Dorico Library Menu: A Structured Overview
Introduction
The Library Menu in Dorico provides access to global settings, engraving rules, playback configurations, and project-wide preferences. Unlike local adjustments, changes made here affect the entire project or serve as defaults for new files. Below is an outline of the Library Menu structure at the first level.
Library Menu Outline
1. Music Fonts
- Choose and customize notation fonts.
2. Font Styles
- Adjust score typography, text styles, and font families.
3. Paragraph Styles
- Control text formatting for system text, lyrics, and annotations.
4. Character Styles
- Manage individual character formatting styles.
5. Page Sizes
- Define and adjust page size options for layout formatting.
6. Chord Diagrams
- Customize chord diagram display, positioning, and variations.
7. Chord Symbols
- Define chord symbol appearance, positioning, and alternative notation styles.
8. Music Symbols
- Edit and customize notation symbols used in the score.
9. Notehead Sets
- Customize and assign alternative notehead styles.
10. Playing Techniques
- Manage customized symbols, articulations, and playback mappings for instrument techniques.
11. Lines
- Customize lines for phrasing, articulation, and notation elements.
12. Line Bodies
- Define the physical structure of lines used in notation.
13. Line Annotations
- Adjust additional symbols or text attached to lines.
14. Repeatable Symbols
- Configure repeatable notation markings and visual cues.
15. Expression Maps
- Define how articulations and dynamics trigger specific sample library patches.
16. Percussion Maps
- Create and edit MIDI note mappings for unpitched percussion instruments.
17. Playback Techniques
- Assign specific playback actions and controls to articulations.
18. Engraving Options
- Modify engraving defaults such as slurs, ties, stem positioning, spacing, and text alignment.
19. Layout Options
- Customize page size, staff spacing, margins, and part formatting.
20. Notation Options
- Adjust global notation settings, including beaming, note grouping, accidentals, and rhythmic spacing.
21. Note Input Options
- Configure note entry behaviors, shortcuts, and input preferences.
22. Playback Options
- Configure humanization, tempo interpretation, dynamics response, and playback performance.
23. Instruments
- Manage instrument definitions and playback settings.
24. Instrument Families
- Organize instrument categories and groupings.
25. Instrument Score Orders
- Customize instrument order within scores.
26. Export Library
- Save and export customized library settings for reuse in other projects.
27. Library Manager
- Manage and import/export global library configurations.
28. Save as Default
- Apply current settings as project-wide defaults for new files.
29. Restore Factory Defaults
- Reset library settings to Dorico’s original configuration.
Conclusion
The Library Menu centralizes project-wide settings, allowing users to control notation, engraving, playback, fonts, and expression maps globally. Mastering this menu enables efficient workflow customization and consistent output across projects.