\paper {
  ragged-right = ##f
}


dynamicsX = #(define-music-function (parser location offset) (number?)
#{
    \once \override DynamicText #'X-offset = $offset
    \once \override DynamicLineSpanner #'Y-offset = #0
#})

dynamicsXY = #(define-music-function (parser location offsetX offsetY)
(number? number?)
#{
    \once \override DynamicText #'X-offset = $offsetX
    \once \override DynamicLineSpanner #'Y-offset = $offsetY
#})

dynamicsInside = #(define-music-function (parser location offsetX shiftY height)
(number? number? number?)
#{
  \once \override DynamicText #'X-offset = $offsetX
  \once \override DynamicLineSpanner #'Y-offset = #0
  \once \override DynamicText #'Y-extent = #(cons $shiftY $height )
  \once \override DynamicLineSpanner #'Y-extent = #(cons $shiftY $height )
  \once \override DynamicText #'extra-offset = #(cons 0 $shiftY )
#})

dynamicsAllInside = #(define-music-function (parser location offsetX shiftY)
(number? number?)
#{
  \once \override DynamicText #'X-offset = $offsetX
%   \once \override DynamicLineSpanner #'Y-offset = #0
  \once \override DynamicText #'Y-extent = #(cons 1 -1)
  \once \override DynamicLineSpanner #'Y-extent = #(cons 1 -1)
  \once \override DynamicText #'extra-offset = #(cons 0 $shiftY )
#})


{
   \dynamicUp
   b''2\f \dynamicsX #-3 b''2\f \dynamicsXY #-3 #-16 b''2\f b''2 \break
   b''2\f \dynamicsInside #-3 #-4 #-2 b''2\f 
   % I want to vertically place the following two \f at the same vertical staff
   % position, i.e. they should start between the topmost and the second 
   % staff line. Using offsets, this doesn't work, as each note requires a
   % different offset!
   \dynamicsAllInside #-3.5 #-2.75 b''2\f \dynamicsAllInside #-3.5 #-2.75 g''2\f \break
   
}
#(ly:set-option 'debug-skylines #t)