Set custom zoom level? (Sib. 6)

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Ander
Posts: 5
Joined: Sat Sep 12, 2020 10:37 pm
Sibelius Version: 6
Operating System: Windows

Post by Ander » Wed Aug 25, 2021 3:29 am

Hi everyone,

I'm still using Sibelius 6, as I don't care for the "ribbon" interface. (Still using Word 2003 too!)

This may be a silly question, so feel free to laugh—I'm married, I can take it. :lol:

Is there any way to create a custom zoom level in Sib. 6, rather than having to choose from the list of pre-set zoom levels? I'd like to be able to press a shortcut key combination to zoom to 94%, which I've found is ideal on my particular monitor. I've wanted to be able to do this for years, but it didn't occur to me till now to ask here.

Yes, I know you can zoom to 100% (believe me, 94% makes a difference). And I know you can use Ctrl+mouse wheel—but I'm so keyboard-oriented, it'd be much easier to be able to assign a shortcut. I also know about the registry "hack" for setting the initial zoom level when opening a score—but once you've zoomed in to edit, it no longer applies.

If this can be done by writing a plugin, I'd be glad to do that, if you'd be kind enough to describe the steps. Or maybe by standing on one leg and doing celebrity impressions? I'll try anything that's not illegal.

Thanks very much!


KJ_Palmer
Posts: 388
Joined: Mon Feb 28, 2011 6:22 am
Sibelius Version: 6.2, 7.5
Operating System: Windows

Post by KJ_Palmer » Wed Aug 25, 2021 1:00 pm

Not sure if this will help, you may well know this but you can get 94% Zoom by typing 94 in the Zoom drop down box and pressing Enter/Return.

To keep this setting, in Preferences > Files, make sure Open at zoom Level is unticked, and the zoom level is 'remembered' next time you open the file (well it did for me when I tried it just now).

In Preferences > Score position I also always untick Use different zoom to keep the level the same during playback.

Hope that may help, sorry don't know anything about writing plugins or shortcuts.
Sibelius 6.2, 7.5.1, Windows 11

MikeLyons
Posts: 1631
Joined: Fri Jun 24, 2016 7:20 pm
Sibelius Version: Ult. 2024.3.1/7.5
Operating System: Windows

Post by MikeLyons » Wed Aug 25, 2021 6:09 pm

Does [ctrl/cmd]+/- not do it for you?
Sib 6.2, 7.5 and 2023.6, Windows 11, 32GB RAM, 16TB 7200RPM Storage, 2TB SSD, Note Performer 3.3.2, EWQLSO, EWQLSC, Harmony Assistant and some others. mike@mike-lyons.co.uk

Ander
Posts: 5
Joined: Sat Sep 12, 2020 10:37 pm
Sibelius Version: 6
Operating System: Windows

Post by Ander » Thu Aug 26, 2021 4:24 am

KJ_Palmer wrote:
Wed Aug 25, 2021 1:00 pm
Not sure if this will help, you may well know this but you can get 94% Zoom by typing 94 in the Zoom drop down box and pressing Enter/Return...
MikeLyons wrote:
Wed Aug 25, 2021 6:09 pm
Does [ctrl/cmd]+/- not do it for you?
Thanks for your replies, guys. Yes, I know about those things. And KJ, indeed, that's what I do, after each edit that requires zooming (which is all the time, as Sib. 6 is so clumsy with ties).

What I'm after here—fruitlessly, perhaps—is a way to assign a shortcut to 94% zoom. No leaving the keyboard, pointing and clicking, spinning mouse wheels, etc.

Considering how detailed notation is, and how different users and monitors can be, it boggles my mind that only pre-set zoom levels were implemented.

I appreciate your humouring me, though, considering I'm using software from the '90s! Had I realized that sooner, I probably wouldn't have posted this [blush]... It's actually Sib. 6.2, at least (LOL).

KJ_Palmer
Posts: 388
Joined: Mon Feb 28, 2011 6:22 am
Sibelius Version: 6.2, 7.5
Operating System: Windows

Post by KJ_Palmer » Thu Aug 26, 2021 7:57 am

Sorry I couldn't help Ander, you may have more luck on the 'official forum': https://www.sibelius.com/cgi-bin/helpce ... ?groupid=3

A comforting thing (maybe) is that in Sib 6 you have the option of getting 94% zoom, albeit in a roundabout way. In Sib 7.5 as far as I can tell you only have the presets, and no box to type in, or custom levels. I just use 50% zoom for everything and stick with that.
Sibelius 6.2, 7.5.1, Windows 11

Ander
Posts: 5
Joined: Sat Sep 12, 2020 10:37 pm
Sibelius Version: 6
Operating System: Windows

Post by Ander » Tue Aug 31, 2021 5:31 am

KJ_Palmer wrote:
Thu Aug 26, 2021 7:57 am
Sorry I couldn't help Ander, you may have more luck on the 'official forum'...
Oh, it's still going? I thought when Avid bought Sibelius, they stopped caring about it very much. :)
KJ_Palmer wrote:
Thu Aug 26, 2021 7:57 am
A comforting thing (maybe) is that in Sib 6 you have the option of getting 94% zoom, albeit in a roundabout way...
You mean by "hacking" the initial zoom value in the registry? Yes, but that goes away as soon as you need to see something more closely. Maybe I'm not following you.
KJ_Palmer wrote:
Thu Aug 26, 2021 7:57 am
In Sib 7.5 as far as I can tell you only have the presets, and no box to type in, or custom levels...
KJ_Palmer wrote:
Thu Aug 26, 2021 7:57 am
I just use 50% zoom for everything and stick with that.
Yikes! On my QHD display I'd be blind in a week.

Now that I've given this a bit more attention—thanks to you guys, mostly—I've realized I can do this:

1. Press Ctrl=8 to zoom to 87.5%.

2. Hold Ctrl and roll the mouse wheel one click = 95.5%

Still a bit of a hassle each time, but that's close enough, and much quicker than fussing with the Zoom box.

Maybe some other dinosaur Sib. 6 users may wander by and appreciate this—stranger things have happened.

Thanks, A.

KJ_Palmer
Posts: 388
Joined: Mon Feb 28, 2011 6:22 am
Sibelius Version: 6.2, 7.5
Operating System: Windows

Post by KJ_Palmer » Tue Aug 31, 2021 10:14 am

That's as good a workaround as any I can think of. We all have to deal with compromises at some point.

Sib. 6 is absolutely fine if it does all you need. One thought, for 'future-proofing' - I'd advise converting your files to xml and backing up to an external drive if you haven't already.
Sibelius 6.2, 7.5.1, Windows 11

andyg
Posts: 1727
Joined: Tue Feb 14, 2006 8:55 pm
Sibelius Version: 7.1.3 and 6.2
Operating System: Windows

Post by andyg » Tue Aug 31, 2021 10:55 am

The official Sibelius chat pages are very much still alive and kicking, with some of Avid's Sibelius staff monitoring and chipping in from time to time.

This forum is the one that's uncared for! Has been that way for years and there are only about three people actually answering questions.

V6.2.88 still gets used occasionally chez moi, but most work is done on v7.1.3. There's nothing I need in anything later than that! In fact. a lot of my music work is done on older software on the internet-free XP side of this 11 year old PC! If it works, don't knock it, so if 6 is all you need, stick with it! :)

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