With regard to Auto Space, note entry, and Align Spacing the documentation consistently advises caution, a prescribed order of steps in workflow, and that the user should always perform Align Spacing last, unless Align Playback is required first. Makes me think that Gvox should take a long look at the underlying issues and develop a simpler and more reliable system.
I believe the following is an accurate collection of all statements about Auto Space found in the Encore 5 v3.2 User Guide. For the most part I have merely created a collection of the text, without much comment or analysis of accuracy or veracity:
Page 27
- Encore's AUTO SPACE feature (Setup menu) is on by default, so the note will be placed where it belongs in the measure.
With AUTO SPACE on, you cannot enter more notes or rests into a measure than are allowed by that measure's time signature.
Page 34
- Using the eraser tool when Auto Space is on will change the spacing of the measure as each note or rest is erased. If you erased the two quarter note rests in Measure 4 using the eraser, each erase operation would move the eighth note at the end of Measure 4 closer to the start of the measure.
For this excerise, go to the setup menus and turn off Auto Space by scrolling down to it and releasing the mouse button. Auto Space will then be unchecked. Now when you make a selection and remove notes or rests in a measure, the remaining notes no longer adjust automatically.
Page 36
- While editing individual measures in your score, we instructed you to disable Auto Space since the align SpaCing operation should be used as a final step to ensure correct spacing for the entire system. align SpaCing compares all of the notes for each instrument playing during the selected measure(s) and then aligns the spacing for all instruments. When editing measures after recording or opening MIDI files, Auto Space will continue to adjust the spacing as notes are added or removed from a measure but only an align SpaCing operation will correctly space the entire system. It is considered a good habit to periodically select and use align SpaCing while working on a section.
Page 54
- Auto spacing and beaming automatically adjusts when notes and measures are moved.
NOTE: If you choose to work with Auto SpAce off when moving notes and rests, you need to use both Align plAybAck and Align SpAcing after adding notes to the middle or beginning of a measure. If an Align Spacing operation moves notes to the "wrong" locations, undo the operation and then check for missing rests. Use Align plAybAck before using Align SpAcing.
Encore does its best to align notes added to the middle of a measure or notes moved out of order within a measure. Such operations are better avoided, since more consistent and reliable playback will occur when you enter everything from left to right in the proper order. If a later portion of a measure requires extensive editing, it is better to erase the portion than to continually edit the existing material.
Page 55
- "Drag-Copying" notes and rests If you hold down the [control/option] key while moving a note or rest, the note or rest will be copied to the new location. When notes and rests are copied in this fashion the normal rules regarding the Auto Space and Auto Beam functions are ignored. Note: We strongly recommend that you use Align Playback after copying notes or rests using the [control/ option] key. If you want Encore to automatically correct the measure spacing for the newly copied data use Align Spacing as well..
- The Auto Space function will beep if you attempt to add a note or rest to a measure that is full.
Page 93
- Auto Space defaults to "on." If you don't want Encore to automatically space the notation, choose Auto Space again to remove the check mark.
Auto Space
This function applies engraver's spacing automatically after several different operations in Encore. When adding or erasing notes or rests with the pencil and eraser tools, Auto Space will apply the engraver's spacing operation to the notes in the measure being edited. In addition, erasing or adding an accidental will also apply the engraver's spacing.
Why not just say, "will apply engraver's spacing"?
When pasting data, the Auto Space function applies an Align Spacing operation on the measures affected by the paste. Auto Space automatically applies the engraver's spacing when dragging notes, barlines, and staves. Holding down the control key during the drag bypasses these adjustments.
Please Note: Operations that require selections or measure ranges will not use Auto Space.
This statement is inscrutable to me. Anybody know what it means?
Page 104
- Auto Space On While Pasting
If Auto Space (Preferences) is on, pasted notation is automatically aligned following each paste. If the paste operation does not replace all of the notes in a measure, non-pasted notes in the same measure will also be aligned.
Auto Space Off While Pasting
If Auto Space is off, Encore will not use Align Spacing for the pasted area and the original spacing will be maintained. If the measure width of copied data is different than the measure(s) into which the data is pasted, the data is scaled to fit the new area. This works best when complete measures are copied but will also affect paste operations for notes that do not fill the measure.
Page 117
- Make Chord will work only when notes are of the same duration. If notes have been guessed to be different durations, first change all of the notes to the same duration.
Face value = durations? Wouldn't it make more sense to say, "If notes have been guessed to be different face values, first change all of the notes to the same face value.
The MIDI duration may not have changed, and it's important to use language that distinguishes between the underlying MIDI data and the notational representation, which can be quite different in duration.
Unless the notes combined into a chord were hand entered with Auto Space off, the number of beats in the measure will change as well. You may need to add rests or additional notes to complete the measure. It is also a good idea to Align Playback.
This implies a change in the measure's metric property, but acutally its a comment about the measure's containship of notes.