Jumping into this conversation with both feet in my mouth: ... >>> I know little about it, but get the idea that mode-switching is now >>> considered generally bad for workflow in computer apps. >> >> It it, indeed. >> The problem with modes is that the very same keystroke will produce >> completely different results in different modes. >> This requires the user to permanently be aware of the mode he is working >> in.
OK, youse guys has lost me. Is Finale modal or non-modal? I'm guessing mostly the former. I know one mode-switch in Finale that has bitten me several times, and I only recently figured out what I was doing: Now and then, especially if i have auto-spacing switched off, with the mass-mover tool I may hit ctrl-A to select the whole document, then hit "4" to re-space. I'll do this really without thinking about it, maybe while I AM thinking about a musical decision or something else dreadfully important. But, every once in a while, when I have semi-consciously typed ctrl-A, 4, every line of my orchestral score will start, one by one, changing to a Bb tenor sax staff (sounds like a bad dream, doesn't it?) Then, one ctrl-z won't undo the mess - a whole series of ctrl-zs are necessary (or pulling up the "edit" menu to view the undo/redo history there). Recently I had this mass sax-change operation happen to a chamber orchestra score I was working on - I dutifully undid all the damage, or so I thought. Just before I emailed the PDF of the score to the conductor, I started looking closely at the Bb clarinet part - it had gone haywire - most of it was now a minor 7th off, but not all. I had to go through the whole score and check/fix this one staff, a few bars at a time. If anyone is still reading, have you figured out what I occasionally do wrong to cause this dreadful mass score change into a tenor sax band? I finally did - it happens when I type ctrl-A, 4 while the STAFF Tool is selected instead of the Mass Mover tool. So, context is indeed everything. Yikes! Raymond Horton Bass Trombonist, Louisville Orchestra Minister of Music, Edwardsville (IN) UMC Composer, Arranger _______________________________________________ Finale mailing list Finale@shsu.edu http://lists.shsu.edu/mailman/listinfo/finale
