The previous two articles both partially mentioned the Finale v27 library, this time I’d like to get more into the library itself.
Finale's library is for exporting symbols and numerical information set in one file and importing them into another file.
Briefly speaking, when you select "File menu > Open library" and double-click the necessary item from the window that appears, it will be loaded.
About 3,000 new music symbols based on the international standard SMuFL have been added in Finale v27, but in the case of the Japanese Finale, which uses Japan's unique Kousaku as the default music font, these greatly expanded symbols could not be used unless the music font was switched to the SMuFL font such as Finale Maestro, which was quite troublesome.
For the time being, there are articles like this, but you cannot say the operation is easy.
▼Finale version 27: How to use SMuFL symbols on Kousaku files
In the Japanese version of Finale v27, the most useful SMuFL symbols have been selected from tons of newly created SMuFL symbols in Finale Maestro, and many libraries preloaded with these as expression symbols and articulations are provided.
By loading these libraries into a Kousaku-based Japanese version file as needed, the SMuFL symbols can be easily used even on files that use Kousaku as the music font.
For example, if you load "08_弦楽器用発想記号.lib” (“08_expression symbols for strings.lib”), you can use various symbols used in special techniques for strings, such as the snap pizzicato in this staff example, as both expressions and articulations.
There are several newly created libraries that have been diverted from Finale's international versions. One of the most interesting libraries is this “12_通奏低音用発想記号.lib” ("12_Continuous Bass expression symbol.lib").
When you load this, three "Figured Bass" categories are added to the Expression Selection dialog box. Each is set to be entered separately at the top, middle, and bottom positions, and of course the SMuFL symbols that reproduce the figured bass symbol are also registered. You will see this makes it pretty easy to input such intervals.
I’m impressed that it works pretty well nevertheless the mechanism is quite simple. I believe that it must be made by someone who knows the Finale's Expression category functionality very well.
In addition, the v27 templates introduced in the previous article "Differences between the English and Japanese versions: 3. Templates" has these libraries pre-loaded according to the instrumentation, so I believe it must be more convenient than the conventional templates from this point of view too.
In the next blog I'd like to give an overview of all library files newly installed in the Japanese version of Finale v27.