Absolute positioning of markup elements (laying out tables)

Positioning markup elements relative to one another is complicated by the fact that the compiler will automatically place each element after the previous one, and you have to take this into account when positioning each element. The \combine command helps, but it can only take two arguments.

The \overlay-markup command takes a list of markup elements, it becomes much easier to lay out complex markup into specific arrangements, such as tables.

\version "2.24.0"

\paper { tagline = ##f }

\markup {
  \overlay {
    \justify-string "Tabular arrangement of elements"

    \translate #'(20 . -3) \overlay {
      \translate #'(0 . 0) \center-align Ignatzek
      \translate #'(20 . 0) \center-align Alternative
      \translate #'(40 . 0) \center-align Diagram

      \translate #'(0 . -8) \center-align C
      \translate #'(20 . -8) \center-align C
      \translate #'(40 . -5) \fret-diagram "6-x;5-3-3;4-2-2;3-o;2-1-1;1-o;"

      \translate #'(0 . -18) \center-align Cm
      \translate #'(20 . -18) \center-align \concat { C \super { \flat 5 } }
      \translate #'(40 . -15) \fret-diagram "6-x;5-1-1;4-3-3;3-3-4;2-2-2;1-1-1;c:5-1-1;"

      \translate #'(0 . -28) \center-align C+
      \translate #'(20 . -28) \center-align \concat { C \super { \sharp 5 } }
      \translate #'(40 . -25) \fret-diagram "6-x;5-x;4-2-2;3-1-1;2-1-1;1-4-4;c:2-3-1;"
    }
  }
}

\markup \null

\markup {
  \overlay {
    \translate #'(0 . 7)
    \justify-string "Musical notation with each element placed by hand"

    \translate #'(0 . -3) \fontsize #2 "1"
    \postscript "
      0.15 setlinewidth
      4  0 moveto 74  0 lineto stroke
      4 -1 moveto 74 -1 lineto stroke
      4 -2 moveto 74 -2 lineto stroke
      4 -3 moveto 74 -3 lineto stroke
      4 -4 moveto 74 -4 lineto stroke

      11.6 -5 moveto 13.6 -5 lineto stroke
      42.6 -5 moveto 44.6 -5 lineto stroke

      17.6 -5 moveto 0 0 2 -1 7 -1 9 0 rcurveto stroke
      48.6 -5 moveto 0 0 2 -1 7 -1 9 0 rcurveto stroke

      0.3 setlinewidth
      73.85 0 moveto 73.85 -4 lineto stroke
      "
    \translate #'(4 . 2) "Präludium"

    \translate #'(5 . -3) \musicglyph "clefs.G_change"
    \translate #'(8 . -2) \musicglyph "timesig.C44"

    \translate #'(12 . -5) \note-by-number #1 #0 #DOWN
    \translate #'(12 . -2) \musicglyph "rests.4"
    \translate #'(12 . 0) \musicglyph "rests.3"

    \translate #'(16 . -4) \note-by-number #3 #0 #DOWN
    \translate #'(17.4 . -4.4) \musicglyph "dots.dot"

    \translate #'(19 . -3) \note-by-number #2 #0 #UP
    \translate #'(23 . -1.5) \note-by-number #2 #0 #1.2
    \translate #'(20.25 . 0) \beam #4 #0.5 #0.40
    \translate #'(20.25 . -1) \beam #4 #0.5 #0.40

    \translate #'(27 . -4) \note-by-number #2 #0 #DOWN

    \translate #'(27 . -0.5) \note-by-number #2 #0 #UP
    \translate #'(31 . -3) \note-by-number #2 #0 #1.7
    \translate #'(35 . -1.5) \note-by-number #2 #0 #1.3
    \translate #'(39 . -0.5) \note-by-number #2 #0 #UP

    \translate #'(28.25 . 2.25) \beam #12 #0 #0.4
    \translate #'(28.25 . 1.35) \beam #12 #0 #0.4

    \translate #'(43 . -5) \note-by-number #1 #0 #DOWN
    \translate #'(43 . -2) \musicglyph "rests.4"
    \translate #'(43 . 0) \musicglyph "rests.3"

    \translate #'(47 . -4) \note-by-number #3 #0 #DOWN
    \translate #'(48.4 . -4.4) \musicglyph "dots.dot"

    \translate #'(50 . -3) \note-by-number #2 #0 #UP
    \translate #'(54 . -1.5) \note-by-number #2 #0 #1.2

    \translate #'(51.25 . 0) \beam #4 #0.5 #0.40
    \translate #'(51.25 . -1) \beam #4 #0.5 #0.40

    \translate #'(58 . -4) \note-by-number #2 #0 #DOWN

    \translate #'(58 . -0.5) \note-by-number #2 #0 #UP
    \translate #'(62 . -3) \note-by-number #2 #0 #1.7
    \translate #'(66 . -1.5) \note-by-number #2 #0 #1.3
    \translate #'(70 . -0.5) \note-by-number #2 #0 #UP

    \translate #'(59.25 . 2.25) \beam #12 #0 #0.40
    \translate #'(59.25 . 1.35) \beam #12 #0 #0.40
  }
}