IWBNI, for a given mid-measure clef, there were options that could be used to specify the minimum horizontal space that is to be placed before the clef and the horizontal space that is to be placed after the clef when music is respaced with the option Avoid Collision of Clefs selected on the Music Spacing Options dialog box.

As it is now, if the option Avoid Collision of Clefs is selected and music is respaced, all mid-measure clefs are positioned so that the minimum space before the clef and the space after the clef is equal to the value specified in the text box Minimum Distance Between Items on the Music Spacing Options dialog box. One may increase the amount of space before and after a given mid-measure clef by performing the following steps:

1. For a given mid-measure clef, temporarily set Clef Size on the Mid-Measure Clef dialog box to a value that is larger than the desired value. For example, if 83% is the desired value to be used for the mid-measure clef, temporarily increase the clef size to 100% or 133%.

 
2. Select the option Avoid Collision of Clefs on the Music Spacing Options dialog box.

 
3. Select the mass mover tool, select all measures in the system that contains the mid-measure clef, and select the menu item Apply Note Spacing from the MassEdit>Music Spacing submenu.

 
4. Reset the clef size back to the desired value by using the Clef Size text box on the Mid-Measure Clef dialog box. For example, if in step one the clef was changed from 83% to 100%, now change the size back to 83%.

 
5. To adjust the horizontal position of the clef within its allocated space, use the Horizontal Offset text box on the Mid-Measure Clef dialog box. In most cases, it will be necessary to move the clef to the right by increasing this offset (i.e. making the value less negative).

This feature would allow one to easily adjust the space before and after a given mid-measure clef and would be useful for those who prefer to adjust such spaces as a function of the item that precedes the clef, the item that follows the clef, and the type of clef. Some allowance has been made for various special cases (e.g. accidentals and stemmed rests) in the global settings that have been proposed in the following related suggestions: Suggestion 647: A Setting for the Default Minimum Space Before a Clef Change and Suggestion 648: A Setting for the Default Minimum Space Before a Clef Change. But, it would be impossible to anticipate all special cases and user preferences and even it it were possible, such allowances greatly increase the complexity of the global settings.

This feature could be implemented by adding the following controls to the Mid-Measure Clef dialog box:

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Mid-Measure Clef Dialog Box

Minimum Space Before Clef: _____ EVPUs
Space After Clef: _____ EVPUs
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These space settings would be used for a given mid-measure clef, in place of the value specified in the text box Minimum Distance Between Items on the Music Spacing Options dialog box in the case when music is respaced with the option Avoid Collision of Clefs selected on the Music Spacing Options dialog box. Default values for these controls could be derived from global settings such as those proposed in Suggestion 647 and Suggestion 648.

Created: July 18, 2000
Last Updated: July 18, 2000
Version: Finale 2000b