On October 8, 2024, v5.1.60, a free update for Dorico, was released. This update adds two important features for users who have switched from Finale to Dorico.
One is a function that helps correct layout collapse when importing MusicXML, and the other is a function that realizes Finale's “Speedy Entry” (without using a MIDI keyboard) on Dorico.
The latter was described in detail in another article “How to achieve Finale's “Speedy Entry” in Dorico”. Here I will explain the current situation and issues of the latter function that helps correct layout collapse when importing MusicXML.
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1. Current behavior
In v5.1.60, an item called “Import system and frame breaks” has been added to “Preferences > MusicXML Import”.
The explanation on this dialog box, “Maintains the same casting off as the original MusicXML file, provided system and frame breaks are specified”, is written in Dorico terminology and is a little difficult to understand, but if I rephrase it in terms that are easier for Finale users to understand, it would be something like this;
If the layout is specified in Finale's “Utilities > Fit Measures” or “Page Layout > Space Systems Evenly”, the same system format as in the original MusicXML file will be maintained.
This function is on by default in v5.1.60, and as a result, the behavior regarding layout when importing MusicXML has changed from the previous version, v5.1.51.
Let's take a look at the behavior when this function is applied in an actual example.
[Finale original layout]
[When imported with Dorico v5.1.51 or earlier]
[When imported with Dorico v5.1.60]
[Reference: State when imported with Sibelius]
It has not yet caught up with Sibelius, and considering that there are cases where system overlaps are noticeable from the beginning, as in this case, there may be pros and cons to having this function turned on by default.
However, if we look closely at the phenomenon, we may be able to understand why it behaves like this at this point.
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2. Why it is not imported as expected
There are probably two main reasons why system overlaps occur in this case.
The first reason is that, as mentioned in a previous article, Finale and Dorico handle page margins differently. In Dorico, page numbers and titles are all placed inside the page margins, so if the page margins are not made narrower than in Finale, there might not be enough space in the music frame, and overlaps can occur easily.
The second reason is that the current specification for Dorico is that when importing a MusicXML file, elements that were hidden in Finale are redisplayed. ※
(※The document “Dorico_5.1.60_Version_History.pdf” included in this update also states that “Dorico does not yet import information about whether a staff is hidden in a specific system, so it is still possible for the resulting layout not to match the original file exactly.”)
In the example of the score used this time, the vocal part that was hidden in the first 16 measures on the intro is redisplayed, so the system overlap is more noticeable on the first page than on subsequent pages.
In addition, the chord symbols that were displayed in the parts and hidden in the full score except for the top line in Finale are redisplayed for all instruments in Dorico, which also contributes to the system overlap in the full score.
These two issues can be seen more clearly when compared side by side with the original Finale score. Below is a comparison of the second page, and the full score has system overlaps in roughly this way throughout to the end.
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3. Expectations for the next update
However, if we understand the reason for the layout collapse, we can see the direction to correct it, and in the actual work flow, we no longer have to repeat what is called “Fit Measures” and “Space Systems Evenly” in Finale, so although it is small, it is certain that this update has saved our work, so I would like to positively evaluate this update.
There will probably be a sequel to this update. If a function that Steinberg says “import information about whether a staff is hidden in a specific system” is implemented, in combination with the improvements made in v5.1.60, the layout collapse problem when importing MusicXML files will be largely resolved, and I look forward to this in the next update.
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If we look at the history of free update releases for Dorico 5, we can see that 11 updates have been made in the 1 year and 4 months since its release.
Dorico 5.0 (May 23, 2023)
Dorico 5.0.10 (May 30, 2023)
Dorico 5.0.20 (July 3, 2023)
Dorico 5.1 (December 13, 2023)
Dorico 5.1.10 (January 14, 2024)
Dorico 5.1.20 (February 14, 2024)
Dorico 5.1.30 (March 28, 2024)
Dorico 5.1.32 (April 18, 2024)
Dorico 5.1.40 (May 23, 2024)
Dorico 5.1.50 (July 26, 2024)
Dorico 5.1.51 (August 6, 2024)
Dorico 5.1.60 (October 8, 2024)
Considering that Finale has released free updates roughly once or twice a year since v26 (released in 2018), I think the difference in the frequency of updates is due to the difference in development capabilities between MakeMusic and Steinberg.
When it comes to handling MusicXML, Dorico currently lags behind Sibelius, but I'm looking forward to not only Dorico's current performance, but also to future performance improvements due to its development capabilities.