Feature proposition: Ossias as standalone elements

[Melyn0]

Currently, the only way to create ossias is to use an image or to add another instrument and use empty bar cutout and using small stave size, but this creates the issue of having the empty bars instead being replaced by blank space rather than being removed entirely (perhaps having an option to choose whether to keep or remove the blank space could alleviate this). This also requires disabling the setting which has all staves appear on the first page of a section, whether empty or not.

Ideally, an ossia could function like a piece of text above (or below) the stave which you can then write music into like anywhere else on the score. An option to generate an ossia out of selected material already written could also be useful, as well as the ability to have the ossia appear at the bottom of the page like a footnote (perhaps with a bar number or text to label it). If implementation was particularly thorough, then perhaps a check box in the properties panel for 'play', to allow it to be played in place of the written music. could be added.

Example of an ossia above stave.

Example of an ossia below.

Example of an ossia at the bottom of the page.

Example of a partial bar ossia.

[MarcSabatella]

There is already an open feature request for ossia - see #24545. Feel free to give it a thumbs-up.

Meanwhile, I’m not sure what you mean about the difference between blank space versus removing entirely. Are you referring the systems on which the ossia does not appear? It seems you may have n elected to set the “Hide when empty” staff property to “Always”. This overrides score-wide properties set in the Style dialog, including the one that controls behavior of empty staves on the first system.

[Melyn0]

Thank you for your reply. I had looked to see if someone else had written about ossias before, but missed this. I struggled to believe that no one else had thought about a dedicated feature for ossias.

I think you're right, however, regarding the hidden staves. I realise now I wasn't fully aware of the style options. When trying to create ossias in the past, I would simply use the 'cutaway' option and then get frustrated by the empty space left by the empty bars. I had only ever used 'Hide empty staves within systems' in order to condense a large orchestral score, but never in conjunction with the cutaway option. This provides much more convincing ossias.