No. 570

Add a Menu Item Called Program Metatool to the Edit Menu

IWBNI there were a menu item that could be used to program a metatool. As it is now, metatools may be programmed by using a keyboard shortcut. Specifically, one may select a tool for which metatools may be programmed and press shift with a letter or number key. The objects for which metatools may be programmed  are listed in the following table:
 
 
Programmable Metatools
Object Type Tool Keyboard Shortcut to Program Metatool Dialog Box Used to Program Metatool
Articulation Articulation Shift+(letter or number key) Articulation Selection
Expression Expression Shift+(letter or number key) Expression Selection
Chord Chord Shift+(letter or number key) Chord Definition
Key Signature Key Signature Shift+(letter or number key) Key Signature
Repeat Repeat Shift+(letter or number key) Repeat Selection
Staff Style Staff Shift+(letter or number key) Apply Staff Style
Time Signature Time Signature Shift+(letter or number key) Time Signature
Transposition Mass Mover Shift+(number key 6, 7, 8 or 9) Transposition
Tuplet Tuplet Shift+(letter or number key) Tuplet Definition

The existing keyboard shortcuts that use shift+(letter or number key) would continue to be available. The new menu item would be provided as an alternative mechanism for programming metatools. The menu item would serve to document the metatool feature of Finale on the interface itself and would provide a simple mechanism for new users who are not aware of programmable metatools or the shortcut functionality. Also, the menu would list all objects for which metatools may be programmed.

This could be implemented by adding a submenu called Program Metatool to the Edit menu. This submenu would contain the following list of objects for which metatools may be programmed:

When a menu item is selected, the appropriate tool would be selected automatically (Note: Automatic tool selection need only be done if it is found that the feature being suggested here would be easier to implement if the correct tool is selected first). For example, if the Tuplet menu item on the Edit>Program Metatool submenu is selected, the tuplet tool would be selected automatically. Then, a new dialog box called Metatool Key would be displayed that could contain the following controls:

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Metatool Key

Metatool Key: _____

[OK] [Cancel]
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Then, the appropriate dialog box would be displayed to select or define the object for the metatool. For example, the Tuplet Definition dialog box would be displayed if the Tuplet menu item had been selected on the Edit>Program Metatool submenu.



Created: June 6, 2000 (based on comments by Frank N. Barch)
Last Updated: June 6, 2000
Version: Finale 2000b