Re: Alignment issues of Time signature above the staff

[Kevin Barry]

Hi Chen,

Space alloted for time signatures in one staff cause space to be allotted in all other staves as well (even if they aren't printing it), which is causing lots of problems that have to be worked around.

Perhaps a different approach would be easier. In the code below there is a helper function (\ttime) to print the time signature as a markup (with the time signature engraver removed everywhere). It seems to make things easier.

\version "2.19.0"

ttime =
#(define-music-function (fraction music)
   (fraction? ly:music?)
   (let* ((numer (number->string (car fraction)))
          (denom (number->string (cdr fraction))))
     #{ \time #fraction
        #music ^\markup
        \override #'(baseline-skip . 1.5)
        \center-column { \number #numer \number #denom } #}))

timeSignatures = { \tempo 4 = 80 \ttime 4/4 s1 \ttime 3/8 s4.
                   \ttime 3/4 s2. \ttime 4/4 s1 \once \override TextScript.X-offset = #-6
                   \ttime 2/4 s4.}

\score {
  \layout {
    \context {
      \Score
      \override MetronomeMark.break-align-symbols = #'(clef time-signature)
      \remove "Bar_number_engraver"
    }
    \context {
      \Staff
      \override MultiMeasureRest.spacing-pair = #'(clef . staff-bar)
      \remove "Time_signature_engraver"
    }
    \context {
      \Score
    }
  }
  <<
    \new Dynamics \with {
      \override TextScript.font-size = #8
      \override TextScript.X-offset = #-2
    }
    {
      \timeSignatures
    }
   
    \new StaffGroup \with {} <<
   
      \new Staff \with {
        \consists "Bar_number_engraver"
      }    
      \relative c' {
        \textLengthOn
        \time 4/4
        c4 ( _\markup \column {
          "← Objects failed to appear"
          "below the time signature"
          "when using \\textLengthOn"
        }
        \textLengthOff
        d4 e4 f4 )
        \time 3/8
        a'4 ( g8 )
        \time 3/4
        R2.
        \time 4/4
        c1
        \time 2/4
        a8 ^\markup \column {
          "← Time signature appear twice"
          "when one staff has a grace note"
          "as the first note in a bar"
        } g8 f8 e8
      }
   
      \new Staff \relative c' {
        \time 4/4
        R1
        \time 3/8
        R4.
        \clef bass
        \time 3/4
        a,2. \> \break
        \time 4/4
        c2 _\markup \column {
          "  "
          "↑"
          "Hairpin stops below the time signature"
        }
        e2 \!
        \clef treble
        \time 2/4
        \acciaccatura f'8 a8
        g8 f8 e8
      }
   
      \new Staff \relative c' {
        \clef bass
        \time 4/4
        R1
        \time 3/8
        R4.
        \time 3/4
        R2.
        \time 4/4
        c1
        \time 2/4
        a8 g8 f8 e8
      }
    >>
  >>
}

Hope that helps!

Kevin

On Sat, 11 Apr 2020 at 16:04, Chen Leo <address@hidden> wrote:

Hi,

I was able to align the metronome mark above the time signature by using a small hack

That is to use

\override TimeSignature.stencil = #(lambda (grob) (grob-interpret-markup grob (markup "")))

instead of removing the “time_signature_engraver” from the staff context.

I also discovered another problem that is the time signature will display twice when one staff has a grace note as the first note in a bar. I was only able to solve this by commenting out the \time commands from the rest of the staffs, which is not an ideal solution. After looking into some of the internal commands I still don’t have a clue on how to solve the rest of the alignment problems, I guess some deeper scheme knowledge is required to make this work.

See the attached files.

---

Hi,

Thank you for your responses.

I managed to solve the bar number problem by removing the "Bar_number_engraver" from the staff context and \consists "Bar_number_engraver" in the staff under the time signature.

For the time signature’s alignment, I found a simpler solution by using \override TimeSignature.break-align-symbol = #'staff-bar with \override MultiMeasureRest.spacing-pair = #'(clef . staff-bar). However, It still causes break-alignment issues from here to there.

Example:

\version "2.19.0"

timeSignatures = { \numericTimeSignature \tempo 4 = 80 \time 4/4 s1 \time 3/8 s4.

\time 3/4 s2. \time 4/4 s1 }

\score {

  \layout {

  \context {

    \type "Engraver_group"

    \consists "Time_signature_engraver"

    \consists "Axis_group_engraver"

    \name "TimeSig"

    \alias "Staff"

      \override TimeSignature.font-size = #8

      \override TimeSignature.break-align-symbol = #'staff-bar

      \override TimeSignature.X-offset =

      #ly:self-alignment-interface::x-aligned-on-self

      \override TimeSignature.self-alignment-X = #LEFT

      %\override TimeSignature.X-extent = #'(0 . 0)

  }

  \context {

    \Score

    \accepts TimeSig

    \remove "Bar_number_engraver"

  }

  \context {

    \Staff

    \override MultiMeasureRest.spacing-pair = #'(clef . staff-bar)

    \remove "Time_signature_engraver"

  }

  \context {

    \Score

  }

}

  <<

    \new TimeSig \with {

    }

    {

      \timeSignatures

    }

   

    \new StaffGroup \with {} <<

    \new Staff \with {

    \consists "Bar_number_engraver"

    }

    \relative c' {

    \textLengthOn

    c4 ( _\markup \column {

    "← Objects failed to appear"

    "below the time signature"

    "when using \\textLengthOn"

    }

    \textLengthOff

    d4 e4 f4 )

    a''4 ( g8 ) R2. c1 }

    \new Staff \relative c' {

    R1

    R4.

    \clef bass

    a2. \> \break

    c2 _\markup \column {

    "  "

    "↑"

    "Hairpin stops below the time signature"

    }  c2\! }

    \new Staff \relative c' { R1 R4. R2. c1 }

    >>

  >>

}

---

On 3/29/2020 2:10 AM, Chen Leo wrote:

Hi Kevin,

Thank you for your reply.

For the first problem, you will have to set break-align-symbol to ##f to reproduce the problem. That is because by default break-align-symbol is set to #'time-signature. so commenting out the override shouldn't help.

Secondly, using \override TimeSignature.X-extent = #'(0 . 0) causes collisions when texts and notes are displayed above the staff because lilypond is not adding vertical spacing above the staff. And it seems like now all the time signatures are shifted a bit to the right instead of aligning right after the bar line.

Thirdly, the bar numbers are raised to align vertically with the time-signatures, which is not something I would like to have. It will be nice if you can share any ideas on how that can be solved.

Leo

Here's an example:

\version "2.20.0"

\layout {

  \context {

    \type "Engraver_group"

    \consists "Time_signature_engraver"

    \consists "Axis_group_engraver"

    \name "TimeSig"

    \alias "Staff"

    % original settings from "http://lsr.di.unimi.it/LSR/Snippet?id=272"

    %{

      \override TimeSignature.font-size = #3

      \override TimeSignature.break-align-symbol = ##f

      \override TimeSignature.X-offset =

        #ly:self-alignment-interface::x-aligned-on-self

      \override TimeSignature.self-alignment-X = #CENTER

      \override TimeSignature.after-line-breaking =

      #shift-right-at-line-begin

    %}

    % settings after adjustments

    {

    \override TimeSignature.font-size = #4

    \override TimeSignature.X-offset =

      #ly:self-alignment-interface::x-aligned-on-self

    \override TimeSignature.self-alignment-X = #LEFT

    \override TimeSignature.X-extent = #'(0 . 0)

    }

  }

  \context {

    \Score

    \accepts TimeSig

  }

  \context {

    \Staff

    \remove "Time_signature_engraver"

  }

}

timeSignatures = { \numericTimeSignature \time 4/4 s1 \time 3/8 s4. \time 3/4 s2. \break \time 4/4 s1 }

\score {

  <<

    \new TimeSig \timeSignatures

    \new Staff \relative c' { c4 ^\markup \column {"a" "b" "c"} ( d4 e4 f4 ) a''4 

                              ^\markup \column {"a" "b" "c"} ( g8 ) R2. c1 }

    \new Staff \relative c' { R1 R4. \clef bass a2. c1 }

    \new Staff \relative c' { R1 R4. R2. c1 }

  >>

}

---

Hi Chen,

I was able to solve the second of your problems (the whole bar rests
being shifted by the time signatures in the TimeSig context) by
adding:
\override TimeSignature.X-extent = ##f
(You could also use the value #'(0 . 0) if the warnings are off
putting, but I noticed that that doesn't *quite* fix it fully.)

I tried to reproduce your description of the first problem (time
signatures aligning over cue clefs), but even commenting out the
break-align-symbol override didn't make it appear. I was able to
correct the alignment of the first time signature by removing the
line:
\override TimeSignature.after-line-breaking = #shift-right-at-line-begin

After both of the above modifications everything looks OK to me, but
perhaps we need a fuller example.

Kevin

On Sat, 28 Mar 2020 at 10:30, Chen Leo <address@hidden> wrote:
>
> Hi, I am trying to put time signatures above the staffs according to "http://lsr.dsi.unimi.it/LSR/Item?id=272".
>
>
>
> I discovered an issue, that is whenever a clef change is made, the time signature on the next bar fails to align to the bar line, it aligns to the cue clef in the previous bar instead. After some research, I found out that this is because the TimeSignature property "break-align-symbol" is set to "##f". I set "break-align-symbol" back to "#'time-signature", and this problem is solved, however, the horizontal alignments of the other time signatures are messed up. (Using the code presented below, the 4/4 in the first bar moves to the right & the bar rest on the third bar stretches to the right. ) Are there any ways to align all the time signatures to their corresponding bar lines without changing the alignments of other objects? Thank you.
>
>
>
> \version "2.20.0"
>
>
>
> \layout {
>
>   \context {
>
>     \type "Engraver_group"
>
>     \consists "Time_signature_engraver"
>
>     \consists "Axis_group_engraver"
>
>     \name "TimeSig"
>
>     \alias "Staff"
>
>     \override TimeSignature.font-size = #4
>
>     \override TimeSignature.break-align-symbol = #'time-signature
>
>     \override TimeSignature.X-offset =
>
>       #ly:self-alignment-interface::x-aligned-on-self
>
>     \override TimeSignature.self-alignment-X = #LEFT
>
>     \override TimeSignature.after-line-breaking =
>
>       #shift-right-at-line-begin
>
>   }
>
>   \context {
>
>     \Score
>
>     \accepts TimeSig
>
>   }
>
>   \context {
>
>     \Staff
>
>     \remove "Time_signature_engraver"
>
>   }
>
> }
>
>
>
> timeSignatures = { \numericTimeSignature \time 4/4 s1 \time 3/8 s4. \time 3/4 s2. }
>
>
>
> \score {
>
>   <<
>
>     \new TimeSig \timeSignatures
>
>     \new Staff \relative c' { c4 ( d4 e4 f4 ) a4 ( g8 ) R2. }
>
>     \new Staff \relative c' { R1 R4. \clef bass a2. }
>
>     \new Staff \relative c' { R1 R4. R2. }
>
>   >>
>
> }
>
>

Hi Chen,

The measure numbers should be aligned correctly throughout your score, except in the certain cases where there happens to be a time signature change at the end of the system and/or at the start of a new line.

In which case you could simply use an override like this: \once \override Score.BarNumber.Y-offset = #-6.

Would this help?

(see attached)

%%%%%%%%%%%

\version "2.19.0"

\layout {
  \context {
    \type "Engraver_group"
    \consists "Time_signature_engraver"
    \consists "Axis_group_engraver"
    \consists "Staff_symbol_engraver"
    \name "TimeSig"
    \alias "Staff"
    % original settings from "http://lsr.di.unimi.it/LSR/Snippet?id=272"
    %{
      \override TimeSignature.font-size = #3
      \override TimeSignature.break-align-symbol = ##f
      \override TimeSignature.X-offset =
        #ly:self-alignment-interface::x-aligned-on-self
      \override TimeSignature.self-alignment-X = #CENTER
      \override TimeSignature.after-line-breaking =
      #shift-right-at-line-begin
    %}
    % settings after adjustments
    {
      \override TimeSignature.font-size = #4
      \override TimeSignature.X-offset =
      #ly:self-alignment-interface::x-aligned-on-self
      \override TimeSignature.self-alignment-X = #LEFT
      \override TimeSignature.X-extent = #'(0 . 0)
    }
  }
  \context {
    \Score
    \accepts TimeSig
  }
  \context {
    \Staff
    \remove "Time_signature_engraver"
  }
  \context {
    \Score
    \remove "System_start_delimiter_engraver"
  }
}

timeSignatures = {
  \numericTimeSignature \time 4/4 s1 \time 3/8 s4.
  \time 3/4 s2. \break \time 4/4 s1
}

\score {
  <<
    \new TimeSig \with {
      \override VerticalAxisGroup.default-staff-staff-spacing.padding = #2
      \override StaffSymbol.transparent = ##t
    } {
      \timeSignatures
    }
    \new StaffGroup \with {
      \consists "System_start_delimiter_engraver"
      systemStartDelimiter = #'SystemStartBar
    } <<
      \new Staff \relative c' {
        c4 ^\markup \column {"a" "b" "c"} ( d4
        e4 f4 ) a''4
        ^\markup \column {"a" "b" "c"} ( g8 ) R2.
        \once \override Score.BarNumber.Y-offset = #-6
        c,1 c c c c c \break c c
      }
      \new Staff \relative c' {
        R1
        R4.
        \clef bass
        a2.
        c1
      }
      \new Staff \relative c' { R1 R4. R2. c1 }
    >>
  >>
}