Moving octave lines graphically

You can move octave lines graphically without changing the rhythmic positions to which they apply. You can move each end of octave lines independently, meaning you can also adjust the graphical lengths of individual octave lines.

Procedure

  1. In Engrave mode, select one of the following that you want to move:

    • Whole octave lines

    • The start/end handles of octave lines

    Tip

    You can show handles on all items, not just selected items, by choosing Engrave > Show Handles > Always. This can make it easier to select individual handles on multiple items.

  2. Move the octave lines or handles in any of the following ways:

    • Press Alt-Right Arrow to move octave lines and handles to the right.

    • Press Alt-Left Arrow to move octave lines and handles to the left.

    • Press Alt-Up Arrow to move octave lines and start handles upwards.

    • Press Alt-Down Arrow to move octave lines and start handles downwards.

      Note

      You cannot move the end handles on octave lines upwards/downwards, you can only move them to the right/left.

      You can move the start handles on octave lines upwards/downwards but this also moves the whole octave line.

      Tip

      If you want to move items by larger increments, you can press Ctrl/Cmd as well as the standard key command, for example, Ctrl/Cmd-Alt-Left Arrow.

    • Click and drag whole octave lines upwards/downwards.

    • Click and drag handles on octave lines to the right/left.

Result

The selected octave lines or handles are moved to new graphical positions.

Tip

The following properties in the Octave Lines group of the Properties panel are activated automatically when you move octave lines in the corresponding directions:

  • Start X offset moves the start of octave lines horizontally.

  • End X offset moves the end hooks of octave lines horizontally.

  • Y offset moves whole octave lines vertically.

For example, if you move a whole octave line to right, both handles are moved, so Start X offset and End X offset are both activated. You can also use all three properties to move and lengthen/shorten octave lines graphically by changing the values in the value fields.

Deactivating the properties resets the selected octave lines to their default positions.