Mode-specific settings for enabling/disabling automatic score panning

[svetter]

Your idea

I would like to have settings for enabling and disabling automatic panning/scrolling of the score, separated by what mode the application is in, roughly like this:

• [x] Allow automatic canvas movement in input mode
• [x] Allow automatic canvas movement during playback
• [x] Allow automatic canvas movement when not in input mode or playback

Problem to be solved

I sometimes work in blocks where I fill only a couple of bars instrument by instrument, and align the bar lines just inside the viewport. Every time I've completed one instrument, the canvas is yanked away because the next bar (where the next input note would be) is not completely visible.

This can be quite disorienting and annoying. I understand why this is the default behavior but would like to have a setting to override it.

Prior art

No response

Additional context

No response

Checklist

• [X] This request follows the guidelines for reporting issues
• [X] I have verified that this feature request has not been logged before, by searching the issue tracker for similar requests

[MarcSabatella]

To be clear, there is an existing setting "pan score automatically" (found within the playback toolbar options) that disables this, but for playback and editing together. So I assume the request is to make these independent. And I support that - it's pretty common for people to wish to disable it in editing but leave it on during playback and vice versa.

Meanwhile, though, to me it's just a bug that the arrow keys reset the view to the beginning of the score if nothing is selected. There might be an issue already for that, but right now I'm not seeing it - a few kind of related things like https://github.com/musescore/MuseScore/issues/19685

[svetter]

Thank you, I have edited the issue's title and description to incorporate your remarks.

it's just a bug that the arrow keys reset the view to the beginning of the score

Quite possibly. I've taken that part out of the description. The behavior that I'm seeing there is: On Up/Down press, the first vertical bar line segment left of bar 1 of the first instrument is selected. On Left/Right press, the first note or rest in bar 1 of the first instrument is selected. Probably way more harm than good (at least to me) but you're absolutely right, this is a separate issue.

[svetter]

@MarcSabatella Would you prefer the existing toggle in the playback toolbar to remain in place, in addition to a new checkbox with the same function in the preferences, or for it to be removed to avoid redundancy?

[MarcSabatella]

I don't have a strong preference personally. The playback toolbar is obviously a bad place for settings not related to playback, but if it were changed to be playback only, and a new option were in preferences, that could be OK. Might be better if it were somehow part of the note input toolbar, though, since it's more relevant there. Seems like something the MuseScore design team should sort out, though.

[svetter]

Oh, I was actually under the impression you were at Muse yourself. My mistake :D

Alright, since I can't find any information on who to contact in this case I'm just gonna ping @avvvvve (sorry if this is wrong):

• We're discussing settings for automatic panning and scrolling of the score
• Status quo: The toggle in the playback options popup determines auto-panning globally, i.e. both during playback and otherwise
• I want to split this up into three mode-specific settings, ideally for a) playback, b) note input mode and c) else
• Question 1: Should the existing playback toggle remain in place?
• Question 2: Where should the (other) settings go: Preferences, note input bar, somewhere else?
• Question 3: If the existing toggle in the playback options popup remains, would it be a problem to 'duplicate' this setting in order to have all three in the same place?

[MarcSabatella]

For the record, I did a lot of work on MuseScore prior to MU4, so I have pretty good insight into how things work currently and the tradeoffs that got us where we are. But no, I am not part of the core team and am really only peripherally involved these days.

So, here's my historical note for @avvvvve or whoever wants to think about this: originally this setting was playback only. Then we started getting requests - not a lot of them, but pretty strong ones - to have a way to disable panning during editing. Rather than invent a new control just for the few people who were requesting this, someone had the idea to just make the existing pan function control behavior in editing too, so that's what was done. And that's how we ended up with a button on the playback panel that has an effect unrelated to playback.

So yes, two separate controls - one to control panning during playback, the other during editing - definitely make sense. Where to put them I have no real "preference" for.

[SteveBlower]

If/when these commands are separated it would be nice if the score repositioning commands could be disconnected from the pan score settings at the same time.

See https://github.com/musescore/MuseScore/issues/20512

[svetter]

@SteveBlower At the risk of jinxing myself or whomever, that shouldn't be difficult based on what I've seen so far. And design-wise that change should be fine too since a deliberate user action like pressing a key shortcut is definitely not automatic.