Measure Tool

image\Measure_Tool.gif

 

This tool allows you to define and edit measure numbering and edit measure spacing. (Add or delete measures with the Edit Menu).

Using this tool, you can create different regions of measure numbering in your score. Each region can have a different numbering or lettering scheme; for example, you might letter the introductory measures A, B, C, and D, and then number subsequent measures beginning with 1, 2, 3, and so on. When you select Edit Measure Number Regions, the Measure Number dialog box appears, where you can define various parameters for the measure numbering in a region such as the font, positioning, enclosure shape (if any), and incidence of the measure numbers (how often they appear). See Measure numbers for full instructions.

You can also use the Easy Measure Numbers plug-in to create measure numbers quickly.

When you click this tool, a handle appears on every barline; drag a barline’s handle (or drag within the measure) to make the measure wider or narrower. You can also double-click a measure to display the Measure Attributes dialog box, where you can specify a number of measure-specific parameters: the barline type, whether or not you want the key or time signature to appear, and so on. (See Measure Attributes dialog box for more information.)

If you’ve used the Music Spacing command on a measure, it displays two handles on the barline. If you click the second one, Finale displays a beat chart above the measure—a set of handles you can drag to change the horizontal positions of the beats in all staves at once. See Beat positions for full details.

Finally, if you’ve selected Allow Horizontal Split Points in the Measure Attributes dialog box for a measure, it displays three handles on the right barline. If you click the bottom handle, a special rectangle appears, in which you can designate permissible split points for the measure—places where Finale may break the measure over a system break if it’s too long to fit on the line; see Measures.

 

Note: Measure numbers will only appear in a staff when Measure Numbers is selected as one of the Items to Display in the Staff Attributes dialog box.

When you double-click a measure number handle, the Enclosure Designer dialog box appears displaying an additional button labeled Use Default Enclosure. When you first display this dialog box, the default enclosure set in the Measure Number dialog box for the region appears selected in the Enclosure popup menu. Changing the shape or editing any other settings, means that the default enclosure is no longer used for the measure number. Click Use Default Enclosure to reset the enclosure and return to the document where the default enclosure, as defined in the Measure Number dialog box for this region, appears on the measure number.

Contextual menus are reached by control-clicking on the handle of an object. A contextual menu will be displayed where you can select various items. The Measure Tool contextual menu is identical to the Selection Tool context menu wen clicking measure regions.

 

Menu item

What it does

Add One Measure

Adds one measure to the score

Edit Measure Number Region

Displays Measure Number dialog box

 

Menu item

What it does

Edit Enclosure

Displays the Enclosure Designer dialog box

Restore Defaults

Restores the default position and show/hide state of the selected measure number

Always Show Number

Choose this command to always show a number regardless of the settings for a number’s region in the Measure Numbers dialog box

Always Hide Number

Choose this command to always hide a number regardless of the settings for a number’s region in the Measure Numbers dialog box

Show/Hide Based on Region

Choose this command to show or hide a number based on the settings for its region in the Measure Numbers dialog box

Relink to Score (parts only)

Restore the link to its corresponding score item

Unlink In All Parts (score only)

Break the link between the score and this item in all parts

Relink In All Parts (score only)

Restore the link to all corresponding items in parts

Delete

Removes selected measure numbers

 

Menu item

What it does

Edit Measure Attributes

Displays Measure Attributes dialog box

Insert Measure

Displays the How many measures dialog box

Delete

Removes the selected measures

Create Multimeasure Rest

Change selected measures into a multimeasure rest

Edit Multimeasure rest

Opens the Multimeasure Rest dialog box where you can edit the selected multimeasure rest

Remove Multimeasure Rest

Removes the selected multimeasure rest

Edit Time Signature

Displays the Time Signature dialog box

Edit Key Signature

Displays the Key Signature dialog box

Normal Barline

Change right barline for selected measure to Normal barline

Double Barline

Change right barline for selected measure to Double barline

Final Barline

Change right barline for selected measure to Final barline

Solid Barline

Change right barline for selected measure to Solid barline

Dashed Barline

Change right barline for selected measure to Dashed barline

Invisible Barline

Change right barline for selected measure to Invisible barline

Tick Barline

Change right barline for selected measure to Tick barline

Custom Barline

Change right barline for selected measure to Custom barline

 

Menu item

What it does

Edit Beat Chart

Display Beat Chart handles

 

Menu item

What it does

Edit Split Points

Display Split Point handles

 

 

See Also:

Main Tool Palette

Measure Menu

 

image\btn_Table_of_Contents64.gif