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Position dialog box

How to get there

To set the global position for all full or abbreviated group names in your score:

  1. Click the Staff tool . The Staff menu appears.
  2. Choose Staff > Set Default Name > Full Group Name or Abbreviated Group Name.
  3. The Position Full Group Name--Default or Position Abbreviated Group Name--Default dialog box appears.

To individually position a full or abbreviated group name:

  1. Click the Staff tool . The Staff menu appears.
  2. Select a group handle.
  3. Choose Staff > Position > Full Group Name or Abbreviated Group Name.

Or,

  1. Click the Staff tool . The Staff menu appears.
  2. Choose Staff > Group and Bracket > Edit.
  3. Click the Group Name (or Abbr. Group Name) Position button in the Group Attributes dialog box.

Or,

To set the position of a custom line text,

  1. Click the Smart Shape tool . The Smart Shape menu appears.
  2. Choose Smart Shape > Smart Shape Options.
  3. Click Select next to Smart Line Style, then Create or Edit.
  4. Click Position. The Position Smart Line Text dialog box appears.

What it does

Use these dialog boxes to adjust the position of group names in relation to the group of staves—either globally or group-by-group; adjust either the full group name or its abbreviated name; or set the position of custom line text relative to the line. By default, Finale vertically centers all group names between the first and last staff in the group (the top line of the first staff and the bottom line of the bottom staff). A horizontal line indicates the center of the group.

Once you’re in this dialog box, you see the default group or staff name or custom line text displayed in the font and style you’ve selected as the initial font. Drag anywhere in the display area to move the text; place the text wherever you want it in relation to the beginning of the staff or line. Note that Finale measures the vertical distance from the top of the text.

These staff names are left-aligned (and left-justified).

These staff names are right aligned (and right-justified).

From this drop-down list, choose how you want multi-line group names (or individual group names) justified. The longest line of text determines the width of the invisible text frame that surrounds group names. Choose Left, Right, Center, Full, or Forced Full from the Justification submenu to select how you want the text positioned in a frame. Choose Left or Right to place the text on the left or right edge of the frame, or choose Center to center the text between the left and right edges. If you want full justification, choose Forced Full to spread the text evenly between the left and right edges of the frame, including the last line if it contains two or more words. (Choosing Full for group names will left-justify each line, because each line is treated as the last line of a paragraph; choose Forced Full instead.)

Remember that Finale will automatically update the Justification drop-down list selection when you choose an option from the Alignment drop-down list.

When Expand Single Word is selected and you choose Forced Full justification, Finale spreads the text evenly between the left and right edges of the frame. In lines of text containing only one word, Finale spreads the letters of that word evenly between the left and right edges of the frame. When Expand Single Word is not selected, all lines containing a single word are left-justified.

See also:

Staff tool

Smart Shape Tool

 

 

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Finale 2014 for Windows

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