What’s New in Sibelius 2020resources.avid.com/SupportFiles/Sibelius/2020.12/Whats...Sibelius lets you selectively import individual staves or even whole scores from other Sibelius

What’s New in Sibelius® | Ultimate, Sibelius, and Sibelius | First Software

versions 2020.1–2020.12

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Introduction . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1

New Features and Improvements in Sibelius 2020.12 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1

New Features and Improvements in Sibelius 2020.9 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1




System Requirements and Compatibility Information . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2

Conventions Used in Sibelius Documentation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2

Resources. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3


Import Sibelius Files . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4

Import Preview Improvements. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6

ManuScript Language Improvements . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6

New Features and Improvements in Sibelius 2020.9 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7

Focus on Staves Improvements . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7

Omit Muted Instruments when Exporting Audio or Video . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8

ManuScript Language Improvements . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9

Accessibility Improvements . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9

New Features and Enhancements in Sibelius 2020.6. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10

Import Music XML Files . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10

File Extension for Exported Music XML Files . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12

Accessibility Preferences . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12

Score Starter in the Quick Start in Sibelius | First . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 15


New Sibelius File Version . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 16

L.V. Ties (Laissez vibrer) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 16


New Sibelius File Version . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 18

Auto-Optimize Layout . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 18

Improvements with Ties . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 18

Right-click Menu for System Text Wildcards . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 20

Updated House Styles, Engraving Rules, and Manuscript Papers . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 21

Contents

What’s New in Sibelius iii

Introduction

New Features and Improvements in Sibelius 2020.12Sibelius 2020.12 provides the following new features, changes, and improvements:

• Import Sibelius (.sib) files into open scores

• Import Preview improvements

• ManuScript improvements (Sibelius | Ultimate only)


• Focus on Staves improvements (Sibelius | Ultimate only)

• Omit Muted Instruments when Exporting Audio or Video

• ManuScript improvements (Sibelius | Ultimate only)

• Accessibility improvements


• Import Music XML files

• .musicxml file extension for exported Music XML files

• Accessibility preferences

• Score Starter for Sibelius | First


• New Sibelius file version

• Laissez vibrer (l.v.) or “let vibrate” lines


• New Sibelius file version

• Auto-optimize layout

• Tie improvements:

• Tie into a note

• New tie styles (Sibelius and Sibelius | Ultimate only)

• Improvements to House Styles, Engraving Rules, and Manuscript Papers

• Wildcards in Style Text Right-click menu

Introduction 1

System Requirements and Compatibility InformationAvid® can only assure compatibility and provide support for hardware and software it has tested and approved.

For complete system requirements and a list of qualified computers, operating systems, hard drives, and third-party devices, visit:

www.avid.com/compatibility

Version CompatibilitySibelius 2019.9 was the last version of Sibelius to support macOS X 10.10 “Yosemite” and macOS X 10.11 “El Capitan.” It is recom-mended that you upgrade to macOS 10.12 “Sierra” or later to maintain compatibility with current versions of Sibelius.

We recommend that you upgrade to Windows 10 to maintain compatibility with current versions of Sibelius. To find out more about mi-grating to Windows 10, visit https://www.microsoft.com/en-gb/windows/windows-7-end-of-life-support-information.

If you are using an older version of Sibelius and are upgrading to macOS “Catalina” or Windows 10, we recommend that you upgrade and stay current with the latest version Sibelius as well.

Conventions Used in Sibelius DocumentationSibelius documentation uses the following conventions to indicate menu choices, keyboard commands, and mouse commands::

The names of Commands, Options, and Settings that appear on-screen are in a different font.

The following symbols are used to highlight important information:

How to Use this PDF GuideThis PDF provides the following useful features:

• The Bookmarks on the left serve as a continuously visible table of contents. Click on a subject heading to jump to that page.

• Click a + symbol to expand that heading to show subheadings. Click the – symbol to collapse a subheading.

• The Table of Contents provides active links to their pages. Select the hand cursor, allow it to hover over the heading until it turns into a finger. Then click to locate to that subject and page.

• All cross references in blue are active links. Click to follow the reference.

• Select Find from the Edit menu to search for a subject.

• When viewing this PDF on an iPad, it is recommended that you open the file using iBooks to take advantage of active links within the document. When viewing the PDF in Safari, touch the screen, then touch Open in “iBooks”.

Convention Action

File > Save Choose Save from the File tab

Control+N Hold down the Control key and press the N key

Control-click Hold down the Control key and click the mouse but-ton

Right-click Click with the right mouse button

User Tips are helpful hints for getting the most from Sibelius.

Important Notices include information that could affect data or the performance of Sibelius.

Shortcuts show you useful keyboard or mouse shortcuts.

Cross References point to related sections in this guide and other Avid documentation.

Introduction

2

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ResourcesThe Avid website (www.avid.com) is your best online source for information to help you get the most out of Sibelius.

Account ActivationCreate an Avid Master Account at:

www.avid.com/account

Product RegistrationRegister your purchase online at:

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Product DownloadsDownload software, updates, documentation, and other resources from:

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Support and Downloads\Contact Avid Customer Success (technical support), download software updates and the latest online manuals, browse the Compatibil-ity documents for system requirements, search the online Knowledge Base or join the worldwide Avid user community on the User Con-ference.

www.avid.com/support

Training and EducationStudy on your own using courses available online, find out how you can learn in a classroom setting at an Avid-certified training center, or view video tutorials and webinars.

www.avid.com/education

Products and DevelopersLearn about Avid products, download demo software, or learn about our Development Partners and their plug-ins, applications, and hardware.

www.avid.com/products

Introduction

3

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New Features and Improvements in Sibelius 2020.12

Import Sibelius FilesSibelius lets you selectively import individual staves or even whole scores from other Sibelius (.sib) files into any open score. When importing a Sibelius file, you can map individual Tracks (Instruments or Staves) in the file to specific Instruments in the open score.

To import a Sibelius (.sib) file into an open score:

1 Open a template or score.

2 Click the File tab.

3 Click Import.

4 Click the Browse button.

5 Navigate to and select the Sibelius (.sib) file you want to import.

6 Click Open.

7 Configure the Import settings and options as desired.

8 Click Import.

Import window, Sibelius file selected for import

New Features and Improvements in Sibelius 2020.12 4

Time Signatures and Key SignaturesThe time signature of the Sibelius file you are importing must match the time signature of the open score. If the Time Signatures do not match, you are prompted to cancel the import or open the score separately instead. If you open the score separately, you can then copy and paste music between the two open scores as well as export and import House Styles if desired.

However, the Time Signature of the imported score overwrites the Time Signature of the open score if the open score is empty (that is it has Instruments but no notes on the staves) or if the open score has only one Instrument.

Similarly, if the Key Signature of the open score is different from the Key Signature of the score you are importing, the pitches of the imported score are preserved within the Key Signature of the open score. However, if the open score is empty or consists of only one instrument, the Key Signature of the imported score overwrites the Key Signature of the open score.

Import Page

File

The File section lets you browse for the Sibelius (or Music XML or MIDI) file you want to import. Click the Browse button to lo-cate and select the file you want to import. The file path is displayed to the left of the Browse button. You can also simply drag and drop a file from the macOS Finder or Windows Explorer to the Import page.

Instruments

The Instruments section lists the tracks in the selected Sibelius (or Music XML or MIDI) file by name. You can manually assign each track to an Instrument in the score. Sibelius | Ultimate also provides an Auto Assign button to automatically assign tracks to Instruments in the score.

Preview

The Preview section lets you review the score as you configure the Import options. You can preview the score page by page and zoom in and out to ensure that you configure the Import options to get the best results.

Generate Preview After Every Change

When the Generate preview after every change option is enabled, Preview updates with every change you make in the Import page, which can take time when working with large scores. When this option is disabled, Preview is blurred and is not updated until the option is enabled or you click Import. If you are working with large scores, you may want to disable this option while config-uring Import settings and options, and then enable it right before you are ready to click Import to ensure that the score looks the way you want.

Import Sibelius File Options

When importing a Sibelius (.sib) file into an open score, the following Import options are available.

Import and Overwrite House Style from File

Enable the Import and Overwrite House Style from File option to import the House Style from the selected Sibelius file.

Import and Overwrite Document Setup from File

Enable the Import and Overwrite Document Setup from File option lets you import the Document Setup from the selected Sibel-ius file.

Use Multiple Voices

Enable this option if you are importing two independent tracks to a single instrument with two voices on a single stave. When this option is disabled, all imported notes will be in one voice only.

For more information, see the Sibelius Reference Guide.


Respace After Import

Enable this option to respace the score after importing new data. This will usually result in the best looking layout for the score. However, you may want to disable this option if you are importing data into a score that already has music where you have man-ually adjusted the spacing and you want to preserve that.

Explode Music when Arranging to Multiple Instruments

Enable this option when importing a single track to multiple staves (Instruments) in the score. For example, if you are importing a track that consists of triads to three separate staves (Instruments), Sibelius imports the top note of each triad to the first staff, the middle note to the second staff, and the bottom note to the third staff. Using the same example, if this option is disabled, Sibelius simply copies complete triads to each staff in the score.

Import Preview Improvements

Generate Preview After Every ChangeThe new Generate preview after every change option lets you suspend updates to the score preview after every change you make when importing MIDI, MusicXML, or Sibelius files into an open score. When this option is enabled, Preview updates with every change you make in the Import page, which can take time when working with large scores. When this option is disabled, Preview is blurred and is not updated until the option is enabled or you click Import. If you are working with large scores, you may want to disable this option while configuring the import settings and options, and then enable it right before you are ready to click Import to ensure that the score looks the way you want.

ManuScript Language Improvements(Sibelius | Ultimate Only)

New Score Object MethodCloseAllWindowsForScore(score, showDialogs) Closes all of the windows associated with the specified score. The second param-eter, showDialogs, is an optional Boolean.

New Sibelius Object MethodExportHouseStyle(filename) Exports the house style of the score to either the default “House Style” folder (if the argument is a file-name), or to a user-specified path (if the argument is a valid file path).


New Features and Improvements in Sibelius 2020.9

Focus on Staves Improvements(Sibelius | Ultimate Only)

Improved Focus on Staves ControlThe Focus on Staves option in previous versions of Sibelius has been changed to a dual-function control that lets you toggle Focus on Staves on and off, and select (or deselect) which staves in the score are focused (shown). Only selected staves are shown in the score. When viewing parts, only the staves in that particular part are available in the Focus on Staves selector (parts have their own Focus on Staves lists, separate from the score).

To show (or hide) Instruments using Focus on Staves:

1 Click the Layout tab.

2 In the Staff Visibility section, do one of the following:

• Select the staves you want focused and click the Focus on Staves button (top half) so that it is highlighted.

• Click the bottom half of Focus on Staves and select the staves you want focused. If Focus on Staves is not already enabled, selecting an Instrument from the list automatically enables it (deselecting all Instruments in the list automatically disables Fo-cus on Staves).

To disable Focus on Staves:

1 Click the Layout tab.

2 In the Staff Visibility section, do one of the following:

• Click the Focus on Staves button (top half) so that it is not highlighted.

• Click the bottom half of Focus on Staves and deselect all staves in the list.

• Click the bottom half of Focus on Staves and choose Clear All.

All staves in the score (or part) are shown.

Hide Empty StavesWhen Focus on Staves is enabled, Hide Empty Staves only applies to focused staves. This avoids accidentally hiding empty staves that are selected, but not focused.

Legacy Focus on Staves button (left), new Focus on Staves control (right)


Indication of Hidden Staves in the ScoreWhen using Focus on Staves, the place of unfocused (hidden) staves are indicated in the score by a dashed purple line. When an unfocused staff occurs alongside a stave that is also hidden using Hide Empty Staves (which uses a dotted line), then the two lines are slightly offset so that it is possible to determine that there are two different types of hidden objects.

Panorama Displays Both Focused and Unfocused Staves Engraving RuleSibelius provides the Panorama Displays Both Focused and Unfocused Staves engraving rule that lets you see all staves in the score in Panorama view while being able to use Focus On Staves in Page view. This lets you switch between views where all staves are shown or where only focused staves are shown. In Panorama view, this facilitates using “scratch” staves for working out rhythms, cleaning up incoming MIDI files, splitting out individual staves, or combining staves that you can still use in parts. You can then switch to Page view where you can use focused staves to work on score layout.

To enable (or disable) Panorama displays both focused and unfocused staves Engraving Rule:

1 Choose Appearance > Engraving Rules.

2 In the Engraving Rules dialog, select Staves.

3 Enable (or disable) the Panorama Displays Both Focused and Unfocused Staves option.

4 Click OK.

Omit Muted Instruments when Exporting Audio or VideoWhen exporting audio or video, the Omit Muted Instruments works regardless of the selection in the score. When this option is enabled, muted instruments are not included in the audio export. When it is disabled, the mute state in the Mixer is ignored.

Panorama Displays Both Focused and Unfocused Staves engraving rule enabled


ManuScript Language Improvements(Sibelius | Ultimate Only)

Sibelius 2020.9 (and later) adds new functionality that lets ManuScript treat a single character as a string, rather than a number, and provides support for quarter-tone accidentals and pitches. Include the following code example with the Initialize() method to enable this functionality:

// The following enables the latest behavior for the ManuScript interpreter.// If you intend your plugin to run on previous versions of Sibelius where that functionality// didn"t exist, you will likely have to revisit the following:if (Sibelius.ProgramVersion > 20200600) { SetInterpreterOption(TreatSingleCharacterAsString); SetInterpreterOption(SupportHalfSemitonePitchValues);}

Plug-ins that use this new functionality are not supported with earlier versions of Sibelius.

SupportHalfSemitonePitchValues: floating-point values are now accepted as “Pitch” so that plugins can add and manipulate quar-ter-tone values. Pitch is still specified and returned as a semitone, but 0.5 semitone is a quartertone. The same goes for Accidentals.

The following methods accept floating-point pitches:NoteRest.AddNoteBar.AddNoteStave.AddNote

The following methods return pitches or accidentals in floating-point values:Note.PitchNote.WrittenPitchNote.AccidentalNote.WrittenAccidental

When using single-character literals within a conditional, ManuScript no longer appears to guess between types (numbers and char-acters), leading to more consistent results.

Various calls to close a score are now consistent and reliable—such as Sibelius.Close(False).

The new all Sibelius.CloseScore(score…) avoids ambiguity when closing a score, ensuring that the correct score is closed. It can also take the new fCloseAll argument to close all parts and the score.

When importing Text Styles from a House Style, the ApplyStyles() command functionality mirrors the Import House Style dialog in Sibelius. This lets you import the “Music Text Font” using the TEXT Style name (or any Style name that depends on TEXT).

Accessibility ImprovementsSibelius now includes the following accessibility improvements:

• Screen readers can now access word menus using VoiceOver.

• It is now possible to navigate to Instrument Names using Command+Shift+ +/– (plus/minus) (Mac) or Control+Shift+ +/– (plus/minus) (Windows). Select the Instrument name below it in the score and use the keyboard shortcut Command+Shift+ – (minus) (Mac) or Control+Shift+ – (minus) (Windows) to move the selection to the empty text field. Press F2 or Return to display a flashing cursor.

• When a stem is selected, the beam information is read by the screen reader.

• Screen readers now announce text as you type. It reads each letter, then the word when you press space to move to the next word. It also reads the letter after the caret line as you move through a word.

• VoicerOver announces the values in numerical spin boxes on Mac—the number of copies in File > Print, Text > Numbering > Bar Number Change to set the new bar number and so on.


New Features and Enhancements in Sibelius 2020.6

Import Music XML FilesIn addition to being able to open Music XML files as a new score, Sibelius lets you import Music XML files into an existing score. When importing a Music XML file, you can specify what data to include or exclude, and you can also map individual staves in the file to specific instruments in the open score.

To import a Music XML file into an existing score:

1 Open a template or score.


3 Click Import.

4 Click the Browse button.

5 Navigate to and select the Music XML file you want to import.

6 Click Open.

7 Configure all other options as desired.

Import window

New Features and Enhancements in Sibelius 2020.6 10

8 Click Import.

Import Page

File

The File section lets you browse for the Music XML (or MIDI) file you want to import. Click the Browse button to locate and select the file you want to import. The file path is displayed to the left of the Browse button. You can also simply drag and drop a file from the macOS Finder or Windows Explorer to the Import page.

Instruments

The Instruments section lists the tracks in the selected Music XML (or MIDI) file by name. You can manually assign each track to an Instrument in the score. Sibelius | Ultimate also provides an Auto Assign button to automatically assign tracks to Instruments in the score.

Preview

The Preview section lets you review the score as you configure the Import options. You can preview the score page by page and zoom in and out to ensure that you configure the Import options to get the best results.

Import Music XML File Options

When a Music XML file is selected for import, Sibelius provides the following import options.

Use Page and Staff Size from MusicXML File

Enable this option to use the page and staff size from the Music XML file. Otherwise, Sibelius maintains the page and staff size of the open score.

Use Layout and Formatting from MusicXML File

Enable this option to use the layout and formating from the Music XML file. Otherwise, Sibelius maintains the layout and format-ing of the open score.

Import Initial Clef

Enable this option to use the clef from the Music XML file for each mapped instrument rather than the initial clef on the corre-sponding staff in the score.

Use Multiple Voices

Enable this option if you are importing two independent tracks to a single instrument with two voices on a single stave. When this option is disabled, all imported notes will be in one voice only.

Respace After Import

Enable this option to respace the score after importing new data. This will usually result in the best looking layout for the score. However, you may want to disable this option if you are importing data into a score that already has music where you have man-ually adjusted the spacing and you want to preserve that.

Explode Music when Arranging to Multiple Instruments

Enable this option when importing a single track to multiple staves (Instruments) in the score. For example, if you are importing a track that consists of triads to three separate staves (Instruments), Sibelius imports the top note of each triad to the first staff, the middle note to the second staff, and the bottom note to the third staff. Using the same example, if this option is disabled, Sibelius simply copies complete triads to each staff in the score.

For more information, see the Sibelius Reference Guide.


File Extension for Exported Music XML FilesWhen exporting a Sibelius score as Music XML, the file extension is .musicxml. With previous versions of Sibelius it is .xml.

Accessibility PreferencesSibelius provides Verbosity and Coloring preferences for accessibility.

To set the preferences for accessibility:


2 Click Accessibility.

3 Configure the Accessibility preferences as desired.

4 Click OK.

Accessibility Preferences


Verbosity

Sibelius provides the following settings for Verbosity:

High, Low, Custom

Select High or Low for high or low levels of verbosity respectively. Select Custom to configure individual Verbosity options as de-sired.

Read Ribbon Tooltips on Focus

Enable this option to read Ribbon tooltips as you move the cursor over items in the Ribbon.

Include Property Changes in Prompt

Enable this option to include changes to properties in the prompt.

Individual Verbosity Options

These options can only be edited when Custom is selected.

Harmonic Information Lets you specify how much harmonic information to read.

Pitch Information Lets you specify how much pitch information to read.

Duration Information :Lets you specify how much duration information to read.

Read Caret Position

Enable this option to read the position of the caret.

Always Include Bar Number in Prompt

Enable this option to always include the bar number in the prompt.

Include Out-of-Range and Professional Range Warning in Prompt

Enable this option to include out-of-range and professional range warnings in the prompt.

Include Notehead Style in Prompt

Enable this option to include notehead styles in the prompt.

Accessibility Preferences: Verbosity


Exclude Action Types in Prompt

Enable any of the following types of actions to exclude them from the prompt: Move Selection, Edit Properties, and Note Input.

Color PresetThe Color Preset section of the Accessibility preferences lets you create and manage color coding options for score objects.

To select a Color Preset:

Select Default or any custom created presets from the Color Preset selector.

To create a new Color Preset:

1 Click the New button.

2 Type a name for the preset and click OK.

3 Select the color coding you want to use for this preset.

To rename a Color Preset:

1 Select the preset you want to rename from the Color Preset selector.

2 Click the Rename button.

3 Type a new name for the preset and click OK.

To delete a Color Preset:

1 Select the preset you want to delete from the Color Preset selector.

2 Click the Delete button.

To edit a Color Preset:

1 Select the preset you want to edit from the Color Preset selector.

2 Click the color swatch to change the Color or Highlight for a score Object.

3 The macOS or Windows color picker opens. Select the color you want and click OK (Mac) or Done (Windows).

Accessibility Preferences: Color Picker


Score Starter in the Quick Start in Sibelius | FirstSibelius | First provides Score Starter as part of the Quick Start dialog on launch. The Score Starter lets you select a style to help you get started on a new score using a template.

Score Starter



New Sibelius File VersionTo support L.V. ties, the Sibelius file version has be updated to 2020.3. This means you will need to export Sibelius 2020.3 files as an earlier version to be able to open the file in an earlier version of Sibelius. When exporting scores that contain L.V. ties to an earlier version of Sibelius, L.V. ties are converted to slurs.

L.V. Ties (Laissez vibrer)Sibelius now supports L.V. ties (Laissez vibrer or “let vibrate”). Use the Inspector, Engraving Rules, and ManuScript to determine how they are displayed in your scores.

To enter an L.V. tie:

1 Add a regular tie to a note (or chord).

2 Select the tie (or all ties for a chord).

3 In the Inspector, enable the L.V. option:

To adjust the length of an L.V. tie:

1 Select the L.V. tie.

2 In the Inspector, change the RX value for Tie ends.

Regular tie (left) and L.V. tie (right)

Inspector, L.V. option enabled


L.V. Ties in Engraving RulesYou can specify the default length of L.V. ties in the Engraving Rules.

To change the default length of L.V. ties:

1 In the Engraving Rules (Appearance > Engraving Rules), select Ties 1.

2 In the Tie Styles section, set the value for L.V. tie endpoint.

3 Click OK.

L.V. Tie in ManuScriptL.V. ties are a variable for Note objects in ManuScript for Sibelius | Ultimate:

LvTie Is True if the note has an L.V. tie (read/write).

Engraving Rules, Tie Styles



New Sibelius File VersionTo support the tie improvements, the Sibelius file version has be updated to 2020.1. This means you will need to export Sibelius 2020.1 files as 19.12 or earlier to be able to open the file in those earlier versions. During the export process, ties are converted to slurs so they will continue to look correct in older versions of Sibelius, but they won’t behave like tied notes.

Auto-Optimize LayoutSibelius provides a new improved staff spacing mechanism, which includes the ability to ignore staves that have been manually dragged. Use Auto-optimize to have staves automatically expand and contract to avoid collisions caused by music above or below the stave. Auto-Optimize is based on the existing Optimize Staff Spacing feature, but also handles large Time Signatures, Com-ments, and so on. Adding, editing or moving notes, text, symbols, lines. and such all trigger an automatic re-spacing of the staves where necessary.

Toggle Auto-Optimize on and off by clicking the button in the Layout tab of the Ribbon (Sibelius and Sibelius | Ultimate only).

You can adjust the Optimize Staff Spacing settings in the Staves section of Engraving Rules to set the spacing of staves with Auto-Optimize—use smaller values for Optimize Staff Spacing for fine adjustments and larger values for greater spacing of staves. If you manually respace your staves by dragging them or using Option+Arrow keys (Mac) or Alt+Arrow keys (Windows), or Option+Shift+Arrow keys (Mac) or Alt+Shift+Arrow keys (Windows), Auto-Optimize does not get triggered, allowing you to override the spacing.

Improvements with Ties

Tie Into a NoteTie Into a note lets you place ties before a note (or chord) rather than after it. Tie Into is found on the Enter key of the fourth Keypad layout.

To tie into a note (or chord):

1 Select a note (or chord).

2 On the fourth keypad layout, click the Tie Into button (or press Enter on the numeric keypad).

Tie Into note


The tie appears to the left of the selected note (or chord).

Tie Into Setting in the Inspector

The Inspector provides settings for adjusting the layout of Ties included Tie Into note ties. Select a Tie Into tie and the Inspector lets you adjust the shoulder, middle, and end of the tie.

To reset any changes, select the note or the tie and choose Reset Position and Reset Design from Appearance > Design and Po-sition.

Tie Styles(Sibelius and Sibelius | Ultimate only)

In addition to solid lines for ties, Sibelius now provides dashed and dotted lines as well.

Ties into notes of a chord

Inspector, Tie-into settings

Ties styles (top to bottom): solid, dashed, dotted


To set the tie style:

1 Select the tie whose style you want to set.

2 Open the Inspector.

3 Select the desired tie style (Solid, Dashed, or Dotted).

4 If you select the Dashed tie style, you can also adjust the dash length and dash gap length (the space between dashes).

5 If you select the Dotted tie style, you can also adjust the dot radius and dot gap length (the space between dots).

New Tie Objects in ManuScriptManuScript for Sibelius | Ultimate provides the following new objects for Ties.

TiedInto Is True if the note has a tie-into object attached to the left-hand side of the note (read/write).

TieStyle The name of the tie style for this Note (read/write). Valid tie style names include: Solid, Dashed, Dotted. If an attempt is made to apply a non-existent style name, the tie in question retains its current style.

TieIntoStyle The name of the tie-into object’s style for this Note (read/write). Valid tie-into style names include: Solid, Dashed, Dotted. If an attempt is made to apply a non-existent style name, the tie-into object in question retains its current style.

Right-click Menu for System Text WildcardsSibelius provides a new Right-click word menu for System Text that includes all the Wildcards. This greatly simplifies adding Wildcards. For example, enter some Title text and right-click to see all available Wildcards.

Inspector: Tie style selector


Updated House Styles, Engraving Rules, and Manuscript PapersThe default House Styles, Engraving Rules and Manuscript Papers have been updated. In particular, all of the Manuscript Papers in the Quick Start have been updated to better inherit changes from the Blank manuscript paper. This lets you make further changes to the default settings in Engraving Rules so as to provide better default manuscript papers.

The following are a few examples of some of the new styles:

Style: Podium

Style: Moderna


Style: Handwritten


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Documents

What’s New in Sibelius 2020resources.avid.com/SupportFiles/Sibelius/2020.12/Whats...Sibelius lets you selectively import individual staves or even whole scores from other Sibelius