Re: cross staff notes collide

[Phil Holmes]

----- Original Message ----- 
From: "Evan Laforge" <address@hidden>
To: "Phil Holmes" <address@hidden>
Cc: <address@hidden>
Sent: Tuesday, April 09, 2013 11:15 PM
Subject: Re: cross staff notes collide


On Tue, Apr 9, 2013 at 1:54 PM, Phil Holmes <address@hidden> wrote:
> "Evan Laforge" <address@hidden> wrote in message
> news:address@hidden
> >>>>> It's not automatic - you have control.  Try using voices, and
> >>>>> checking the output for error messages:
> > > >
> >>>> Right, it's easy to fix manually, \stemUp works too.  But that goes
> >>>> for all collision / ugliness bugs.  The ideal is that it 
> >>>> automatically
> >>>> finds the prettiest possible way to lay things out, yes?
> > >
> >>> That is consistent with the instructions it has been given.
> >
> >> Indeed, but I didn't give it any stem direction instructions, it picks
> >> the colliding direction on its own.
>
> > Using standard stem direction methods.

> > We've told you how to correct your error.  What's your issue?

> This is not my error, it's lilypond's error.  Additionally, the point
> is not that it's possible to manually fix the problem.  It's possible
> to manually fix all placement problems.

> If the problem is that it's too hard to figure out stem direction
> automatically, that's one thing. "Hard to fix" is not a reason to not
> file a bug, but it might influence my motivation to go try and fix it
> myself.  If the problem is that there's a policy of basing stem
> direction only on pitch and not potential collisions, that's another
> thing, and would be an interesting thing to talk about.

> C'mon guys, there's no need to be defensive.  What other software does
> and how much it costs is not relevant.

I didn't say it was a hard to fix bug, I said it wasn't a bug and 
illustrated what another expensive product does, as an illustration of 
standard notation software layout practice.  When there are multiple 
non-chorded notes on a stave, they are regarded as being voiced.  It would 
be wrong for the software to guess what voicing you want - it would often 
get it wrong.  There are numerous examples of crossing voices, so simply 
guessing "hey, this note is above that one so we'll stem it up" would be 
wrong.

--
Phil Holmes