No Instruments panel, adding instrument not intuitive
Not sure if this is a documentation issue or bug, I'd say it's a bug. The documentation e.g. https://musescore.org/en/handbook/4/working-instruments#Overview says the "Instruments" panel is a new feature of Musescore 4. There is no instruments panel that I can find. On the left side, all I had was "Palettes". when I chose View > Restore default layout, a "Layout" panel appeared. (And under View, I see there is a Layout option, which I never would have thought was related to... Instruments). The Layout panel lists instruments. I believe this used to be View > Instruments. View > Layout is not somewhere I would expect to go to add an instrument. Layout is logically related to things like margins, spacing, page size etc.
I would also request that a button for Instruments be added with the "Parts" and "Mixer" buttons, there is lots of room there and adding instruments is a common function and one that I can never figure out how to do because it's so hidden.
| Attachment | Size |
|---|---|
| musescore Capture.PNG | 28.04 KB |
Comments
The former Instruments panel is now the Layout panel
In reply to The former Instruments panel… by Jojo-Schmitz
I would venture that this makes no sense, especially for new users. This means that there is literally no reference to the word "instruments" in any menu, on any button, or anywhere in the UI. And since the help for v4 specifically says otherwise, and includes multiple screen shots and videos of the "Instruments" panel, I'd say someone arbitrarily changed this and it qualifies as a bug. Other support for changing it back to "Instruments":
- the keyboard shortcut "I" mentally connects to "Instruments", not "Layout"
- when you press I, the dialog that opens is "Add instruments", not "Change layout" or anything related to layout
- the keyboard shortcut is not mentioned on the help page, nor in any menu, so there is no way for a user to find it
Possible solutions:
- change panel to "Instruments" for consistency with all the help documentation, images and videos at https://musescore.org/en/handbook/4/working-instruments#Accessing_the_p… and for usability/findability (preferred option)
- change the menu item to View > Instruments / Layout - so that at least the word Instruments appears somewhere in a menu so it's possible to find it
- in the Add menu, there should be an "Instrument" menu item, with the "I" shortcut indicated, which opens the "Add or remove instruments" dialog. Currently the "Add instrument" function is not accessible from any menu, and obfuscated under View > Layout > Add. This Add button doesn't even have the word "Instrument" on it
- change the help to reflect the actual application and the illogical "Layout" panel (not ideal - requires all translated versions of the help to be updated as well e.g. https://musescore.org/fr/handbook/4/travailler-avec-les-instruments which refers to the "Instruments" panel, I assume all other languages do as well).
I agree. "Layout" is an odd label. Don't forget that you can just use the shortcut "I" to bring up the add instruments window.
In reply to I agree. "Layout" is an odd… by bobjp
Unfortunately this is not mentioned in the help either on the "Working with instruments" page. Really buries this option for new users. I've been using MuseScore for years and I couldn't find it, and the Help was no... help. It was the "Instruments" panel per the help, at some point. Someone made an executive decision to change it, but didn't update any of the help. Funny for a music application to not have the word "instruments" or the option "add or edit instruments" in any menu, button or any part of the UI other than a dialog that can only be accessed by a keyboard shortcut that is poorly documented, or an "add" button hidden on a "Layout" panel. Would love to see the usability testing or user feedback that suggested changing the panel from "Instruments" to "Layout" was an evidence-based decision. :)
In reply to Unfortunately this is not… by tenvolt
The handbook is woefully out of date and still not editable again
In reply to Unfortunately this is not… by tenvolt
FWIW, the "I" shortcut has been in use since V3.
Yes, the nomenclature isn't very good yet. Note that when you start a new score, the first thing you see is the instruments window.
Also in the miss-labeled layout palette, there is an "Add" tab. You can add an instrument to the score there. That's new. It changes the layout so maybe that is part of the reason for the name change. Or not.
From what I read in the forums, there are many that don't bother with the manual and just poke around until they find what they want. Or ask on the forum.
In reply to FWIW, the "I" shortcut has… by bobjp
Sure but in V3 you could find it in a logical spot: Edit > Instruments. Very intuitive, and it showed that the "I" key was the shortcut, per the norm. Where do you now find this shortcut? The only place is if you go into Edit > Preferences > Shortcuts and scroll down or use the Search box. Users shouldn't need to go into Preferences or search forums to find a command. In V3 you had both a way to do the task easily, and learn the shortcut. Now we have no reference to instruments in any menu at all, and no reference to the "I" shortcut in any menu, nor in the "Working with instruments" help page, which is where the Help menu leads. Should users really have to ask in a forum or search forums to find out how to do such a fundamental task? Or figure out that it's under View > Layout? It wasn't broken in V3, it is now. It's also broken in the current Help (where the application sends you) and the new Gitbook help, which also shows the Instruments tab in the examples.
In reply to Sure but in V3 you could… by tenvolt
"the "I" shortcut has been in use since V3."
Not really. It has always existed in MuseScore, since version 1... Back then, "Instruments" was in the "Create" menu, then in versions 2 and 3 in the "Edit" menu. And so in version 4 too, except since this change since version 4.5 (of name, for the panel) and absence in the main menus. I agree, it's disconcerting to say the least... I'd be especially curious to know the arguments of the people who validated this change.
In reply to The "I" shortcut hasn't… by cadiz1
Agree. It's certainly best practice to have important shortcuts associated with menu items, both so that people can learn the shortcuts, and so that tasks aren't buried in obscure panels called "Layout" and "Preferences". In V3 it was Edit > Instruments, and it showed the "I" shorcut. Why "fix" what wasn't broken?
Apparently "instruments" has transitioned to "layout", no deadnaming you bigot ... well ... except it is ok to say "part" as in https://musescore.org/en/handbook/4/staffpart-properties#part-properties obviously! So layout/part/it please THANK YOU.