IWBNI there were an option to specify that the operation of updating the layout should only be performed when the menu item Edit>Update Layout has been selected or equivalently, when Ctrl+U has been pressed.

As it is now, one may deselect the option Automatic Update Layout on the Update Layout Options dialog box to suppress automatic updating of the layout for most, but not all cases. For example, the layout will be updated automatically in the following cases, regardless of whether or not the option Automatic Update Layout has been selected:

Case 1: Appending Measures

1. Select the menu item File>New>Default Document.
2. Select the menu item Options>Update Layout Options and deselect the option Automatic Update Layout on the Update Layout Options dialog box.
3. Select the mass mover tool, press Ctrl+A to select all measures, and press 4 to apply note spacing.
4. Double-click the measure tool button to append one measure to the score. This will cause the layout of page one to be updated. That is, the measure width of all existing measures on page one will be changed as a result of appending a measure to the score.

1. Select the menu item File>New>Default Document.
2. Select the staff tool.
3. Add a second staff to the score by selecting the menu item Staff>New Staves, setting Number of Staves to 1 and Topline to Topline Distance to -320, and pressing OK.
4. Select the mass mover tool, press Ctrl+A to select all measures, and press 4 to apply note spacing.
5. Select the page layout tool.
6. Select the menu item Page Layout>Staff System Optimization. Select Keep All Staves and specify Staff System "1" Through "1" to optimize staff system number one, only. Press OK. This will cause the layout of page one, and all pages after page one, to be updated. More generally, optimizing staff systems will update the layout in such a way that would be equivalent to the result obtained by displaying every page from the first page to the last and pressing Ctrl+U on every page for which a staff system is to be optimized.

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Automatic Update Layout Dialog Box

( ) Automatic Update Layout
( ) Sometimes Update Layout Automatically
( ) Never Update Layout Automatically
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If the radio button Automatic Update Layout is selected, the layout would be updated as in the current version of Finale when the existing checkbox Automatic Update Layout is selected.

If the radio button Sometimes Automatic Update Layout is selected, the layout would be updated as in the current version of Finale when the existing checkbox Automatic Update Layout is not selected. For example, in this case, the layout would be updated whenever systems are optimized or in some cases when measures are appended to the score.

If the radio button Never Update Layout Automatically is selected, under no conditions would the layout be updated automatically. In this case, the layout would be updated only when the menu item Edit>Update Layout has been selected or equivalently, when Ctrl+U has been pressed.

Created: August 16, 2000
Last Updated: August 16, 2000
Version: Finale 2000b