NOTATIO

I'm curious. Dorico uses a completely different diamond for harmonics when over a whole note (it honestly looks like crap).

But I'd like to know, why exactly would one need to have a differently shaped diamond over a whole note, compared to, say, a half note or quarter?

I understand the horizontal alignment would have to be adjusted for a whole note to make the diamond more centered (since there's no stem to take into consideration.)

but otherwise, I don't see why it would have to be scaled differently? or have a different form?

I agree. The idea of special diamonds for whole note harmonics is a new one to me. I am accustomed to the same size for all note values. I just consulted Kennan's orchestration book and the examples of artificial harmonics use the same diamond for whole notes as for the other note values shown.

Dorico uses the "White Diamond" Notehead set for harmonics, and SMuFL provides different noteforms in diamond style to match each of the notehead types. I agree it's a curious decision; Daniel does know it's not ideal and needs revising.

You can change this very easily in the Notehead set editor: remove the glyph for whole notes, duplicate the notehead for half notes, and change the settings below so the duplicate is used for whole notes.

Sebastian uses the same glyph in the whole note diamond slot as for half notes.

Both these solutions assume you're not using diamond whole notes for anything else. (Though there are ways to change the notehead there, if needed.)

thanks.
I'd never seen a score with different diamond shapes for different note values before, so found it odd as well.

I think I replaced the diamond for whole notes with a regular diamond, I forget how I went about it.

But that weird lop-sided smaller diamond for whole notes makes no sense. Why would the harmonic diamond on a whole note be smaller? and lop-sided?

The lopsided-ness comes from two things: firstly that the diamond is not as wide as the semibreve note; and also from the notional 'stem' to which the noteheads are attached.

Alternatively, you could create a playing technique with the diamond shape, which would always be centered on the notehead.