Page layout for score" box.
4) Check all default font settings, and change as necessary. If I
change the font for expressions, I change these in the scratch document,
too.
5) Load all needed libraries.
6) Define cover, title page, and multi-page text blocks
7) Define staves, including clefs, instrument assignments, &c.
8) Define groups
9) Set Key and meter signatures.
10) Add enough meaures to flow across three or more pages, and check
spacing and layout, including system size and margins) on pages 2 and 3.
11) If the work has lyrics, create placeholders, [Syllables in the
lyrics space which do not show usually show on the score, but help in
locating a spcific syllable in the lyrics space in the event that it is
necessary to perform an operation in the "Edit Lyrics" window.] and type
the syllables assigned to the first and last note(s) on each staff.
12) Enter the first note with lyrics, in each staff, and click assign
the first syllable to the appropriate note in each staff.
13) Enter notes, expressions, articulations, and smart shapes for the
document. If I find it necessary to create a special articulation that
I think I may want to save later, I do this in the scratch document,
saving and save the appropriate library, which I then load into the work
document. I have found that by create a new articulations and
expressions, ( e.g., "French Horn Harmon Mute on" and "FHHM off"), and
saving these expressions a small library library FHHM.lib, I can
periodically go in, and collect all these small libraries into larger
ones (Brass expressions), without having to remember to go in and save
them out of working documents later.
14) If there are lyrics, enter the lyrics for each staff, using "type
into score", at the same time, making a first proofreading of notes,
expressions, articulations, &c.. Do not type the last lyric syllable on
the line, which was entered earlier into the "edit lyrics" dialog box
[The reason for this, is that I use a different font and size for the
placeholders than for the lyrics; by defining the first and last measure
of each line, and setting those to the lyric font, I avoid the need to
changing lyric fonts later], instead going back to the click assignment,
and assign the syllables to the appropriate notes.
I've not done enough work involving extracted parts to have a checklist
or procedures list for that, yet;.
ns
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