Browser for Text Expressions - details (Windows only)

This new plug-in is a replacement for Finale's own selection dialog box.

The Browser offers the following new features:

two-dimensional view
lots of expressions can be seen at once
and with selectable number of columns

sorting on-the-fly
with all options of the separate Text Expression Sorter

searching
for various criteria including text search

one-dimensional view
with details and immediate editing of font and other options

shrink-to-fit option
so all expressions can be read equally well

display of usage count within the document

zoom in and out
to fine-tune the amount of information
to be seen

resizable window
which remembers its size, position, and all options

programmable hotkey,
default: the tab key
(left of Q)

manage metatools,
display an overview of all metatools

automatic metatool assignment:
when you select an expression, it is assigned a to keyboard shortcut so that you can use it several times
(default shortcut key: 1)

immediate editing:
no need to click any buttons,
you type directly into the table.

duplicating text expressions
as in Finale's own box, you can make a copy of an
expression which will appear at the end.

changing multiple expressions at once:
(in details view)
to change, for example, the font of many expressions,
drag-select in the appropriate column using the mouse
and then make the change.
To toggle style options such as bold, italics etc.,
press the space bar after selecting.

font selection drop-down list
appears in the table
when you go to font family
field.

How to use the Browser for selecting and adding expressions to the score

First, select the Finale tool you want (staff or score expression tool).

Next, press the Browser's hotkey (default=tab).
Select the expression by double-clicking or using the Ok-Button.

Then, use the expression as many times as you wish by pressing the Browser's
automatically assigned metatool keyboard shortcut:
press the key (default=1) and click on the desired measures or notes.

When you activate the Browser again, using its hotkey,
it will show you the same part of the whole expressions list
as where you left it.

How to enter new expressions using the Browser

At the end of the list, there is always an empty field for entering new expressions.

Deleting expressions will be added soon.

The main options pane is in the lower portion of the screen. Us it to:

- make the displayed expressions larger or smaller
- select shrink-to-fit mode, in which large fonts are reduced to fit in the appropriate space
select whether you want the two-dimensional (over-)view or the one dimensional details view,
select the number of columns for two-dimensional display,

The ok-button closes the box and assigns the metatool shortcut to the selected expression.
The default is key 1.

load only once may speed up the dialog box a little:
the expressions are loaded into the plug-in from Finale only once, not each time the
Browser is used. However, if you modify expressions with Finale's original dialog box,
you will have to press Reload now for the changes to also apper in the
Browser for Text Expressions.

This pane in the upper right part of the Browser
for text expressions lets you specify exactly
which text expressions are to be displayed.

Any of the options can be combined.

This is what the options mean:
- expressions with textual or musical fonts,
- expressions with playback effects only,
- and/or search for any word or string.

The lower half of the pane deals with usage
counts of the expressions within your document.

To have the counts displayed, press the button:
calculate usage.

 

This pane in the right portion of the Browser for Text Expressions enables
you to have the displayed list sorted on-the-fly. No change is made to the
original data - only the Browser shows the expressions in an alphabetical
order.
You have the same options as in the Text Expression Sorter.

 

 

Future improvements:

- better & more complete display and editing of playback effect, enclosure and other options

- deleting text expressions

- assigning permanent metatools

Browser for Text Expressions - version history

v0.95 30 June 1999 - further improvements and corrections
v0.91 6 June 1999 - quicker changing of font family name
- selected a range, then making changes to all selected expressions
- remembers zoom state
v0.90 5 June 1999 - first release (added to the TGTools package)