I've finally gotten around to posting a Finale file (version 2007)
and a pdf of the same page. This file shows how you can use suffixes
in the Chord Tool to build all kinds of shapes. The advantages over
the Graphic Tool include the fact that placement is precise and the
results are consistent.
You can get the demonstration files here:
http://homepage.mac.com/randolphpeters2/FileSharing9.html
In order to see the Finale file properly, you will need the Toccata,
Fughetta, Zapf Dingbats and Palatino fonts. Feel free to copy my
shapes and modify them for your own use. Even if you don't like my
winged brackets, the file at least shows you how it is done.
Here's how you do it:
1) Select Chord Tool.
2) Use Manual Input, turn OFF the other options including Substitute
Symbols, Enable Playback and so on.
3) Click on a note that you want to attach your shape. (My winged
bracket start is attached to the first note or invisible rest and my
winged bracket end is attached to the last note in the pattern.)
4) The Chord Definition dialog should pop up. Open "Show Advanced"
and deselect the Play items as well as deselect Show Root, Fretboard
or Alternate Root.
5) Near the bottom you will see Definition; Suffix; ID: Select...
(Click Select...)
6) A new dialog box opens called Chord Suffix Selection. Choose Create...
7) Another dialog box opens called Chord Suffix Editor.
* Choose a font and size, click Symbol..., pick the character you
want [You can pick the character with the mouse. You don't need to
know the key code for it as some on the list have reported.]
*Drag the character to where you want it or enter numbers in the
horizontal and vertical offsets.
* Click Next to choose the next character you want. This can be from
a different font or different size. Drag it to where you want (or
enter numbers).
*Keep repeating these steps until you've got the shape you want.
8) Once you've built up your suffix shapes in the chord tool, you can
save them to a library, import them into other files and you can
assign metatools to them.
*****************************
The extender line with arrow that comes out of the Mobile is a thick
custom line with a custom arrow from Zapf Dingbats. I like custom
lines because they automatically break over system breaks.
I hope this long explanation makes sense. If you experiment with it
yourself I'm sure you can see the possibilities.
Another way to get the same shapes would be to design them in a Font
building program, but that's a topic for another day.
-Randolph Peters
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