+@cindex time signature default settings
+@cindex autobeaming properties for time signatures
+@cindex beaming, time signature default properties
+@funindex \overrideTimeSignatureSettings
+
+In addition to setting the printed time signature, the @code{\time}
+command also sets time-signature-based default values for the properties
+@code{baseMoment}, @code{beatStructure}, and @code{beamExceptions}. The
+predefined default values for these properties can be found in
+@file{scm/time-signature-settings.scm}. The existing default values can
+be changed, or new default values can be added:
+
+@lilypond[quote,verbatim]
+\score {
+ \relative c' {
+ \overrideTimeSignatureSettings
+ #'Score
+ #'(4 . 4) % time signature fraction
+ #'(1 . 4) % base moment fraction
+ #'(3 1) % beatStructure
+ #'() % beamExceptions
+ \time 4/4
+ \repeat unfold 8 c8 |
+ }
+}
+@end lilypond
+
+@code{\overrideTimeSignatureSettings} takes five arguments:
+context, time signature fraction, base moment, beat structure, and
+beaming exception. The context is a Scheme symbol that describes
+the context to which the default setting will apply. The
+time signature fraction is a Scheme pair describing the time signature.
+The base moment is a Scheme pair containing the
+numerator and denominator of the basic timing unit for the
+time signature. The beat structure is a Scheme list indicating
+the structure of the beats in the measure, in units of the base moment.
+The beaming exception is an alist containing any beaming rules for the
+time signature that go beyond ending at every beat,
+as described in @ref{Setting automatic beam behavior}.
+
+@cindex time signature properties, restoring default values
+@cindex restoring default properties for time signatures
+@funindex \revertTimeSignatureSettings
+
+Changed values of default time signature properties can be restored
+to the original values:
+
+@lilypond[quote,verbatim]
+
+\score{
+ \relative c' {
+ \repeat unfold 8 c8 |
+ \overrideTimeSignatureSettings
+ #'Score
+ #'(4 . 4)
+ #'(1 . 4)
+ #'(3 1)
+ #'((end . (((1 . 8) . (3 1)))))
+ \time 4/4
+ \repeat unfold 8 c8 |
+ \revertTimeSignatureSettings #'Score #'(4 . 4)
+ \time 4/4
+ \repeat unfold 8 c8 |
+ }
+}
+@end lilypond