3.2.134 spacing-spanner-interface

The space taken by a note is dependent on its duration. Doubling a duration adds spacing-increment to the space. The most common shortest note gets shortest-duration-space. Notes that are even shorter are spaced proportonial to their duration.

Typically, the increment is the width of a black note head. In a piece with lots of 8th notes, and some 16th notes, the eighth note gets a 2 note heads width (i.e., the space following a note is a 1 note head width). A 16th note is followed by 0.5 note head width. The quarter note is followed by 3 NHW, the half by 4 NHW, etc.

User-settable properties:

average-spacing-wishes (boolean)

If set, the spacing wishes are averaged over staves.

base-shortest-duration (moment)

Spacing is based on the shortest notes in a piece. Normally, pieces are spaced as if notes at least as short as this are present.

common-shortest-duration (moment)

The most common shortest note length. This is used in spacing. Enlarging this sets the score tighter.

packed-spacing (boolean)

If set, the notes are spaced as tightly as possible.

shortest-duration-space (number)

Start with this multiple of spacing-increment space for the shortest duration. See also spacing-spanner-interface.

spacing-increment (dimension, in staff space)

The unit of length for note-spacing. Typically, the width of a note head. See also spacing-spanner-interface.

strict-grace-spacing (boolean)

If set, main notes are spaced normally, then grace notes are put left of the musical columns for the main notes.

strict-note-spacing (boolean)

If set, unbroken columns with non-musical material (clefs, bar lines, etc.) are not spaced separately, but put before musical columns.

uniform-stretching (boolean)

If set, items stretch proportionally to their natural separation based on durations. This looks better in complex polyphonic patterns.

This grob interface is used in the following graphical object(s): SpacingSpanner.


LilyPond Internals Reference v2.25.22 (development-branch).