system text not pasted when copying system

• Feb 1, 2024 - 00:32

I have four bars in a score that I'd like to copy to another location in the same score. These four bars have a few system text elements.

When I select the four bars the selection box includes the grand staff with Roman numeral analysis and system text. Yet when I paste, I see the score and RNA, but no system text. I looked at the Selection filter panel, and all are checked including Other text.

I tried selecting just the system text elements and copying that, but I have not found a way to paste it.

How can I include system text in a cut and paste?

Comments

• Feb 1, 2024 - 21:09

System elements are not included, by design, in part because they don't belong to any one staff, so the meaning would be undefined if copying between staves. But also because in many cases it wouldn't make sense to duplicate the system text later in the score (for instance, you don't need a jazz chart to keep saying "swing" everywhere the initial phrase returns). You can if necessary copy the system text elements individually.

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• Feb 2, 2024 - 03:19

Thanks. To clarify, I am copying systems, not staves.

It makes a lot of sense that system text elements should not be copied by default. When I'm writing a chart I would not want that.

In the realm of education, system text is great for explanatory information. In this particular case, I'm writing up an exercise where I want to show the same idea developed in different ways. Each variation is a slight change from the one before. So each time I make a new variation, I copy the entire system of the last variation, then make my edits.

It's a bit of a drag having to copy each system text one by one. For each system text element I have to (1) select the system text element I want to copy, (2) copy, (3) select the correct note or measure, (4) paste. It's not the end of the world, but I've done it enough times that it feels like busywork and a distraction from what I'm writing.

So, it would be helpful to have an option in the selection pallet to include system text. Or at least the ability to copy and paste more than one system text element at a time, a la chords.

Another case where it would be useful to have an option to include system text is copying part of score to paste into a new score.

PS, when selecting a system, system text is highlighted like the rest of the system. Is that because some operations (other than copy) will affect system text?

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• Feb 2, 2024 - 03:32

There's no such thing as selecting or copying systems. You select "ranges", which is all content from one start time on one staff to an end time on either that same staff or another.

It's still not clear why you'd need system text instead of ordinary staff text. Are you printing individual parts for these exercises and wanting all that explanatory info on each? It would help if you attached an example.

Again, there is no such thing as selecting a system. But yes, if you select a range that includes the top staff, system text is included in the selection and is affected by operations like toggling visibility, changing fonts, etc.

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• Feb 2, 2024 - 05:39

Yes, I'm selecting a range. I want to copy and paste that range including everything in all staves and all text associated with everything in all staves. (Perhaps I'm misunderstanding what Musescore means by a system. I can't find a definition in the handbook.)

In general, I use staff text for text that applies to a staff, and system text for text that applies to the system. It seems you're saying that won't work for me.

Here's a simplistic example of a worksheet where I'm using system text and staff text and wanting to make copies of a range.

Attachment Size
Example for Copying and Pasting a Range of a System.mscz 34.23 KB

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• Feb 2, 2024 - 05:45

MuseScore doesn't have unusual special definition of a system, just the normal standard one that applies to all music notation: it's the set of all staves of a score for one "line" of music left to right across the page. So, typically a few measures.

Your example contains only a single instrument and no prts, so there is no point whatsoever in using system text instgesd of staff text. Again, the only reason for using system text is if you have text you want to appear at the top of the system only (say, above the flute part in a symphony) but on all the individual instrument parts. Thst just doens't apply here, since you have only one instrument and no parts. Staff text is the way to do what you are doing.

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• Feb 2, 2024 - 17:36

Ok, good to know, thanks.

From reading the handbook, I had the impression that system text is as general purpose as staff text, with the benefit of appearing above any staff text. It would be useful for the Handbook to make clear that there's only one reason to use system text.

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• Mar 17, 2024 - 13:35

I have read the whole conversation and totally agree with edrmiller: we need to have the option to copy or not system text when we are copying system slices. In my case too, I need it. I am writing an arrangement for 3 flutes of a music that always goes through the same 4 chords. I was asked to write also the name of the chords in case they would like to improvise above my arrangement. I thus need the chords to appear on each part. For this, I use the system text (not the jazz chords, as I don't wnat to hear them in the playback, it's just a matter of notation) . So, I can't copy the chords each time I copy the system (to then rework on the copied content which is way faster), and have to copy paste individually. It's not the end of the world, but it's more time unusefully spent on the score, on the screen...

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