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.
Special mouse clicks
- Double-click
the Measure Tool to add a single new blank measure at the end of
the score.
- Option-click
the Measure Tool to display the Add Measures dialog box, in which
you can tell Finale how many new blank measures you want to appear at
the end of the score.
- Option-click
the measure handle to display all measure numbers defined for a measure
(even if no numbers are currently showing in the measure).
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.
- Click
a measure number’s handle, shift-click an additional handle, or drag-enclose
several handles to select specific measure numbers (with "Dragging
Selects Number Handles" selected).
- Select
a measure number’s handle and press delete, or Ctrl-click
the handle and select Delete from the contextual menu to remove
a measure number. Finale hides the measure number for that measure in
that staff only (not for every measure above or below it).
- Drag
a selected handle to reposition the measure number (and any other
selected measure numbers. If auto-constrain dragging is not selected,
press shift to constrain dragging.
- Select
the measure number’s handle, then press backspace, or Ctrl-click
the handle and select Restore Default Positioning from the contextual
menu to reset a manually positioned measure number back to its
default position. Finale moves the measure number back to its original
position as defined in the Measure Number dialog box for the measure number
map.
- Double-click
the handle of a measure number, or Ctrl-click
the handle and select Edit Enclosure from the contextual menu to
display the Enclosure Designer dialog box, where you can select an enclosure
shape or edit the shape’s height, width, center, and line thickness. If
you no longer want an enclosure to appear on a measure number, choose
None from the Shape popup menu. Finale shows any changes
you make to the measure number for that measure in that staff only (not
for every measure above or below it).
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.
- Double-click
a measure, or Ctrl-click
the top handle and select Edit Measure Attributes from the contextual
menu to display the Measure Attributes dialog box. (You can also
double-click a measure’s handle or select a handle and press enter.)
- Drag
the top barline handle right or left to make the measure wider
or narrower. If you’re in Page View, the measure to the right of the barline
gets narrower or wider to compensate.
- Click
the second barline handle of a measure or Ctrl-
click the top handle and select Edit Beat Chart from the contextual menu
to display a ,
which you can use to change the horizontal positions of the beats in the
measure (in all staves).
- Click
the third (bottom) barline handle of a measure or Ctrl-
mouse click the top handle and select Edit Split Points from the contextual
menu to display a split point bar, where you can double-click to
indicate a permissible place for Finale to break the measure in half,
if necessary, at a system break.
- Drag one of the lower handles in a
to move that beat horizontally in all staves.
- Shift-drag
the lower handle of a beat chart to move that beat and all subsequent
beats in the measure horizontally in all staves.
- Double-click
between two upper handles of a beat chart to add another upper/lower
pair of beat positioning handles for the beat between the two original
handles. Click any upper handle and press delete to remove it. (You can’t
remove the first handle in the measure, however.)
- Double-click
an upper handle of a beat chart to display the Beat Chart dialog
box, where you can tell Finale precisely which beat’s position you want
the handle you double-clicked to control.
- Click
an upper handle (Remember that the first handle can be removed)
to select it, whereupon you can press delete to remove it from the beat
chart.
- With Show
Measure Spacing Handles checked in the Measure Menu, click
and drag a measure spacing handle (on the bottom staff line) to add or
remove space from the beginning or end of a measure.
Contextual menus
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