Re: grace notes spacing

[Jean Abou Samra]

> I would be a happy man if the notorious Issue 34 could be resolved. I
> spend a lot of time having to put grace note spacers in complex scores
> to get the vertical alignment working. Each one I do, I wish I knew
> enough about lilypond internals to contribute a fix. It's not clear to
> me why this one is so immensely difficult to solve, but I trust the
> developers that it's a real doozy.
>
> Andrew
>

Even when you are not knowledgeable enough to contribute in advanced areas,
undertaking tasks that require less skills helps other developers focus on
the most difficult challenges, as mentioned at
http://lilypond.org/doc/v2.21/Documentation/contributor-big-page.html#help-us
(I think an earlier version of this text pointed to issue 34, precisely).

Get me right: maintaining openLilyLib for example is of great value.

> FWIW, MuseScore seems to get this
>           right. Perhaps its corresponding part of the code (wherever it
>           might hide) could serve as inspiration for a fix for Lilypond?
>           —Please excuse my ignorance if this is technically nonsense!
>           :-). 
      
        Apart from the fact that LilyPond's and MuseScore's inner
        workings
        have nothing in common, it seems that MuseScore merely aligns
        grace
        notes at the right of regular notes, without a notion of
        synchronization
        of grace timing across voices and staves. LilyPond has one,
        hence the
        increased complexity of the problem (see screenshots attached to
        understand).

I think the engines are completely different, but at least it shows that other programs can do it. Not that this means anything.

Actually it would be interesting to hear from the advanced developers exactly why, in a nutshell, this presents apparently insurmountable difficulties. That may help me reconcile myself to it!

Andrew

I am no advanced developer, but I remember this thread:

https://lists.gnu.org/archive/html/lilypond-devel/2020-02/msg00420.html

especially

https://lists.gnu.org/archive/html/lilypond-devel/2020-02/msg00545.html

There is also a bit of brainstorming between Reinhold and David in the issue.
I think Reinhold explained the problem well:

https://gitlab.com/lilypond/lilypond/-/issues/34#note_339729615

Best,
Jean

LilyPond.png
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Musescore.png
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