Space Systems Plug-in

How to get there

Choose Plug-ins > Scoring and Arranging > Space Systems.

What it does

The Space Systems plug-in allows you to quickly adjust the vertical spacing of systems throughout a page or multiple pages. The plug-in was designed primarily for use with scores that contain several systems per page, such as parts or larger scores with hidden staves.

• Process Range: Current Page • All Pages • Single Page • Selected Pages. From these options, select the page(s) containing the systems you want to respace.
• Current Part or Score • Score • All Parts • Score and All Parts • Scores in All Open Docs. From this popup menu, choose the desired scope of your changes. Note that changes can be applied to pages out of view. For example, if you choose Score and are viewing a part, changes will be made to the score even though it is not visible on the screen.
• Single systems: None • Top • Center • Bottom. Use these options to adjust the placement of systems on pages that contain only one system (usually with many staves). This setting will not override the Extra Margins value.
• Multiple Systems: Keep topmost system fixed. Check this box to indicate that you do not want to move the topmost staff system on the page (on pages with more than one staff system). When this option is checked, the Top value in Extra Margins is ignored.
• Extra Margins; Top • Bottom. Enter the value (in the measurement unit chosen in the popup menu to the right) to add extra space below the top page margin (Top) or above the bottom page margin (Bottom).
• Mode: None • Space Evenly…Compact to Smallest Gap. Choose Space Evenly to apply the same amount of space between each system and align the top and bottom systems against the top and bottom page margins (taking into account the Extra Margins). Choose Space with Additional Gaps to apply additional space between the systems. Choose Space Proportionally to leave the existing proportions of space between systems, while aligning the top and bottom systems with the top and bottom of the page respectively. Choose Space Evenly, Fixed Bottom System to leave the bottom system in place and distribute other systems on the page evenly above. Choose Compact - Tight to reduce the space between systems (so that the system margins are against one another). Choose Compact to Smallest Gap to identify the smallest amount of space between any two systems on the page and apply that value to the space between all systems on the page.
• Lock Next Page Break When Needed. Check this box to apply page breaks to the next page when respacing would otherwise reflow systems (so that one or more moved back to the page being respaced). With this option checked, Page Breaks are added that lock the same number of systems on pages. To remove Page Breaks, with the Page Layout tool selected, select a system on the page containing the Page Break and choose Page Layout > Delete Page Break.