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Dolet 4 for Finale Release Notes

Version 4.5 for Mac OS X

August 28, 2008

Installation - Using Dolet - What's New - Translation Limits - Reporting Problems - Thank You!

Installation

To install the Dolet 4 for Finale plug-in, first quit out of Finale. Then simply drag the MusicXML folder containing the Dolet4.bundle file into your Finale plug-ins folder. If you have multiple versions of Finale on your computer, just make a copy of the MusicXML folder and place it in the each additional Finale plug-ins folder. When you restart Finale, the plug-ins will be available. Keep these release notes and the license files wherever you like.

Dolet 4 for Finale is not compatible with earlier versions of the Dolet for Finale plug-in. Remove any Dolet2.bundle and Dolet3.bundle files from Finale any plug-ins folders where you are installing the Dolet4.bundle file.

The Dolet 4 for Finale plug-in is a Universal binary and requires Mac OS 10.3 or later.  If you need to run Dolet for Finale software on Mac OS 10.2, you need to stay with version 3.2 of the plug-in. The Dolet 4 for Finale plug-in cannot run under Rosetta, so only Finale 2007 through 2009 are supported on Intel-based Macs.

Using Dolet for Finale

Dolet software serves as a translator between music programs. These translations are done using the MusicXML file format. Dolet can read and write MusicXML files, allowing you to exchange music between Finale and any other program that can read or write MusicXML.

To bring MusicXML files into Finale, first create a new Finale document. Go to the Plug-ins menu and select the MusicXML submenu. Then select the "Import MusicXML..." item. If you have an empty Finale document open, Dolet 4 for Finale will import the MusicXML file into this empty document, making use of your document settings wherever possible. Otherwise, Dolet 4 will create a new default Finale file and import into that.

To bring files from other programs such as Sibelius and PDFtoMusic Pro into Finale, first save the files in these programs in MusicXML format. Then use the Import MusicXML feature to read the file into Finale.

To save a Finale document as a MusicXML file, go to the Plug-ins menu, the MusicXML submenu, and then select the "Export MusicXML..." item. You can choose to save files in MusicXML 2.0, Compressed MusicXML 2.0, MusicXML 1.1, and MusicXML 1.0 formats. The earlier versions are useful when sharing files with programs that do not yet support the newer versions of the MusicXML format.

If you want to read a Finale file in an earlier version of Finale, first save a MusicXML file in the newer version of Finale using Export MusicXML. Then read this MusicXML file in the older version of Finale using Import MusicXML.

You may translate an entire folder of Finale files to MusicXML format or vice versa. These batch routines will overwrite any files with the same name that are currently in that directory. Use the "Translate Folder of MusicXML Files..." menu item to save Finale files from your MusicXML files (batch import). Use the "Translate Folder of Finale Files..." menu item to save MusicXML files from your Finale files (batch export). Batch translation is not available during the 30-day free trial period.

Dolet 4 for Finale supports Finale 2004 through 2009 on Mac OS X. It will read and write files in MusicXML 1.0, MusicXML 1.1, and MusicXML 2.0 formats. When you do a batch export, the format used is based on the last MusicXML file you exported (MusicXML 2.0 by default).

When using Dolet 4 for Finale, please be sure to just use the full version from the plug-ins menu. Going back and forth between the MusicXML functions in the Plug-ins and File menus may confuse Finale and produce error messages. If this happens accidentally, just restart Finale to get things working correctly again.

What's New

Version 4.5 includes many enhancements for chord symbols:

  • Chord symbols are now spelled more accurately on import. The import now tries to match existing chord symbols based on the appearance of the symbol rather than its underlying harmonic analysis.
  • Chord symbols imported from MusicXML files created by the Dolet 4 for Sibelius plug-in will import with more accurate positioning. In the past, these symbols would often end up too low, colliding with the staff rather than appearing above the staff.
  • Chord symbols are now created using the default chord suffix font, rather than the default chord symbol font that is used for the root of the chord.
  • The Show Fretboards document option is now turned off when importing a score without fretboards.
  • N.C. and alt chord symbols are exported and imported more accurately.
  • Chord symbols using the major triangle symbol are exported and imported more accurately.
  • Chord symbols with an open string and an altered first fret now import correctly. Finale files created with a mis-import of these chord symbols no longer cause MusicXML export to fail.

Version 4.5 also updates MusicXML 2.0 W3C XML Schema (XSD) validation support to the production release. This is a stricter definition of the MusicXML 2.0 format and will catch more errors during validation than the MusicXML 2.0 Document Type Definition. This feature is only available to registered Dolet 4 for Finale users.

Version 4.4 added Finale 2009 support and support for a beta version of the MusicXML 2.0 XSD definition. It also included the following new features and fixes:

  • Embedded graphics are supported as of Finale 2009 when using compressed MusicXML 2.0 files (.mxl).
  • Swing tempo marks now import with playback set to light swing.
  • Long file names are now handled correctly as of Finale 2009.
  • Text is now exported more accurately in Finale 2009 for cross-platform Mac/Windows files.
  • Single-digit time signatures are now supported.
  • Measure widths are now exported for measures with repeat staff styles as of Finale 2009.
  • Non-printing group names are no longer erroneously exported in some files.
  • The number attribute for ending elements now export correctly as a comma-separated list, based on playback settings rather than ending text.
  • Shape articulations that are all text now export correctly.

Fixes in previous releases are listed in the Dolet 4 for Finale Version History at http://www.recordare.com/finale/v4versions.html.

The Dolet 4 for Finale plug-in supports the MusicXML 2.0 format. Version 2.0 provides a compressed file format for MusicXML files, which use the .mxl file extension. These compressed files are usually 20 times smaller than the corresponding MusicXML file, making them much easier to share with other musicians.

Version 2.0 of the MusicXML format makes possible many of the new features supported in the Dolet 4 for Finale software, including:

  • Linked page-attached graphics
  • Export of linked measure-attached graphics
  • Page-attached text after page 1
  • Many line width document options
  • MIDI pan and channel volume settings
  • Piano pedal playback, including half-pedaling
  • Text tracking
  • Underline and strikeout text
  • Tick barlines
  • Pluck symbols (p, i, m, a)
  • Export of text blocks attached to multiple pages
  • Improved page numbering support
  • Improved export of chord symbol and fretboard formatting
  • Improved lyric elision support

Other new features in version 4 of the Dolet for Finale plug-in are:

  • Finale 2008 support
  • Check for Updates menu item
  • Piano pedal line import
  • Fretboard import
  • Composite time signature import
  • Nested tuplet import
  • Capo chord symbol export
  • Better import of accidentals and ties, especially with MusicXML files created from Sibelius.
  • Better metronome mark import and export
  • Better export of page, system, and staff formatting
  • Less freezing of stem directions on import, leading to improved formatting
  • Improved export of overlapping group braces
  • Improved import of lyrics when lyrics are present in non-consecutive parts
  • Improved tie and slur export when voice 2 is used

Translation Limits

Any type of translation has limits. Things expressed in one language sometimes cannot be expressed the same way in another language. Sometimes the translator does not yet understand all the idioms and vocabulary in both languages. The Dolet software and MusicXML format provide much greater music notation accuracy than MIDI translations, but both types of limits apply to this software.

The Dolet for Finale plug-in supports most of the musical features that are shared between Finale and MusicXML. However, this Version 4 release does not support the following Finale features:

  • Figured bass
  • Beam extensions
  • Graphical Finale shape expressions
  • Many MIDI tool performance details
  • Exact articulations, expressions, and chord symbols in symbol fonts other than those provided with Finale or selected third parties (GoldenAgeMusic, Sonata, November, NovemberExtra, Toccata, Bill Duncan's ChordSuf)
  • Importing guitar bends
  • Exact positioning for articulations
  • Importing measure widths, beat charts, and exact note positions

Reporting Problems

Given Finale's great flexibility, you may find problems in how we handle scores set up in your particular format. Please contact us at support at recordare dot com if you encounter problems with our software.

If you do find a problem, please give us a description of what the Dolet plug-in is doing, compared to what you expect it to do. Attaching a .mus or .etf file that shows the problem will help us to find and fix the problem more quickly. Please let us know which versions of Finale and OS X you are using. Should you see a message box reporting an error, please be sure to include the text of the message.

Thank You!

Thank you very much for your interest in Recordare® and MusicXML™ software. We greatly appreciate your support of an open, Internet-friendly format for representing musical scores.

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Last updated September 11, 2008.