musescore/MuseScore

Customise time signature appearance (using cut/common time symbol) directly in "Add custom time signature" dialog

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#25704 opened on Dec 3, 2024

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Description

Issue type

UI bug (incorrect info or interface appearance)

Description with steps to reproduce

Many renaissance works alternate between some kind of 2/1 and 3/1 meter, usually written with cut time 𝄵 or common time 𝄴 symbols and a single digit 3 or 3/2 time signature. Therefore it would be nice to be able to make a user-defined 2/1 or 4/2 time signature that shows as cut/common time. However this is currently not possible.

Steps to reproduce:

  1. Go to time signature palette and see that the existing pre-defined time signatures don’t include what you want. → No problem.
  2. Add custom time signature 4/2 to palette. → See that you could change the displayed time signature to another fraction or a single digit but not to cut/common time symbol. Bildschirmfoto vom 2024-12-03 08-04-58
  3. Apply the custom time signature to score.
  4. Change the displayed time signature via context menu. → See that you can change the displayed time signature to cut/common time or another special symbol but is changed only on one staff. Bildschirmfoto vom 2024-12-03 08-05-11

Supporting files, videos and screenshots

https://github.com/user-attachments/assets/2a4440ac-5abf-43e4-adb0-c3a6da8982cd

What is the latest version of MuseScore Studio where this issue is present?

4.4.3

Regression

I was unable to check

Operating system

Linux but it should be OS-independent

Additional context

IIUC step 4 shows an example of bug #16406. Step 2 might be related to #12980 but I think the renaissance scenario is a special case that could be easily treated by adding the possibility of display cut/common time to the “create time signature” dialog.

Checklist

  • This report follows the guidelines for reporting bugs and issues
  • I have verified that this issue has not been logged before, by searching the issue tracker for similar issues
  • I have attached all requested files and information to this report
  • I have attempted to identify the root problem as concisely as possible, and have used minimal reproducible examples where possible

Contributor guide

Tech stack
cpp
Domain
frontend
Issue type
feature
DifficultyEstimated implementation difficulty for a new contributor, from 1 for very small changes to 5 for expert-level work.
3
Estimated timeA rough time range for an experienced contributor to investigate, implement, test, and prepare a pull request.
half day
Activity statusHow available the issue appears right now: fresh, active, stale, blocked, or waiting on maintainer input.
blocked
ClarityHow clearly the issue explains the expected change, acceptance criteria, and next step.
clear
Prerequisites
Basic C++ and Qt knowledgeFamiliarity with MuseScore's time signature rendering code
Newbie friendlinessA 1-100 score estimating how approachable this issue is for first-time contributors.
45
Research direction
Examine the 'Add custom time signature' dialog source code in the repository, likely in files related to time signature editing (e.g., libmscore/timesig.cpp or UI files). Investigate how existing predefined time signatures are displayed and how the dialog's options are defined. Consider linking to the referenced issues #16406 and #12980 for additional context. The goal is to add an option to select cut/common time symbols in the dialog, potentially by extending the existing time signature type enumeration or adding a new checkbox. Ensure that any changes also address the bug where changing the display via context menu only affects one staff.