Local time signature not working
Curious and curiouser...
I have successfully used the local time signature feature of MS many times in the past, but suddenly it appears to have stopped working. I have even uninstalled MS and re-installed from a fresh download in case it was something with my particular installation but it appears not. I am using MS2.0.2 and Windows 8
See screenshot 1
I want to set the time signature in the lowest stave to 12/8. When I ctrl-drag the 12/8 time signature onto the bottom stave, I get the "bar not empty" message, but I have also in the past had the situation where it has changed all the staves to 12/8.
I seem to recall a similar problem in the past but think I stumbled on a solution which required the top 3 staves to have some notes in them. Accordingly I entered some notes into the top 3 staves. However, it is still not working. I still get the "bar not empty" message. I even tried removing (ctrl-del) all of the subsequent extra bars, See screenshot 2..
I still get the "bar not empty" message when I try once again to change the lowest stave to 12/8, even though the one and only additional bar clearly *is* empty. I have even tried selecting it and doing a "ctrl-X" just to make sure it is empty
At the moment I am stuck! Any advice and help will be gratefully received.
Many thanks
Andrew
Comments
Try to add an instrument (Edit / Instruments ...);
Ctrl + drag the 12/8 time signature and release it on the first rest of the first bar.
Would you be able/willing to share the score here as an attachment for others to have a look at the issue?
I've also noted that CTRL-dragging a time signature does affect the whole system if it is dropped on the existing signature rather than on the staff. Pay attention to the highlighted area when dropping the signature:
![local_time_signature.png]( "local_time_signature.png")
Left: replaces whole system - Right: only applies to staff
Yes, we'd need the score itself, not just a picture. But the message is meant to be self-explanatory. Somewhere in one of the measures that would be affected by the change, there are notes. The score has to be completely empty in all staves for all measures affected by the change.
In reply to Yes, we'd need the score by Marc Sabatella
Thank you all for your comments and ideas. I have tried various things. I can assure you that the score *appears* to be completely empty beyond the troublesome bar. However I finally cured the problem..
I set up a new score and systematically copied and pasted into it from the original score up to the point at which I wanted the local time signature. I was then able to set the local time signature as I required it, and also able to continue with the rest of the score. There are a few other instances of local time signatures later on, all of which worked, so I now have the complete score as I want it.
I can only assume that there was something wrong with the original score that wasn't visible.
Many thanks to you all for your suggestions.
Andrew
And finally..
Since working on this piece I had cause to do the same thing on another piece. I was actually combining two movements of a piece together to make one score in two sections. The second section involved local time signatures for two instruments, 3/4 against 6/8. I met the same problem ie I could not set some instruments at one time signature and leave the others unchanged. Then I noticed that I had the individual parts (ie parts for 2 violins etc) along with the overall score, because I was building up the combined piece from the original first part, so I tried deleting the individual parts, and BINGO!
Once I had deleted the parts for the individual instruments I found that I could then build up my score in sections, changing to local time signatures for individual instruments as I went along. I then recreated parts for the individual instruments.
All seems to have been resolved.
I hope this makes sense. It may be useful for others who encounter the same problem.
Andrew
In reply to And finally.. Since working by ahiw
Glad to hear it! Be aware that local time signatures are still rather limited and a bit experimental, with one known nasty bug in particular where copy & paste causes corruption ("fixed" for the upcoming 2.0.3 by simply disabling copy & paste in sections under a local time signature). So just be careful, check often to be sure all seems as it should, etc.