JW Lua Scripts for Finale®
Most of the files are available for free, but use them at your own risk.
Please save your Finale document before using the plugins!
Most of the scripts were only tested very shortly and JW Lua is also still in beta state.
Should you notice any problems, please tell us and we will try to fix the bugs if possible.
1.) Make Longa
Converts two tied double whole notes within a measure to a longa note and four tied double whole notes to a maxima note.Make sure the whole notes are in the same measure (and not tied over the barline).
It uses the longa/maxima noteheads from the free
Fughetta font as default and the rest symbols from Bravura.
But it's possible to change the symbol and font.
Simply adjust: FontName, FontSize, CustomChar and RestDisplacement in the first lines of the script.
Attention: Finale doesn't support the duration of maxima notes (=32768 EDUs),
so internally they will have the length of longa notes (=16384). This might effect the music spacing and/or playback.
DownloadMake Longa (v0.6 2017-06-09)


Mensural notation with theNovember2 "Renaissance" template and the Make Longa plugin.
2.) Shift Dot on Dotted 8th notes (in Jazz font)
Fixes the bug that the augmentation dot on dotted 8th notes in Jazz font appears too far to the right.
Download (External script by Harald Schollmeyer)

3.) Change noteheads
Changes all noteheads in a selected region to a new font, size and/or symbol.
Affects all or one layer, all durations or one.
Download
3.) Splits the time signature ()
This plugin halves the time signature (e.g. 4/2 to 2/2; or 5/4 to 3/4 and 2/4) and maintains the barline and key signature settings.
Download Script
Video "Time Signature Split": How to set it up for splitting for example 13/8 to 6/8 and 7/8.
Video "Time Signature Split": Both default and real whole rests are supported.
4.) Brass fingerings
Automatically adds fingerings for brass instruments (trumpet, trombone, etc.).
Download (External script by Harald Schollmeyer)

5.) Show an expression only at the beginning of a staff system
...and hide all other occurences.
Download (External script by Harald Schollmeyer)
6.) Whole Note Tremolo Alignment
Centers Maestro's tremolo on whole notes
Download
7.) Single Note Spacing
Reduces the measure width in a measure that only contains one long note (e.g. in the final bar).
Download (External script by Harald Schollmeyer)
8.) Multi-measure Rests on Two Staff Groups
Merges the two multi-measure rest numbers on two staff groups to a single number.
Make sure to remove the line 'finaleplugin.MaxFinaleVersion = "2014"' before running the script on Fin25 - otherwise it won't work.
Download (External script by Charles O. Lawrence)

9.) Add Quarter Note in 5/4 Measures
Adds a tied quarter note to whole notes in 5/4 measures
Download
10.) Replace Text in all Text Blocks
It can replace fix text inserts like title, arranger or accidental with a new text string.
Attention: the original insert strings are removed. So if you want to change for example the title string later, you must call the plugin again. Otherwise it won't update.
Example: To add an accidental to a title you replace "^title()" with "Title Text in C^sharp()".
If you want to change it again, replace e.g. "Title Text in C^sharp()" with "Title Text2 in F^flat()".
The list of Finale's internal tag names can be found
here.
Download
11.) Add Rectangle to Measures (Aleatoric Boxes)
Download (External script by Harald Schollmeyer)

(Source: Harald Schollmeyer onhttp://finaleforum.superflexible.net)
12.) Fix Measure Numbers in Multiple Measure Regions When Inserting Measures
Instructions can be found
here.
Download (External Script by Charles Lawrence)
13.) Split multi-measure rests

Download
14.) Change gap between chord symbol and all suffixes on all chords

This Lua file is included in the commercial
Elbsound Music Fonts Package and in the Elbsound Text Fonts Package only.
15.) Remove all page breaks
Removes all page breaks in score and/or parts.
Download
16.) Find Expression
List all expression occurences in a score.
Download
17.) Remove Hidden Text at the End of Expressions
Removes hidden text at the end of all expressions which improves centered placement, enclosure sizes or collision issues. This Lua file is included in the commercial
Elbsound Music Fonts Package.
18.) Delete Corrupt Expression Definitions
Especially in older Finale documents deleteexprdef are sometimes corrupt expressions somewhere in the memory of Finale that the Expression Designer dialog doesn't list.
But they still exist. This script reveals all these expression definitions in the Expression Designer dialog.
By clicking on Document->Data Check->File Maintenance afterwards Finale deletes the corrupt expression definitions completely.
In some cases you have to repeat this process several times.
Note: Corrupt Finale documents are a risky thing. Elbsound.studio can't be held liable for any damages that this does to your Finale document.
Use this script your own risk!
Download
19.) Change Top Staff Margin to Staff System Top Margin
Writes the top staff margin value into to the staff system top margin and sets the top staff margin to 0.
Download
20.) Fix Slur Playback / Fix Smartshape Flags
This plugin fixes playback issues by resetting the smart shape flag of Finale's measure object.
Download
21.) More JW Lua scripts on external sites
Finale Lua
website.
Nick Mazuk's scripts on his
website.
Nick Mazuk's GitHub repository of JW Lua scripts:
here Jari Williamsson, the developer of JW Lua, also offers a few scripts on his
website.
Many JW Lua scripts written by Chris can be found
here in the French Finale forum.
Here is the index of Chris' scripts: (Download
requires free registration for the French forum!)
ChordsFrench Chords as Text ExpressionsDisplayRepeat barline before a key signature changeBig Time Signatures in the score.MiscellaneousAdding beat markingsVertical copy of slurs and crescendosCreating an enclosure around a measure, with a titleExporting the audio with the metronome clickPrinting multiple documentsGuitar picking symbolsNumbering the pages with an incrementation of 2Reinitialization of baselinesReorganizing lyrics4 bar repeatShowing the clef in all measuresMidi File export, even partialGraphicsAdd annotations, "post-it" stylePiano diagramsMerging 2 shapesShapes: wavy lines and loopsLayoutCopy Layout, even between filesLayout in columns4 hand piano layoutDifferent number of measures per systemNotesCenter whole notesAdding the note namesStemless notes, regularly spaced, independently from their valuesPositioning of the grace notes-appoggiatura in tabRhythmic figures on top of a staffUnisons half/eight notes in 2 layersEnharmonic changes StavesReinitializing the position of staff and group names
For more sophisticated JW Lua scripts like the Perfect Layout plugin see theFinale plugins section

All scripts require a recent installation of
Jari Williamsson's JW Lua plugin for Finale from
http://finaletips.nu.
Getting started with JW LuaLearning to code with JW Lua (Part 1)Learning to code with JW Lua (Part 2)How to work with JW LuaJW Lua DocumentationDownloading the JW Lua DocumentationDocumentation for Finale PDK development