Hi Artful Codger,
Which "Finale" are you using? The full one?
If you go to http://forum.makemusic.com/default.aspx?f=6 for a Mac
or http://forum.makemusic.com/default.aspx?f=5 for a PC
and ask questions there, you will find that most, if not all the things you mentioned can be done. There is a way!