"Loop" flags should update anytime the user changes the selection

• Feb 21, 2022 - 17:39
Reported version
3.6
Type
Graphical (UI)
Frequency
Few
Severity
S5 - Suggestion
Reproducibility
Always
Status
active
Regression
No
Workaround
No
Project

Loop behaviors in MuseScore 3.6.2:

The following behaviors occur and make sense:

• When a user enables MuseScore's Loop feature MuseScore initially displays the Loop Start and Loop End flags so they surround the current selection. (Presently, for unknown reasons this requires a range selection.)

• When the user changes the range selection MuseScore loops the new selection.

If these are the intended behaviors (and I HOPE they are!) then MuseScore should update the flags whenever the user changes the selection. Presently the flags will update eventually ... on Play. It would make more sense and be more meaningful if they update once a suitable selection is made.

Recommendations:

• I recommend updating the flag positions on Select because they're un-updated positions would communicate the pending reality—that the current selection will loop (rather than the area still indicated by the flags.)

• It would also make sense to allow the user to drag flags to alter the extent of the loop and have that in force ... until the user makes and other selection or alters the position of another flag.

• Users have expressed confusion due to the current range selection requirement. They expect that clicking a note and Control/Command clicking another note would suffice. So perhaps the Loop feature should not require a range selection.

https://musescore.org/en/node/318909

scorster


Comments

After setting my loop, I practice with Musescore and adjust some details of the score.
I certainly do not want that selecting things to adapt the score change the loop flags I have set !!
And it doesn't for me in 3.6.2 so I'm not sure of your 3.6.2 description.

In reply to by frfancha

> I certainly do not want that selecting things to adapt the score change the loop flags I have set !!
And it doesn't for me in 3.6.2 so I'm not sure of your 3.6.2 description.

I understand your point, and understand that need. And I see that we can adjust individual notes without affecting the pending playback loop.

> And it doesn't for me in 3.6.2

If you make any range selection in MS3.6.2 that does affect the loop designation when you resume playback. So it's unclear if the behavior follows the intent.

In reply to by scorster

Yes you're right, when a range is selected before resuming play, the loop range is modified accordingly.
But you can select range to make modification without impacting loop range, as long as you don't keep it selected before resuming play, so all good for me.
I was afraid that any range selection with loop enabled would change the loop range instantaneously, but that it isn't the case.

In reply to by frfancha

> ...you're right, when a range is selected before resuming play, the loop range is modified accordingly.

This would all be apparent if documented. I'd update the documentation but the intended behavior is unclear.

>> ... you can select range to make [range selection] modification without impacting loop range, as long as you don't keep it selected before resuming play, so all good for me.

Good observation!

> I was afraid that any range selection with loop enabled would change the loop range instantaneously, but that it isn't the case.

I understand and support your need to leave a loops selected while simultaneously making edits that employ range selections. Glad it works. As you say, you just need to watch step carefully and deselect before pressing Play as that resets Loop Playback to the current selection.

All this leads me to think the Loop feature should have some modes:

• one dedicated to practicing along
• one that allows editing while retaining a particular loop position

Scorster