Settings Scrapbook

Settings Scrapbook allows you selectively to move preferences and defaults from one document to another. When you "Copy" settings, it places them in a "scrapbook" that remembers them even between Finale sessions. You can paste them into as many other documents as you like.

A WORD ABOUT ENIGMA FONTS.
For many items, such as default font assignments and clefs with non-default fonts or shapes that contain them, Finale stores an internal font number. This number corresponds to a font in your system but is document-specific. For example, Times Roman may have one font number in one document and another font number in another. When Settings Scrapbook transfers items containing font numbers, it makes no attempt to reconcile these discrepancies. Therefore, when an item is transferred it may not have the same font in the target as in the source. This is especially true if you cross platforms or machines with a file.

If you transfer any such settings (especially Default Fonts), you should carefully consider whether to transfer Enigma Font Definitions as well. It is safest to transfer Enigma Font Definitions when the target has relatively few items that reference fonts. The transfer occurs "under the covers" as it were, and the Finale application may not be fully aware that it has happened. For example, versions of Finale at least through Finale 2003 may display a very confused Font Dialog until you save and re-retrieve the file.

You should always verify the results if you paste font settings or items containing fonts into a document. You will have the best success transferring font settings or items containing font settings between documents that derived from the same original template. For what it's worth, Finale itself has many of the same problems when it transfers items between files.

(The default music font always has font number zero, so you can successfully transfer items that reference the default music font. Many Shape Designer items and clefs do reference the default music font, and these will transfer with little trouble.)

When you first start up the plugin, you have no settings in your scrapbook, so the Paste button is disabled, and the "Current Settings In Scrapbook Are From:" text is invisible. Items in the menu marked with a bullet (•) are the ones that have settings currently stored in the scrapbook.

Items in Menu (in the pop-up menu). Selecting this option brings up the Select Items in Menu dialog box. It allows you to restrict the items in the menu, both for managability and to restrict the behavior of Copy All, Paste All, and Clear All.

Copy
Copies the currently selected setting type from the Paste Target to the scrapbook.

Copy All
Copies all setting types in the menu from the Paste Target to the scrapbook.

Paste
Copies the currently selected setting type from the scrapbook to the paste target.

Paste All
Copies all setting types in the menu from the scrapbook to the paste target.

Clear
Clears the currently selected setting types from the scrapbook.

Clear All
Clears all setting types in the menu from the scrapbook.

Paste To All Open Documents
(Visible only in Finale 2003.) Checking this option causes the Paste operations to update all open documents rather than just the topmost.

Save Settings... brings up the Save Settings dialog. This allows you to save your current menu configuration and scrapbook items as a new menu item in Finale's Plug-In menu. Doing this effectively gives you another independent settings scrapbook.

About... brings up an information dialog that includes a button that allows you to see again any dialogs you have dismissed with the "Don't Show Again" option checked.

Select Items in Menu Dialog.

Menu Items (select list). Selects the desired items to appear in the menu. Clicking selects a single item. Shift-clicking (with optional dragging) extends the selection. Command-clicking (Mac) or Control-clicking (Windows) adds separate, disconnected selected items.

Select All. Selects all items in the list.

Select None. De-selects all items in the list.

Revert. Reverts the selection to what it was on entry into the dialog.

Recommendations.

The Music Font is not included among the fonts that are copied or pasted when you select Default Fonts. This is because you should use the built-in Finale function to change your music font. Finale is intelligent about music fonts and can make helpful changes to the Music Characters, depending on which font you choose. Settings Scrapbook cannot do this.

If you have questions, comments, or suggestions about the operation of Settings Scrapbook, please feel free to contact me.