Music frame chains

A music frame chain is a collection of music frames that show the same selection of music in a set order, often in sequence. Music frame chains are automatically created when you input music frames and import master pages, and can include any number of frames, including only a single music frame.

You can control the music shown in each music frame chain by player and by flow using music frame selectors.

In Dorico Pro, there are different types of frame chains.

Master page frame chains

Master page frame chains can be created and fully edited only on master pages in the master page editor; you cannot change the flow and player filters for master page frame chains in individual layouts. Whenever you create a music frame on a master page, you automatically start a frame chain.

Frame chains that start with an “M”, such as “MA”, are master page frame chains. You can have multiple master page frame chains on each page, such as “MA” and “MH”.

The default master pages contain a single frame chain that is set to display all flows and all players in the layout. Therefore, Dorico Pro automatically creates enough pages and frames to display all flows in all the layouts that use those master pages.

Note
  • To ensure that a score continues automatically on subsequent pages, the music frame must be created at least on the First and Default master pages.

  • All frames in the same music frame chain must display the same flows and players. For example, you cannot have the first frame in a frame chain show just the violin but have the second frame show all players.

  • Dorico Pro shows flows in layouts as many times as you want, not only once. Therefore, if you want to change the formatting of some flows in a particular layout, such as showing them in layout frame chains instead of the master page frame chain, but do not want those flows to appear more than once, you must remove those flows from the Filter by Flows list on the master page frame chain. As this affects which flows are automatically displayed in all layouts that use the same master page, we recommend that in such cases you create a separate master page for the layout in which you want to change the formatting.

  • Music frames on imported master pages are automatically assigned to their own frame chain, regardless of the frame chain to which they were originally assigned in their source master page set.

Layout frame chains

Layout frame chains can only be created and edited on individual pages in layouts. If you create a music frame and assign it to a layout frame chain in a layout, it is only displayed on that page in that layout and starts its own frame chain. If you want the music frame to be continued on subsequent pages, you must create music frames on all the pages in the layout on which you want the chain to appear and assign all of these frames to the same layout frame chain.

Frame chains that start with an “L”, such as “LA”, are layout frame chains. You can have multiple layout frame chains on each page, such as “LA” and “LB”.

Note
  • All frames in the same music frame chain must display the same flows and players. For example, you cannot have the first frame in a frame chain show just the violin but have the second frame show all players.

  • Assigning flows to layout frame chains does not stop those flows also appearing in the master page frame chain, if the frame chain in the master page applied to the layout is set to include those flows. By default, master page frame chains are set to display all flows in the project.