Slurs and phrase markings technically serve different musical purposes. However, you use the same NotePad techniques to create both. In this discussion, the term slur refers to both kinds of markings.
Engraver slurs
Engraver slurs were new to NotePad 2002 and automatically reshape the slur to avoid collisions with noteheads, stems, accidentals, beams, and certain articulations. Any new file created in NotePad 2002 or later will use Engraver slurs. Files created in NotePad 2001 or other earlier MakeMusic products will not use Engraver slurs, although you can use the Selection tool/Remove Manual Slur Adjustments command to convert your old slurs to Engraver slurs. You can also change individual slurs into Engraver slurs with the Smart Shape contextual menu command Remove Manual Slur Adjustments. Please note that some Finale 2002 and 2003 files may use a combination of Engraver and regular slurs.
Font Annotation
Unless you’re collaborating with a Finale user, you probably will never need to know about Font Annotation files. These files are used to tell the Engraver slurs how big a notehead or articulation is, depending on the font. Font Annotation Files or .FAN files are provided for all MakeMusic fonts. If you’re editing a file created in Finale with a non-MakeMusic music font, you’ll need to get a FAN file from the Finale user, in order to see good results with Engraver slurs.
To create a slur
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Click the Smart Shape tool 
in the Main tool palette. The Smart Shape palette appears.
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Click on the Slur tool in the Smart Shape palette, then position the cursor on the slur’s beginning note.
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Double-click the mouse, holding the mouse button down on the second click. The note will be highlighted and a small slur line will appear. Continuing to hold down the button, drag the slur to the right until you reach the note marking the end of the attachment. When NotePad highlights that note, let go of the mouse button. The new slur appears.
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To create a slur spanning two consecutive notes, just double-click the mouse on the first note. NotePad places the slur on the adjacent notes.
To move, reshape, or delete Smart Shape slurs.
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Click the Smart Shape tool . The Smart Shape palette appears. A small handle appears on all existing Smart Shapes in the score.
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Click the handle of the slur you want to modify. The slur displays several diamond handles and a polygon connecting the handles.
You can modify the slur in a few additional ways if you press shift while dragging: shift-drag an outer curve diamond handle to limit the direction you reshape the slur to one direction. Shift-click an outer curve diamond handle or Bézier control handle and drag it to the right or left to reshape the slur and change the "sharpness" of the slur’s inset. Dragging away from the center of the slur makes the slur "fatter," and dragging inward makes the slur more "pointed." Shift-click a Bézier control handle and drag it up or down to reshape the arc of the curve.
Note: Constrained dragging is temporarily disabled while slurs are edited. If you would like to use constrained dragging press the shift key while you are moving the slur.
To restore slur’s to their default positions or convert old slurs to Engraver slurs
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Click the Selection tool 
.
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Select the desired measures or press Command-A to Select All.
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From the Edit menu, choose Remove Manual Slur Adjustments. Any editing done on slurs will be deleted, restoring the slurs to their default positions. If the region contained pre-2002 slurs, they will be converted to Engraver slurs which automatically reshape to avoid collisions.
