This is a terrific feature suggestion.  It is especially helpful that you've listed the four example use cases.   Example 2 implies that these notes need to be easy, lightweight, to create and delete.   We've been thinking of generalizing the camera key frames feature to other kinds of key frames, and I think this implementation strategy is a good path for your idea, which I'll call "timeline notes".   We recently added "Show > Looping > Set start/end marker" which is in the recent beta release.  This function is built off the camera key frames foundation, as you can see from the screenshot.  The two vertical dotted lines are the looping markers, and they are represented in the camera key frames table.   I will add this feature idea to our future feature list and look for a time to implement it, because it fits naturally with this implementation strategy.  Do you have in mind what the notes should look like on the timeline when not hovered over and then also when hovered over, showing the note?  For example, in the screenshot below, the looping points are blue dotted vertical lines.  Normal camera key frame lines for the camera are yellowish solid vertical lines.  What do you have in mind?   Your suggestion of "show/hide all comments" seems important.  If those functions hide the timeline notes markers, it might also be useful to have a function "Expand/collapse all timeline markers" to show all the notes themselves without requiring you to hover over them with the cursor.  

I'd like the ability to insert a comment the same way I insert an effect.   This would give me the ability to flag some point in the timeline to:   1) Indicate where I'm doing a song change, 2) Indicate where I left off editing before I got up and left the computer for the night, 3) Flag a particular part (or parts) of a timeline that I want to point out to someone that I'm sharing the file with, 4) Labeling cool sequences so that you can find them later     It could just be a little flag just like an effect, but if you touched it with a curser or whatever, it would show your comment.  Or you could have a command "show all comments" or "Hide all comments" .   I'd use this feature a lot. > >

We're still in the process of adding new terms like "Lace" to VDL, so in the meantime I created this effect using the effect editor. The full cake description is below. All you need to do is copy the text, then do Ctrl+G in Finale 3D to bring up the create effect dialog, then put the cursor in the input description field and press Ctrl+V to paste.   30mm 25 Shot Cake 40 Degrees (a) {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} + (b) 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+ (c) {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} + (d) 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+ (e) 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5 Rows, Rows 1,3 (4.5/abcde/FNR/2.0), Rows 2,4 (4.5/edcba/FNL/2.0), Row 5 (4.5/abcde/FNR/0.4)

Hi Eric,   Here's a video that demonstrates how to create 'Touch of Gold': https://www.loom.com/share/ef8f8dbc9ff8463ca113c4fdf3ef98f6   Here's the full description for the cake. All you need to do is copy the text below, then do Ctrl+G in Finale 3D to bring up the create effect dialog, then put the cursor in the input description field and press Ctrl+V to paste.   20mm 119 Shot Cake (a) 30.0 HTM Gold Glittering Comet + (b) 35.0 HTM 1.5 DUR Very Big Gold Glittering Willow, 1 Row (30a56/23a/17a/10a/3a/-3a55/-10a/-17a/-23a/-30a2188/a56/-23a/-17a/-10a/-3a/3a55/10a/17a/23a/30a2406/a56/23a/17a/10a/3a/-3a55/-10a/-17a/-23a/-30a2042/-25b0/0b/25b3594/30a56/23a/17a/10a/3a/-3a55/-10a/-17a/-23a/-30a2529/a56/-23a/-17a/-10a/-3a/3a55/10a/17a/23a/30a2520/a56/23a/17a/10a/3a/-3a55/-10a/-17a/-23a/-30a2911/a56/-23a/-17a/-10a/-3a/3a55/10a/17a/23a/30a2669/-25b0/0b/25b3607/-30a56/-23a/-17a/-10a/-3a/3a55/10a/17a/23a/30a2520/a56/23a/17a/10a/3a/-3a55/-10a/-17a/-23a/-30a2270/a56/-23a/-17a/-10a/-3a/3a55/10a/17a/23a/30a2361/a56/23a/17a/10a/3a/-3a55/-10a/-17a/-23a/-30a1768/-25b0/0b/25b/CAK)

Here are the links.   https://youtu.be/QQytxFqUPtw   https://youtu.be/RvEdoLEvkoU   Many thanks!

In tha last release Note you mentioned: "Added a warning dialog to detect and warn if the active collection has conflicting keybowrd shortcuts for effect macros."   Would be great to have more than 3 saveable Collections Shortcuts. It think you planned it already to give us freedom with creating shortcuts for it and protect us for conflicts with system predefined shortcuts with the above improvement. But at the moment there are just 3 predefined Shortcut possible for collections. Is it part of an upcoming update? Wish to have more shortcuts. ;-)

Hi Eric,   is it possible for you to post some video links of the cakes here  ? That would help others because these brands are not available in europe and so these people don't know the effect and are not able to help you !   Dirk

I have a really good ability with VDL, for some reason I am having a heck of a time with 2 cakes.   1) Winda Lace Impulse -- especially with the lace part, maybe time rain without the sound? how does that look in the input?   2) Dominator Touch of Gold, for whatever reason this one has 3 rows comets then 1 row of 3 palms, the 4 rows of comets the another row of palms then repeat that second part to finish. Everytime I do (a) + (b) etc... in VDL I can't seem to get it right.   Any help appreciated.   Thanks Eric

For technical folks who want to get the most out of copy/paste between Finale and Excel, here is a documentation article that explains exactly how everything works:   https://finale3d.com/documentation/copy-paste/   There is quite a lot going on behind the scenes when you copy an event from the script or 3D window, like whether the copy buffer contains the positions that the effect is shot from, or the definition of the effect from the effects window.  Since Finale uses the system clipboard for the copy buffer and uses simple CSV-style text for the data, you can always paste into NotePad or Excel to look at the data in the copy buffer, to understand what is going on.

Check out this video to learn how to create a 500g zipper cake in Finale 3D:   https://www.loom.com/share/27610fb2d2384907b629156e660a3bc2