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Preferences-View dialog box

How to get there

Choose Finale 2012 >Preferences > and select View.

What it does

Make settings regarding appearance of certain items program wide.

Show Tools menu. Select this checkbox to display the Tools menu where you can select Tools from the menu instead of the Main Tool Palette.
Show All Messages. Select this option to re-enable all messages that have a "Don’t Show This Again" checkbox.
Save Window States When Exiting Finale. If this item is selected, Finale will save the position of the palettes and windows when you exit Finale. To make the most use of these settings, position your palettes and the document window, make sure this item is selected, and then exit Finale. The next time you use Finale, click this item to select it, and make sure that Save Window States When Exiting Finale is selected.
Load Window States When Starting Finale. If this item is selected, Finale will load the last saved position of the palettes and windows when you start Finale.
Custom Zoom 1 • Custom Zoom 2 • Custom Zoom 3. Enter custom zoom percentages as you wish them to appear in the Zoom submenu of the View menu. See View menu.
Pitch Representation: MIDI Note Number • Pitch. Choose how you want Finale to represent MIDI notes throughout the application—by note number (middle C is always 60) or by pitch (C1, D1, E1, and so on). Click MIDI Note Number to display MIDI pitches by their MIDI note number. Click Pitch if you want Finale to spell out the pitch. Your choice is reflected in any dialog box that displays MIDI pitch, such as the MIDI tool window. You can choose to enter a MIDI pitch value in a dialog box as a pitch or as a MIDI note number. If the first character you type is a number, Finale assumes you’re entering a MIDI note number. Otherwise it’s assumed that you’ve entered a pitch, and Finale will match the pitch representation. The next time you enter the dialog box, the edit field displays the MIDI pitch value as a number or pitch, according to your Preferences selection. This setting is saved with program preferences.
Pitch Representation: Middle C = C3 • C4 • C5. Use this drop-down list to choose whether you want Finale to spell middle C as C3, C4 or C5. MIDI manufacturers use various representations for middle C, so you can now change the display in Finale to match your MIDI gear. This setting is saved with program preferences.
Measure Number: Display Defined Measure Numbers • Display Actual Measure Numbers. Select one of these options to control whether Finale will display the measure numbers that you defined in the Measure Number dialog box, or the actual measure numbers in the document. Finale counts actual measure numbers consecutively from 1, starting with the first measure in the document even if it is a pickup measure. This option is saved with your preferences. Depending on your selection, the "actual" or "defined" measure numbers are displayed in the Document Window’s Measure Control, the ScoreManager Start Measure column, and in edit boxes in any dialog boxes that display measure numbers (such as the Measure Attributes, Key and Time Signature, and Select Region dialog boxes). When "defined" measure numbers are displayed, and a measure number is defined in more than one measure number region (for example, in a document with several movements, each defined by a region), type the region number followed by a colon (:), then enter the measure number that you want to use. For example, if you have three measure number regions defined for a three-movement piece, with each region starting at measure 1, type 1:1 to jump to the start of the first movement (region 1), type 2:1 to jump to the start of the second movement (region 2), and type: 3:1 to jump to measure 1 of the third movement (defined by region 3). To specify Finale’s actual measure numbers when "defined" measure numbers are displayed, type #, the number sign (SHIFT+3), followed by the "actual" measure number. When entering Finale’s "actual" measure numbers, remember that Finale always considers the first measure of the document to be measure number 1 even if it is a pickup measure.
Smart Hyphens and Word Extensions: Update Automatically • Update Manually. Choose Update Automatically to recalculate hyphens and word extensions as you edit the score. Updates are based on settings in the Word Extensions dialog box. Choose Update Manually to recalculate when you choose Update Smart Word Extensions and Hyphens from the Utilities menu.
Handles: Handle Size • Transparent Handles. Resize the handles by entering the desired number of pixels for handles in this text box. Check Transparent Handles to use use handles that allow you to see musical elements behind the handle as you edit. Transparent handles are especially useful when entering staccatos, accents, and other small markings that may be covered up by opaque handles.
Hidden Object Shading. In this text box, enter the shade percent age for hidden expressions (100% = hidden completely, 0% = no shading).
Smooth Staff Lines • Smooth Barlines. Finale’s display includes font smoothing technology which enhanced the on-screen display for most items. However, smoothing produces what many report to be an undesireable ‘fuzzy’ effect for staff lines and barlines. Therefore, smoothing for staff lines and barlines has been turned off by default. Use these check boxes to enable smoothing for staff lines and/or barlines.