Changing to optical cross-staff beam spacing

Dorico Pro Help

Product
Dorico Pro
Version
4.3
Language
English
Document type
Webhelp
ft:openMode
fluidtopics

You can make the stems in cross-staff beams, rather than the noteheads, evenly spaced in each layout independently. This can make it easier to perceive the evenness of rhythmic spacing in cross-staff beams than when noteheads are evenly spaced.

Procedure

  1. Press Ctrl/Cmd-Shift-L to open Layout Options.
  2. In the Layouts list, select the layouts that you want to change to optical cross-staff beam spacing.

    By default, the layout currently open in the music area is selected when you open the dialog. You can select other layouts by using the selection options in the action bar, clicking and dragging across multiple layouts, Shift-clicking adjacent layouts, and Ctrl/Cmd-clicking individual layouts.

  3. In the category list, click Note Spacing.
  4. Activate Use optical spacing for beams between staves.
  5. Click Apply, then Close.

Result

Optical cross-staff beam spacing is enabled in the selected layouts.

Example

Default spacing: The distance between noteheads is even.
Optical spacing for cross-staff beaming: The distance between stems is even.