10.7.4 Debugging scoring algorithms

Formatting of beams, slurs and ties is based on scoring. A large number of configurations is generated and each aesthetic aspect gets demerits. The best configuration (with least demerits) wins. By setting the following variables in a \paper or \layout block it is possible to gain some insight about the criteria that lead LilyPond to choose a particular configuration. The information is showed adjacent to the object in question.

debug-beam-scoring

If set to #t, print demerits together with their cause, followed by the number of configurations that have been scored before concluding. Default: unset.

Example: ’L 18.95 C 655.12 c19/625’ → demerits for stem lengths (‘L’) and collisions (‘C’), scored 19 out of 625 initially considered configurations.

Possible demerit causes: collision (‘C’), inappropriate stem length (‘L’), beam direction different from damping direction (‘Sd’), difference between beam slope and musical slope (‘Sm’), deviation from ideal slope (‘Si’), horizontal inter-quants (‘H’), forbidden quants (‘Fl’/‘Fs’).

Demerits are configurable, see beam-interface for a list of tunable parameters.

debug-slur-scoring

If set to #t, print demerits together with their cause, followed by the sum of all demerits and the index of the slur configuration finally chosen. Default: unset.

Example: ’slope=2.00, R edge=10.51, variance=0.03 TOTAL=12.54 idx=4’ → demerits for slope, distance of the right edge to the attachment point, variance of distance between note heads and slur. Total demerits: 12.54, index of the chosen configuration: 4.

Possible demerit causes: distance of the left/right slur edge to the attachment points (‘L edge’/‘R edge’), inappropriate slope (‘slope’), distance variations between note heads and slur (‘variance’), distances for heads that are between the slur and an imaginary line between the attachment points (‘encompass’), too small distance between slur and tie extrema (‘extra’).

Demerits are configurable, see slur-interface for a list of tunable parameters.

debug-tie-scoring

If set to #t, print the basic configuration of ties, followed by demerits and their corresponding causes and the total sum of demerits. Default: unset.

Example: ’0 (0.23) u: vdist=1.08 lhdist=1.79 tie/stem dir=8.00 TOTAL=10.87’ → offset from the center of the staff according tie specification: 0 staff-spaces, vertical distance of the tie’s center in y-direction to the bottom (or top) of the tie: 0.23, direction: up. Demerits for vertical and horizontal distance to note head, same direction of stem and tie. Total demerits: 10.87.

Possible demerit causes: wrong tie direction (‘wrong dir’), vertical distance to note heads (‘vdist’), horizontal distance to left or right note head (‘lhdist’/‘rhdist’), same direction of stem and tie (‘tie/stem dir’), position and direction of tie not matching, e.g., tie is in the upper half of the staff but has direction DOWN (‘tie/pos dir’), tie is too short (‘minlength’), tip of tie collides with staff line (‘tipline’), collision with dot (‘dot collision’), center of tie is too close to a staff line (‘line center’), y-position (edge or center) of currently considered tie is less than the y-position of the previous tie (‘monoton edge’/ ‘monoton cent’), edge or center of tie is too close to the one considered previously (‘tietie center’/‘tietie edge’), unsymmetrical horizontal positioning with respect to the note heads (‘length symm’), unsymmetrical vertical positioning with respect to the note heads (‘pos symmetry’).

Demerits are configurable, see tie-interface for a list of tunable parameters.