IWBNI there were a clip files window in Finale to and from which clip files could be dragged and dropped.

This could be implemented by adding a menu item called Clip Files to the Window menu. This menu item would display a new window called Clip Files that would list all clip files that are in a given directory. The current directory could be changed as in the existing Clip and Paste dialog boxes that are associated with clip files. An edit control called Clip Files could be added to the Folders section of the Program Options dialog box that could be used to specify the default clip file directory. The Clip Files window would be a modeless dialog box. That is, it could be kept on the desktop at all times like the Playback Controls and Instrument List windows.

To create a new clip file, one could drag a selected region from a document window to the Clip Files window. This would cause a Clip File Name dialog box to be displayed in which one could modify a default name that is supplied using a user-specified naming convention. Naming conventions could be specified using a mechanism that is similar to that in the File Names section of the Extract Parts dialog box with additional command strings for the measure numbers of the first and last measures of the selected region from which the clip file has been derived (e.g. %x and %y, for the first and last measures, respectively).

To insert the contents of a given clip file into a document, one could drag the clip file listed in the Clip Files window and drop it on a measure that is not selected. The clip file would be inserted before the measure on which the file is dropped. The result would be identical to that which is obtained in the current version of Finale when Ctrl is pressed while selecting the Insert menu item to insert a clip file before a selected measure.

To replace the contents of a selected region of measures with the contents of a given clip file, one could drag the clip file and drop it on any measure in the selected region. The clip file would replace the selected measures. The result would be identical to that which is obtained in the current version of Finale when Ctrl is pressed while selecting the Replace Entries menu item to replace a selected region of measures with a clip file.

For an example of a similar feature in another problem see Digital Performer by Mark of the Unicorn.

Created: March 13, 2000 (based on a submission from Robert Puff)
Last Updated: March 13, 2000
Version: Finale 2000b