Spontini-Editor (a GUI assistant for making complex scores with Lilypond)

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Paolopr
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Spontini-Editor (a GUI assistant for making complex scores with Lilypond)

Post by Paolopr »

Hi everyone,

Few days ago I published the first complete release of a new experimental and advanced Lilypond editor: "Spontini-Editor"

The project, after several months of tests, is currently in a mature state.

Spontini-Editor is a text-combined-with-graphic music editor that strongly speeds up the creation and fine graphic tuning of complex scores edited with Lilypond through two main features:

It allows the positioning of musical objects (articulations, texts, pedals, curves, brackets etc.) with the mouse, both for "avoid-collisions" properties (X/Y-offset, staff-padding, outside-staff-padding, padding) and for extra-offset property. Once the positioning is graphically done, the text editor reports the corresponding changes on the input file: these changes are written in standard Lilypond code and do not require any additional software to be compiled.

It assists in the creation of piano music by inserting notes in tabular and formatted form. It also supports cross-staff scores through a set of work-arounds (invisible to the user) that solve many issues of the native cross-staff functions.

In addition, it has a self-installable WEB SERVER, ready for production (it supports SSL and even TOR), which allows you to comfortably use the editor on RASPBERRY PI and Android mobile devs, without any installation, and supports "collaborative mode" (like Lilybin) as well.

There is also the possibility to add scripts (I have added example scripts with Python-ly and ABJAD) and to create custom scripts or plugins, for example in Python.

There is a pan-zoom interface like in vector editors and multiple layouts (with separate windows) can be configured.

There is a pure HTML midi player (no installation is required) + a midi plugin for VLC, quick insert, auto-completion.

The interface for creating cross-staff scores is very rich and a complete algorithm is now available to create these scores. I have added many examples of cross-staff notation, including very difficult scores such as Sorabji's examples.

And many other things...

I would also like to put the editor online, as is already possible for Lilybin: everything is ready and if anyone will help me find a suitable host and remote service, they are welcome!

Unfortunately I could not test the installation on macOS: any help is welcome for this too!

Before I can create a 1.0 release, I have to do more tests. But in the meantime you can download the development snapshot from Github:

https://github.com/paolo-prete/Spontini

All this took a lot of effort. I hope it will be as useful to Lilypond users as it has been useful to me.
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davephillips
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Re: Spontini-Editor (a GUI assistant for making complex scores with Lilypond)

Post by davephillips »

Congratulations, that is an impressive project. Lilypond is an amazing system as-is but I welcome any GUI enhancements for it. I'll check out your software as soon as possible.

Best regards,

Dave Phillips
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Re: Spontini-Editor (a GUI assistant for making complex scores with Lilypond)

Post by nils »

Hi,

I gave it a quick git clone and ran the server. It ran as promised (lilypond was already installed).

What interests me most right now is how you position your program in the space of existing Lilypond helpers, that appear to be similar at first glance. Namely: http://lilybin.com/ and Frescobaldi.

I can see some potential usability improvements to speed up the process. But I also know that most of these have a high chance of being obvious to you. But tell me if you want suggestions already, and where (here or as github issues, and issues in what form?)
Paolopr
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Re: Spontini-Editor (a GUI assistant for making complex scores with Lilypond)

Post by Paolopr »

Hello,

feedbacks are greatly appreciated!

Please report them into the "issues" list of github, with an appropriate label for each note. Available labels are:

1) bug
Something isn't working
2) documentation
Improvements or additions to documentation
3) duplicate
This issue or pull request already exists
4) enhancement
New feature or request
5) good first issue
Good for newcomers
6) help wanted
Extra attention is needed
7) invalid
This doesn't seem right
8) question
Further information is requested


Thanks!
Paolopr
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Re: Spontini-Editor (a GUI assistant for making complex scores with Lilypond)

Post by Paolopr »

nilshi wrote: Wed Jan 20, 2021 3:19 pm
What interests me most right now is how you position your program in the space of existing Lilypond helpers, that appear to be similar at first glance. Namely: http://lilybin.com/ and Frescobaldi.
Spontini-Editor differs from them basically because it allows to tweak/override properties graphically with the mouse and adds tabular functions, automatically formatted, for fast-writing cross-staff piano scores
Paolopr
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Re: Spontini-Editor (a GUI assistant for making complex scores with Lilypond)

Post by Paolopr »

davephillips wrote: Wed Jan 20, 2021 2:00 pm Congratulations, that is an impressive project. Lilypond is an amazing system as-is but I welcome any GUI enhancements for it. I'll check out your software as soon as possible.

Best regards,

Dave Phillips
Thank you!
Any feedback is greatly appreciated!
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Re: Spontini-Editor (a GUI assistant for making complex scores with Lilypond)

Post by Basslint »

Congratulations! I think its strength is being web-based. You might even offer hosting it as a business! If you are interested into avoiding that someone can bypass the GPLv3 by making it SaaS, consider using the AGPLv3+, which is a stronger copyleft license which prevents people from not releasing modifications to your program if they turn it into SaaS.
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Re: Spontini-Editor (a GUI assistant for making complex scores with Lilypond)

Post by Aleks »

Hello! I read the post and the comments and I am thrilled with what I have read! I use notation software mainly for composing and transcribing, but I sure like how lilypond scores look in the end. I haven't tried Spontini yet, so I have a few questions about some features. If these features are not currently included, then please consider these questions as feature requests;

1. Is there MIDI playback?
2. Is there an option to loop sections?
3, If there is MIDI playback, are complex repeat signs played accurately?

Anyway, congratulations and keep up the good work!
Paolopr
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Re: Spontini-Editor (a GUI assistant for making complex scores with Lilypond)

Post by Paolopr »

Aleks wrote: Tue Feb 16, 2021 3:14 pm Hello! I read the post and the comments and I am thrilled with what I have read! I use notation software mainly for composing and transcribing, but I sure like how lilypond scores look in the end. I haven't tried Spontini yet, so I have a few questions about some features. If these features are not currently included, then please consider these questions as feature requests;

1. Is there MIDI playback?
2. Is there an option to loop sections?
3, If there is MIDI playback, are complex repeat signs played accurately?

Anyway, congratulations and keep up the good work!
Hello

1) Spontini-Editor provides two MIDI players. The first one is embedded into the html page and it is ready to be started. It doesn't support sustain yet. The second one is a plugin that supports sustain and it plays MIDI through VLC (see the documentation)

2) you can repeat sections in several ways: through the \repeat block of LilyPond, by using Abjad or using Scheme functions...

3) Yes, they are played accurately. You can use the Lilypond \articulate script for playing staccatos, trills etc.
In addition, I made some functions for creating "super realistic" midi, but I did not document them yet (I'll do that in the next days)

Hope this helps!
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