Hi Aaron, I've looked through the scheme code, and it doesn't seem like there is a variable that controls how much horizontal space is given to the other staves. So I wonder whether using a custom time signature engraver helps.
Due to a problem with the format in which I replied e-mails, I apologize for the messy thread. If you are interested, please have a look at the attached file which summarizes all the problems I have come across with. Thanks, Leo
\version "2.19.0" %% Ported from time-signature-engraver.cc: #(define (Time_signature_engraver_scm context) (let ((time-signature #f) (last-time-fraction #f) (time-cause '())) (define (make-time-signature engraver) (let ((time-fraction (ly:context-property context 'timeSignatureFraction))) (and (pair? time-fraction) (not (eq? time-fraction last-time-fraction)) (begin (set! time-signature (ly:engraver-make-grob engraver 'TimeSignature time-cause)) (ly:grob-set-property! time-signature 'fraction time-fraction) (or last-time-fraction (ly:grob-set-property! time-signature 'break-visibility (ly:context-property context 'initialTimeSignatureVisibility))) (let ((denom (cdr time-fraction))) (or (eqv? 1 (logcount denom)) (ly:event-warning (ly:grob-property time-signature 'cause) "strange time signature found: ~a/~a" (car time-fraction) denom))) (set! last-time-fraction time-fraction))))) (make-engraver (listeners ((time-signature-event engraver event) (set! time-cause event))) ((process-music engraver) (or (ly:grob? time-signature) (make-time-signature engraver))) ((stop-translation-timestep engraver) (and (ly:grob? time-signature) (ly:prob? time-cause) (let ((measure-position (ly:context-property context 'measurePosition)) (partial-busy (ly:context-property context 'partial-busy #f))) (and (ly:moment? measure-position) (< 0 (ly:moment-main measure-position)) (not partial-busy) (ly:event-warning (ly:grob-property time-signature 'cause) "mid-measure time signature without \\partial")))) (set! time-signature #f) (set! time-cause '()))))) timeSignatures = { \tempo 4 = 80 \time 4/4 s1 \time 3/8 s4. \time 3/4 s2. \time 4/4 s1 \time 2/4 \acciaccatura s8 s2} \score { \layout { \context { \Score \override MetronomeMark.break-align-symbols = #'(clef time-signature) \remove "Bar_number_engraver" } \context { \Staff \override TimeSignature.stencil = #(lambda (grob) (grob-interpret-markup grob (markup ""))) \override MultiMeasureRest.spacing-pair = #'(clef . staff-bar) %\remove "Time_signature_engraver" } \context { \Score } } << \new Dynamics \with { \consists \Time_signature_engraver_scm \consists "Axis_group_engraver" \override TimeSignature.font-size = #8 \override TimeSignature.break-align-symbol = #'staff-bar \override TimeSignature.X-offset = #ly:self-alignment-interface::x-aligned-on-self \override TimeSignature.self-alignment-X = #LEFT \numericTimeSignature } { \timeSignatures } \new StaffGroup \with {} << \new Staff \with { \consists "Bar_number_engraver" } \relative c' { \textLengthOn \time 4/4 c4 ( _\markup \column { "â Objects failed to appear" "below the time signature" "when using \\textLengthOn" } \textLengthOff d4 e4 f4 ) \time 3/8 a'4 ( g8 ) \time 3/4 R2. \time 4/4 c1 \time 2/4 a8 ^\markup \column { "â Time signature appear twice" "when one staff has a grace note" "as the first note in a bar" } g8 f8 e8 } \new Staff \relative c' { \time 4/4 R1 \time 3/8 R4. \clef bass \time 3/4 a,2. \> \startTextSpan \break \time 4/4 c2 _\markup \column { " " "â" "Harpin stops below the time signature" } ^\markup \column { "TextSpanner stops below the time signature" "â" } e2 \! \stopTextSpan \clef treble \time 2/4 \acciaccatura f'8 a8 g8 f8 e8 } \new Staff \relative c' { \clef bass \time 4/4 R1 \time 3/8 R4. \time 3/4 R2. \time 4/4 c1 \time 2/4 a8 g8 f8 e8 } >> >> }