-@c -*-texinfo-*-
+@c -*- coding: latin-1; mode: texinfo; -*-
@node Converting from other formats
@chapter Converting from other formats
chapter documents the tools included in the distribution to do so.
There are other tools that produce LilyPond input, for example GUI
sequencers and XML converters. Refer to the
-@uref{website,http://lilypond.org} for more details.
+@uref{http://lilypond.org,website} for more details.
@menu
-* Invoking convert-ly:: Older LilyPond versions.
-* Invoking midi2ly:: Importing MIDI.
-* Invoking etf2ly:: Importing Finale.
-* Invoking abc2ly:: Importing ABC.
-* Invoking pmx2ly:: Importing PMX.
-* Invoking musedata2ly:: Importing Musedata.
-* Invoking mup2ly:: Importing MUP.
+* Invoking convert-ly:: Older LilyPond versions.
+* Invoking midi2ly:: Importing MIDI.
+* Invoking etf2ly:: Importing Finale.
+* Invoking abc2ly:: Importing ABC.
+* Invoking mup2ly:: Importing MUP.
+* Other formats::
@end menu
@node Invoking convert-ly
@section Invoking convert-ly
-Convert-ly sequentially applies different conversions to upgrade a
-LilyPond input file. It uses @code{\version} statements in the file to
-detect the old version number. For example, to upgrade all LilyPond
-files in the current directory and its subdirectories, use
+The syntax is regularly changed to simplify it or improve it in
+different ways. A side effect of this, is that LilyPond often is not
+compatible with older files. To remedy this, the program convert-ly
+can be used to deal with most of the syntax changes.
+
+It uses @code{\version} statements in the file to detect the old
+version number. For example, to upgrade all LilyPond files in the
+current directory and its subdirectories, enter the following on the
+command line.
+
@example
convert-ly -e --to=1.3.150 `find . -name '*.ly' -print`
@end example
Set the goal version of the conversion. It defaults to the latest
available version.
@item -h, --help
- Print usage help
+ Print usage help.
@end table
-
+convert-ly always converts up to the last syntax change handled by
+it. This means that the @code{\version} number left in the file is
+usually lower than the version of convert-ly itself.
@refbugs
@cindex MIDI
-Midi2ly translates a MIDI input file to a LilyPond source file. MIDI
-(Music Instrument Digital Interface) is a standard for digital
-instruments: it specifies cabling, a serial protocol and a file format.
+Midi2ly translates a Type 1 MIDI file to a LilyPond source file.
-The MIDI file format is a de facto standard format for exporting music
-from other programs, so this capability may come in useful when you want
-to import files from a program that has no converter for its native
-format.
+MIDI (Music Instrument Digital Interface) is a standard for digital
+instruments: it specifies cabling, a serial protocol and a file
+format. The MIDI file format is a de facto standard format for
+exporting music from other programs, so this capability may come in
+useful when importing files from a program that has convertor for a
+direct format.
-@file{midi2ly} will convert tracks into @internalsref{Staff} and
-channels into @internalsref{Voice} contexts.
+Midi2ly will convert tracks into @internalsref{Staff} and
+channels into @internalsref{Voice} contexts. Relative mode is used
+for pitches, durations are only written when necessary.
-It is possible to record a MIDI file using a digital keyboard, and then
-convert it to @file{.ly}. However, human players are not rhythmically
-exact enough to make a MIDI to LY conversion trivial. midi2ly tries to
-compensate for these timing errors, but is not very good at this. It is
-therefore not recommended to use midi2ly for human-generated midi files.
+It is possible to record a MIDI file using a digital keyboard, and
+then convert it to @file{.ly}. However, human players are not
+rhythmically exact enough to make a MIDI to LY conversion trivial.
+When invoked with quantizing (@code{-s} and @code{-d} options) midi2ly
+tries to compensate for these timing errors, but is not very good at
+this. It is therefore not recommended to use midi2ly for
+human-generated midi files.
-Hackers who know about signal processing are invited to write a more
-robust midi2ly. midi2ly is written in Python, using a module written in
-C to parse the MIDI files.
-It is invoked as follows:
+It is invoked from the command-line as follows,
@example
- midi2ly [@var{option}]@dots{} @var{midi-file}
+midi2ly [@var{option}]@dots{} @var{midi-file}
@end example
-The following options are supported by midi2ly:
+
+The following options are supported by midi2ly.
@table @code
-@item -b, --no-quantify,
- Write exact durations, e.g.: `a4*385/384'.
-@item -D, --debug,
- Print lots of debugging stuff.
-@item -h, --help,
- Show a summary of usage.
-@item -I, --include=@var{dir},
- Add @var{dir} to search path.
-@item -k, --key=@var{acc}[:@var{minor}],
+@item -a, --absolute-pitches
+ Print absolute pitches.
+@item -d, --duration-quant=@var{DUR}
+ Quantize note durations on @var{DUR}.
+@item -e, --explicit-durations
+ Print explicit durations.
+@item -h,--help
+ Show summary of usage.
+@item -k, --key=@var{acc}[:@var{minor}]
Set default key. @var{acc} > 0 sets number of sharps; @var{acc} < 0
-sets number
- of flats. A minor key is indicated by ":1".
-@item -n, --no-silly,
- Assume no plets or double dots, assume smallest (reciprocal) duration 16.
-@item -o, --output=@var{file},
- Set @var{file} as default output.
-@item -p, --no-plets,
- Assume no plets.
-@item -q, --quiet,
- Be quiet.
-@item -s, --smallest=N,
- Assume no shorter (reciprocal) durations than N.
-@item -v, --verbose,
+ sets number of flats. A minor key is indicated by ":1".
+@item -o, --output=@var{file}
+ Write output to @var{file}.
+@item -s, --start-quant=@var{DUR}
+ Quantize note starts on DUR.
+@item -t, --allow-tuplet=@var{DUR}*@var{NUM}/@var{DEN}
+ Allow tuplet durations @var{DUR}*@var{NUM}/@var{DEN}.
+@item -V, --verbose
Be verbose.
-@item -w, --warranty,
- Show the warranty with which midi2ly comes. (It comes with @strong{NO WARRANTY}!)
-@item -x, --no-double-dots,
- Assume no double dotted notes.
+@item -v, --version
+ Print version number.
+@item -w, --warranty
+ Show warranty and copyright.
+@item -x, --text-lyrics
+ Treat every text as a lyric.
@end table
+@refbugs
+
+Overlapping notes in an arpeggio will not be correctly rendered. The
+first note will be read and the others will be ignored. Set them all
+to a single duration and add phrase markings or pedal indicators.
+
+
@node Invoking etf2ly
@section Invoking etf2ly
Technology's Finale product. etf2ly will convert part of an ETF
file to a ready-to-use LilyPond file.
-It is invoked as follows:
+It is invoked from the command-line as follows.
@example
etf2ly [@var{option}]@dots{} @var{etf-file}
@end example
-The following options are supported by etf2ly.
+The following options are supported by etf2ly:
@table @code
@item -h,--help
this help
@refbugs
-The list of articulation scripts is incomplete. Empty measures confuse
-etf2ly.
+The list of articulation scripts is incomplete. Empty measures
+confuse etf2ly. Sequences of grace notes are ended improperly.
@node Invoking abc2ly
@cindex ABC
-ABC is a fairly simple ASCII based format. It is described at the abc site:
+ABC is a fairly simple ASCII based format. It is described at the ABC site:
@quotation
-@uref{http://www.gre.ac.uk/~c.walshaw/abc2mtex/abc.txt}
+@uref{http://www.gre.ac.uk/~c.walshaw/abc2mtex/abc.txt}.
@end quotation
abc2ly translates from ABC to LilyPond. It is invoked as follows:
source file. If you say:
@example
- %%LY voices \property Voice.autoBeaming=##f
+ %%LY voices \set autoBeaming = ##f
@end example
This will cause the text following the keyword ``voices'' to be inserted
into the current voice of the LilyPond output file.
-Similarly:
+Similarly,
@example
%%LY slyrics more words
@refbugs
The ABC standard is not very ``standard''. For extended features
-(eg. polyphonic music) different conventions exist.
+(e.g. polyphonic music) different conventions exist.
Multiple tunes in one file cannot be converted.
abc2ly ignores the ABC beaming.
-@node Invoking pmx2ly
-@section Invoking pmx2ly
-
-PMX is a MusiXTeX preprocessor written by Don Simons. More information
-on PMX is available from the following site:
-
-@quotation
-@uref{http://icking-music-archive.sunsite.dk/Misc/Music/musixtex/software/pmx/}.
-@end quotation
-
-@cindex PMX
-@cindex MusiXTeX
-@cindex Simons, Don
-pmx2ly converts from PMX to LilyPond input. The program is invoked as
-follows:
-
-@example
- pmx2ly [@var{option}]@dots{} @var{pmx-file}
-@end example
-
-The following options are supported by pmx2ly:
-
-@table @code
-@item -h,--help
-this help
-@item -o,--output=FILE
-set output filename to FILE
-@item -v,--version
-version information
-@end table
-
-@refbugs
-
-This script was updated last in September 2000, and then successfully
-converted the @file{barsant.pmx} example from the PMX
-distribution. pmx2ly cannot parse more recent PMX files.
-
-
-@node Invoking musedata2ly
-@section Invoking musedata2ly
-
-@cindex Musedata
-@cindex CCARH
-
-Musedata (@uref{http://www.musedata.org/}) is an electronic library of
-classical music scores, currently comprising about 800 composition
-dating from 1700 to 1825. The music is encoded in so-called Musedata
-format. musedata2ly converts a set of musedata files to one .ly file,
-and will include a @code{\header} field if a @file{.ref} file is
-supplied. It is invoked as follows:
-
-@example
- musedata2ly [@var{option}]@dots{} @var{musedata-files}
-@end example
-
-The following options are supported by musedata2ly:
-
-@table @code
-@item -h,--help
-print help
-@item -o,--output=@var{file}
-set output filename to @var{file}
-@item -v,--version
-version information
-@item -r,--ref=@var{reffile}
- read background information from ref-file
-@var{reffile}
-@end table
-
-@refbugs
-
-musedata2ly converts only a small subset musedata.
@node Invoking mup2ly
@section Invoking mup2ly
-MUP (Music Publisher) is a shareware music notation program by Arkkra
+Mup (Music Publisher) is a shareware music notation program by Arkkra
Enterprises. Mup2ly will convert part of a Mup file to LilyPond
format. It is invoked as follows:
@cindex Music Publisher
-@cindex MUP
+@cindex Mup
@cindex Arkkra
+It is invoked from the command-line as follows.
@example
mup2ly [@var{option}]@dots{} @var{mup-file}
@end example
@refbugs
-Currently, only plain notes (pitches, durations), voices and staves are
+Only plain notes (pitches, durations), voices, and staves are
converted.
+@node Other formats
+@section Other formats
+
+LilyPond itself does not come with support for other formats, but
+there are also external tools that generate LilyPond files.
+
+These tools include
+http://denemo.sourceforge.net/
+@itemize @bullet
+@item @uref{http://www.nongnu.org/xml2ly/, xml2ly}, that imports
+@uref{http://www.musicxml.com/,MusicXML}
+@item
+@uref{http://rnvs.informatik.tu-chemnitz.de/~jan/noteedit/noteedit.html,NoteEdit}
+which imports MusicXML
+@item @uref{http://www.all-day-breakfast.com/rosegarden/,Rosegarden},
+which imports MIDI
+@end itemize
projects / lilypond.git / blobdiff