Re: Padding behaviour

[Keith OHara]

Denis Shulyaka <Shulyaka <at> gmail.com> writes:
> 
> I've written a score, but have missed one dynamics sign. Now if I try to add 
it,
> it appear to eat too much space and causes the whole score to mess up. Is 
there a
> way to add a dynamics sign without affecting other objects (there is enough 
room
> to avoid overlapping, but lilypond seems to require more)?
> "\once \override Voice.DynamicText #'staff-padding" doesn't have any effect at
> all.
> 
It is the DynamicLineSpanner #'staff-padding that sets the vertical distance 
from the staff.

If the dynamic is consecutive in time with a (de)crescendo, Lilypond will align 
the crescendo and dynamic to the same height, which can require more space.  If 
you can put the new dynamic in a different Voice from the crescendo, Lilypond 
will not try to align it.

If the dynamic is on a note that sticks out of the staff, you might prefer to 
put it on the next or previous note, if the meaning would still be clear.  
Lilypond never tries moving dynamics out of the column where they belong.

You can force less space to be reserved for an object by saying, in the same 
musical moment
\once\override DynamicText #'Y-extent = #'(0 . 1) but this requires trial-and-
error and looking things up in the internals reference.

Similarly you can force the dynamic to the left, \once\override DynamicText #'X-
offset = #-3  and let Lilypond raise/lower it without regard for the parent 
note \once\override DynamicLineSpanner #'Y-offset = ##f.

There is a similar example in the notation reference manual (section 4.6.2) but 
if you try that, please tell us if it does what you need.  It seems to me that 
extra-offset moves things *after* Lilypond has made all her layout choices, so 
it has effect too late to let the staves come close together.  (This example 
might be out of date, or I might just not get it.)