From: Trevor Daniels <t.daniels@treda.co.uk>
Date: Sun, 2 Dec 2012 11:15:07 +0000 (+0000)
Subject: Doc: improve example of using positions property (2993)
X-Git-Tag: release/2.17.9-1~11
X-Git-Url: https://git.donarmstrong.com/?a=commitdiff_plain;h=fb29bd833a71774a2fefdf0b13ec61f66bf077b8;p=lilypond.git

Doc: improve example of using positions property (2993)

  The current example is positioned properly even
  without the override.  This changes the example
  to one in which the slur and phrasing slur collide
  by default.
---

diff --git a/Documentation/learning/tweaks.itely b/Documentation/learning/tweaks.itely
index 5626d34d46..5002ec7c41 100644
--- a/Documentation/learning/tweaks.itely
+++ b/Documentation/learning/tweaks.itely
@@ -2878,40 +2878,39 @@ f4-5
 @cindex phrasing slurs, controlling manually
 @cindex beams, controlling manually
 
-The @code{positions} property allows the position and slope of
-tuplets, slurs, phrasing slurs and beams to be controlled manually.
-Here's an example which has an ugly phrasing slur due to its trying to
-avoid the slur on the acciaccatura.
+The @code{positions} property allows the vertical position and hence
+the slope of tuplets, slurs, phrasing slurs and beams to be controlled
+manually.
 
-@lilypond[quote,verbatim,fragment,ragged-right,relative=1]
-r4 \acciaccatura e8\( d8 c~ c d c d\)
-@end lilypond
-
-@noindent
-We could simply move the phrasing slur above the notes, and this
-would be the preferred solution:
+Here's an example in which the phrasing slur and slur collide:
 
-@lilypond[quote,verbatim,fragment,ragged-right,relative=1]
-r4
-\phrasingSlurUp
-\acciaccatura e8\( d8 c~ c d c d\)
+@lilypond[quote,verbatim,fragment,ragged-right,relative=2]
+a8 \( ( a'16 ) a \)
 @end lilypond
 
-@noindent
-But if there were some reason why this could not be done the
-other alternative would be to move the left end of the phrasing
-slur down a little using the @code{positions} property.  This
-also resolves the rather nasty shape.
-
 @cindex PhrasingSlur, example of overriding
 @cindex positions property, example
 
-@lilypond[quote,verbatim,fragment,ragged-right,relative=1]
-r4
-\once \override PhrasingSlur.positions = #'(-4 . -3)
-\acciaccatura e8\( d8 c~ c d c d\)
+@noindent
+One possibility would be to move the two ends of the phrasing slur
+higher.  We can try setting the left end to 2.5 staff-spaces above the
+centre line and the right end to 4.5 above, and LilyPond will
+select the phrasing slur from the candidates it has found with its
+end points closest to these:
+
+@lilypond[quote,verbatim,fragment,ragged-right,relative=2]
+\once \override PhrasingSlur.positions = #'(2.5 . 4.5)
+a8 \( ( a'16 ) a \)
 @end lilypond
 
+This is an improvement, but why not lower the right end of the slur
+a little?  If you try it you'll find it can't be done in this way.
+That's because there are no candidate slurs lower than the one
+already selected, and in this case the @code{positions} property has
+no effect.  However, ties, slurs and phrasing slurs @emph{can} be
+positioned and shaped very precisely when necessary.  To learn how to
+do this, see @ruser{Modifying ties and slurs}.
+
 Here's a further example.  We see that the beams
 collide with the ties: