# Measure properties
## Opening and using the dialog
The **Measure properties** dialog allows you to adjust various properties of an individual measure, such as visibility, duration, numbering and width ('stretch').
{% hint style="info" %}
To instead change *all* measures on the score, use the settings in **Format -> Style...** under the **Score**, **Page**, **Measure numbers**, and **Measure** categories.
To change all measures of a specific staff throughout the whole score, change the staff's [Staff/Part properties](/notation/instruments-staves-and-systems/staff-part-properties.md).
{% endhint %}
To open the **Measure properties** dialog, right-click on a measure and select **Measure properties**:
If you only want to adjust one measure, once you have made the changes you want, just click **OK**. If you want to adjust multiple measures, instead click **Apply** and then use the left/right arrows at the bottom left of the dialog to move between measures. The measure number being edited appears both at the top of the dialog and in the status bar.
### Staves
* **Visible**: Uncheck this to hide this measure entirely on this staff. Note that this checkbox is disabled if there's only one staff in the score or part.
* **Stemless**: Check this to use stemless notation in this measure on this staff.
{% hint style="info" %}
If you want to automatically hide all empty measures on a particular staff, see [Showing staves only where needed](/notation/instruments-staves-and-systems/showing-staves-only-where-needed.md#cutaway-staves).
{% endhint %}
### Measure duration
* **Nominal**: This is the [time signature](/notation/rhythm-meter-and-measures/time-signatures.md) set in the score (which cannot be edited here).
* **Actual**: Adjust these figures to increase or decrease the real duration of a measure, for example for a [pickup bar](/notation/rhythm-meter-and-measures/pickup-and-non-metered-measures.md) (anacrusis) or cadenza.
### Other
* **Exclude from measure count:** Check to make the count skip the selected measure (this is checked by default for pickup bars created via the New Score Wizard).
* **Measure number mode:** Choose **Always show** or **Always hide** to override the **Auto** score-wide [measure numbering settings](/notation/rhythm-meter-and-measures/measure-numbering.md) for this particular measure.
* **Add to measure number:** A modifier to the number this measure automatically receives, which will apply from this point on.
* **Break multimeasure rest:** [Break a multimeasure rest](/notation/rhythm-meter-and-measures/measure-and-multimeasure-rests.md#breaking-multimeasure-rests) at this measure.
* **Layout stretch:** See [Systems and horizontal spacing](/formatting/systems-and-horizontal-spacing.md#layout-stretch).
* **Play count:** This only appears if the measure is before an end repeat barline. It indicates the number of times the repeat section is played (defaulting to 2). Access this option more easily by selecting the end repeat barline and changing **Properties ->** [**Play count**](/notation/repeats/repeat-signs.md#changing-how-often-to-repeat).
## See also
If you want to make all barlines aligned vertically between systems, see [Fixed Measure Widths](https://musescore.org/en/node/313555#comment-1169175) for a workaround.
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