3 @node Converting from other formats
4 @chapter Converting from other formats
6 Music can be entered also by importing it from other formats. This
7 chapter documents the tools included in the distribution to do so.
8 There are other tools that produce LilyPond input, for example GUI
9 sequencers and XML converters. Refer to the
10 @uref{http://lilypond.org,website} for more details.
15 * Invoking convert-ly:: Older LilyPond versions.
16 * Invoking midi2ly:: Importing MIDI.
17 * Invoking etf2ly:: Importing Finale.
18 * Invoking abc2ly:: Importing ABC.
19 * Invoking pmx2ly:: Importing PMX.
20 * Invoking musedata2ly:: Importing Musedata.
21 * Invoking mup2ly:: Importing MUP.
25 @node Invoking convert-ly
26 @section Invoking convert-ly
28 Convert-ly sequentially applies different conversions to upgrade a
29 LilyPond input file. It uses @code{\version} statements in the file to
30 detect the old version number. For example, to upgrade all LilyPond
31 files in the current directory and its subdirectories, use
33 convert-ly -e --to=1.3.150 `find . -name '*.ly' -print`
36 The program is invoked as follows:
38 convert-ly [@var{option}]@dots{} @var{file}@dots{}
42 The following options can be given:
46 Do an inline edit of the input file. Overrides @code{--output}.
47 @item -f,--from=@var{from-patchlevel}
48 Set the level to convert from. If this is not set, convert-ly will
49 guess this, on the basis of @code{\version} strings in the file.
50 @item -o,--output=@var{file}
51 Set the output file to write.
53 Normally, convert-ly adds a @code{\version} indicator
54 to the output. Specifying this option suppresses this.
55 @item -s, --show-rules
56 Show all known conversions and exit.
57 @item --to=@var{to-patchlevel}
58 Set the goal version of the conversion. It defaults to the latest
68 Not all language changes are handled. Only one output option can be specified.
70 @node Invoking midi2ly
71 @section Invoking midi2ly
75 Midi2ly translates a MIDI input file to a LilyPond source file. MIDI
76 (Music Instrument Digital Interface) is a standard for digital
77 instruments: it specifies cabling, a serial protocol and a file format.
79 The MIDI file format is a de facto standard format for exporting music
80 from other programs, so this capability may come in useful when you want
81 to import files from a program that has no converter for its native
84 @file{midi2ly} will convert tracks into @internalsref{Staff} and
85 channels into @internalsref{Voice} contexts. Relative mode is used
86 for pitches, durations are only written when necessary.
88 It is possible to record a MIDI file using a digital keyboard, and then
89 convert it to @file{.ly}. However, human players are not rhythmically
90 exact enough to make a MIDI to LY conversion trivial. midi2ly tries to
91 compensate for these timing errors, but is not very good at this. It is
92 therefore not recommended to use midi2ly for human-generated midi files.
94 Hackers who know about signal processing are invited to write a more
95 robust midi2ly. midi2ly is written in Python, using a module written in
96 C to parse the MIDI files.
98 It is invoked as follows:
100 midi2ly [@var{option}]@dots{} @var{midi-file}
103 The following options are supported by midi2ly:
106 @item -a, --absolute-pitches
107 Print absolute pitches.
108 @item -d, --duration-quant=@var{DUR}
109 Quantise note durations on @var{DUR}.
110 @item -e, --explicit-durations
111 Print explicit durations.
113 Show summary of usage.
114 @item -k, --key=@var{acc}[:@var{minor}]
115 Set default key. @var{acc} > 0 sets number of sharps; @var{acc} < 0
116 sets number of flats. A minor key is indicated by ":1".
117 @item -o, --output=@var{file}
118 Write output to @var{file}.
119 @item -s, --start-quant=@var{DUR}
120 Quantise note starts on DUR.
121 @item -t, --allow-tuplet=@var{DUR}*@var{NUM}/@var{DEN}
122 Allow tuplet durations @var{DUR}*@var{NUM}/@var{DEN}.
126 Print version number.
128 Show warranty and copyright.
129 @item -x, --text-lyrics
130 Treat every text as a lyric.
134 @node Invoking etf2ly
135 @section Invoking etf2ly
140 @cindex Coda Technology
142 ETF (Enigma Transport Format) is a format used by Coda Music
143 Technology's Finale product. etf2ly will convert part of an ETF
144 file to a ready-to-use LilyPond file.
146 It is invoked as follows:
148 etf2ly [@var{option}]@dots{} @var{etf-file}
151 The following options are supported by etf2ly:
155 @item -o,--output=FILE
156 set output filename to FILE
164 The list of articulation scripts is incomplete. Empty measures confuse
165 etf2ly. Sequences of grace notes are ended improperly sometimes.
168 @node Invoking abc2ly
169 @section Invoking abc2ly
173 ABC is a fairly simple ASCII based format. It is described at the abc site:
175 @uref{http://www.gre.ac.uk/~c.walshaw/abc2mtex/abc.txt}.
177 abc2ly translates from ABC to LilyPond. It is invoked as follows:
180 abc2ly [@var{option}]@dots{} @var{abc-file}
183 The following options are supported by abc2ly:
188 @item -o,--output=@var{file}
189 set output filename to @var{file}.
191 print version information.
194 There is a rudimentary facility for adding LilyPond code to the ABC
195 source file. If you say:
198 %%LY voices \set autoBeaming = ##f
201 This will cause the text following the keyword ``voices'' to be inserted
202 into the current voice of the LilyPond output file.
207 %%LY slyrics more words
210 will cause the text following the ``slyrics'' keyword to be inserted
211 into the current line of lyrics.
216 The ABC standard is not very ``standard''. For extended features
217 (eg. polyphonic music) different conventions exist.
219 Multiple tunes in one file cannot be converted.
221 ABC synchronizes words and notes at the beginning of a line; abc2ly does
224 abc2ly ignores the ABC beaming.
226 @node Invoking pmx2ly
227 @section Invoking pmx2ly
229 PMX is a MusiXTeX preprocessor written by Don Simons. More information
230 on PMX is available from the following site:
233 @uref{http://icking-music-archive.org/Misc/Music/musixtex/software/pmx/}.
239 pmx2ly converts from PMX to LilyPond input. The program is invoked as
243 pmx2ly [@var{option}]@dots{} @var{pmx-file}
246 The following options are supported by pmx2ly:
251 @item -o,--output=FILE
252 set output filename to FILE
259 This script was updated last in September 2000, and then successfully
260 converted the @file{barsant.pmx} example from the PMX
261 distribution. pmx2ly cannot parse more recent PMX files.
264 @node Invoking musedata2ly
265 @section Invoking musedata2ly
270 Musedata (see @uref{http://www.musedata.org/}) is an electronic library of
271 classical music scores, currently comprising about 800 composition
272 dating from 1700 to 1825. The music is encoded in so-called Musedata
273 format. musedata2ly converts a set of musedata files to one .ly file,
274 and will include a @code{\header} field if a @file{.ref} file is
275 supplied. It is invoked as follows:
278 musedata2ly [@var{option}]@dots{} @var{musedata-files}
281 The following options are supported by musedata2ly:
286 @item -o,--output=@var{file}
287 set output filename to @var{file}
290 @item -r,--ref=@var{reffile}
291 read background information from ref-file
297 @file{musedata2ly} converts only a small subset of musedata.
299 @node Invoking mup2ly
300 @section Invoking mup2ly
302 MUP (Music Publisher) is a shareware music notation program by Arkkra
303 Enterprises. Mup2ly will convert part of a Mup file to LilyPond
304 format. It is invoked as follows:
306 @cindex Music Publisher
311 mup2ly [@var{option}]@dots{} @var{mup-file}
314 The following options are supported by mup2ly:
318 show what constructs are not converted, but skipped.
319 @item -D, --define=@var{name}[=@code{exp}]
320 define macro @var{name} with opt expansion @code{exp}
321 @item -E,--pre-process
322 only run the pre-processor
325 @item -o,--output=@var{file}
326 write output to @var{file}
330 print warranty and copyright.
336 Only plain notes (pitches, durations), voices, and staves are