Comments on the Revelation II dedicated chess computer

[Santito]

Dear Friends, I have read the manual and I dont see the option to play with time increment. May be I am wrong. Or may be it is going to be included in a future firmware.

By the way, I am # 53, and I hope to get it soon.

Regards,

Santiago

[xchessg]

Dear Friends, I have read the manual and I dont see the option to play with time increment. May be I am wrong.

Santiago

You're right... One of those things that is on my list since the start...Seeing that increment tempi are becoming standard, I feel that a modern dedicated can't do without...

Xavier

[Steve B]

Great news on the RevII Steve, seems Ruud and his team have really surpassed themselves ..........again!

Roll on #64

I did order mine with the ebony set, given the total expense the cost of ebony pieces were lost in the roundings.

In for a penny, in for a pound regards

Paul

Thats the ticket!
if your gonna go for it..go big!

Way To Go Regards
Steve

[Wardy]

All Rev II owners should bookmark this web page
it is the official page for the Rev II:

WWW.REVELATIONii.com

the page has software downloads that are needed to enable the RevII to connect by Bluetooth(for future firmware updates) and also software needed to use the board as a normal DGT board
i am also told you will be able to register the board on this site for warranty purposes

Staying Current Regards
Steve

Bookmarked and all installed thanks for the heads up..................just need #64

[Steve B]

Nice to know i received the computer only 3 days ago and it does not even contain the latest firmware

It's a beta. I only got it because I complained loudly (about this and the capture algorythm). This is the issue Ruud was talking about a few days back, remember? (The captures are much better in 3.08. Machine doesn't insist on a particular order anymore, can do the blitz capture now.)

-Izmet
I feel bad.

Interestingly i notice when the Rev II is in "DGT E-Board" mode
the computer does recognize if the black pieces start at the bottom
i am able to play against an engine in Arena with Black on Bottom right from the start

Close But Not Quite Perfect Regards
Steve

[ifekali]

Interestingly i notice when the Rev II is in "DGT E-Board" mode
the computer does recognize if the black pieces start at the bottom
i am able to play against an engine in Arena with Black on Bottom right from the start

In bluetooth mode the board is dumb as any other DGT USB/bluetooth board. It can only report where the pieces are, not the meaning of their position. All the position/setup recognition is done by the driver, Arena's in your case.

-Izmet

[Steve B]

Interestingly i notice when the Rev II is in "DGT E-Board" mode
the computer does recognize if the black pieces start at the bottom
i am able to play against an engine in Arena with Black on Bottom right from the start

In bluetooth mode the board is dumb as any other DGT USB/bluetooth board. It can only report where the pieces are, not the meaning of their position. All the position/setup recognition is done by the driver, Arena's in your case.

-Izmet

actually i wont be using the E-Board or UCI Engine features so much
but i do like to know what the computer is capable of even if i dont use those features often
i like that the Rev ll while in "DGT E-Board" mode can show the move and the position valuation(score) as it would had an XL clock been attached
Nice Extra Regards
Steve

[ifekali]

... the Rev ll while in "DGT E-Board" mode can show the move and the position valuation(score) as it would had an XL clock been attached

Except for the beep. The XL clock emulator is silent
(Noticed when testing PicoChess' Stockfish DD engine via bluetooth.)

-Izmet

[Steve B]

... the Rev ll while in "DGT E-Board" mode can show the move and the position valuation(score) as it would had an XL clock been attached

Except for the beep. The XL clock emulator is silent
(Noticed when testing PicoChess' Stockfish DD engine via bluetooth.)

-Izmet

Yes but you can configure Arena to speak out the moves in a female voice
kinda nice compared to the voice features of the Old dedicated computers
you ever hear what a Fidelity computer with the voice feature sounds like?
cold ..computer like.. metallic voice

Hal Sends His Regards
Steve

[sje]

Gestures

The term "gesture" appeared in the context of human-to-computer interface input back some twenty years ago. It means any manual device input more complex than the use of simple binary (buttons, keys) or simple analog (knobs, sliders).

Playing chess with a sensory board of any flavor qualifies as a use of gestures for interaction because such combines several different simpler interactions as parts of a composite input.

I classify chessboard gestures into four groups:

1. Move gestures to communicate moves;

2. Position gestures to set up a position including setting up a new game;

3. Termination gestures to indicate game termination status (resignation, draw acceptance, etc);

4. Meta gestures for program control (setting levels and options).

--------

I'm working on a more formal and complete set of chessboard gesture definitions as part of the chessboard interface project. Knowing how the Revelation II handles gestures will help my work.

At present, I'm collecting information about position gestures. I would like to know the best, most portable way of defining position gestures to communicate from the user via the chessboard to a chess program all the data contained in a FEN string.

For the MPD (Man Placement Data), a piece recognition board is given all of this by simply placing all the pieces of a position on the board. Of course, an occupancy recognition board or press recognition board will need extra work.

The active (i.e, good) color is communicated by the color of the last piece placed or by removing/replacing a piece of the desired color.

How to communicate castling availability data?

How to communicate en passant target square data?

Can setting the half move counter and the full move number be skipped?

What's the best way of indicating the bottom of the board?

[Steve B]

Dear Friends, I have read the manual and I dont see the option to play with time increment. May be I am wrong.

Santiago

You're right... One of those things that is on my list since the start...Seeing that increment tempi are becoming standard, I feel that a modern dedicated can't do without...

Xavier

Hi Xavier
in the Res II and Rev I for the emulations ..the ability to save the game was only available for the : Almeria, Portorose, Lyon, Vancouver & London emulations
this seems to be the same in the Rev II
with 18 emulations running in the Rev II any increase in the number of emulations being able to save the game from these 5 would be greatly appreciated and long overdue
at least for the two Polgar emulations
see what you can do will you regards
Steve

[xchessg]

Hi Xavier
in the Res II and Rev I for the emulations ..the ability to save the game was only available for the : Almeria, Portorose, Lyon, Vancouver & London emulations
this seems to be the same in the Rev II
with 18 emulations running in the Rev II any increase in the number of emulations being able to save the game from these 5 would be greatly appreciated and long overdue
at least for the two Polgar emulations
see what you can do will you regards
Steve

Hi Steve,

Sascha is the driving force behind the emulations. I look upon the emulations as a really nice option but, compared with the originals, nothing more then the next best thing...

You're right I think Technically I think that there is a reason... Sascha?

Xavier

[Mythbuster]

It's a beta. I only got it because I complained loudly (about this and the capture algorythm).

Not only you! Chessguru (who was also Betatester) complained also a long time ago ... and when Ruud visited me here in Germany we discussed that Problem ...

@Steve: There were some small Firmware Versions ... but most of them were only getting some hours old ...

So, no, after your Version the 3.08B is the next "bigger" release ...

And, by the way: What do you prefer: Getting your machine before x-Mas and maybe you have to upgrade your Firmware ... or do you want to wait until everything is 100% ... and wait perhaps another few months before you get the Rev II ...

[Steve B]

And, by the way: What do you prefer: Getting your machine before x-Mas and maybe you have to upgrade your Firmware ... or do you want to wait until everything is 100% ... and wait perhaps another few months before you get the Rev II ...

actually i can wait
i am in no rush
i waited 2 years..and now the computer is suddenly rushed out without the latest working and proven firmware?
this makes no sense to me
i am collecting chess computers for 36 years
i am used to waiting
i can wait another few weeks or a month to have a computer working with the latest version of the software
i dont really like having to go through firmware upgrades
especially when an upgrade is ready, proven to be working and not installed in the computer
i am not so pleased that my computer came without the latest firm ware

not to mention that i cannot even load up 4 emulations until i receive permission(which i am waiting for since 4 days now)
i already own the Rev I with all of the emulations activated and everyone knows i own EVERY module

Still i think the Rev II is wonderful but these little things can annoy anyone

97.5% satisfied Regards
Steve

[Steve B]

UMM..
Did you fellows say 3.08b was the latest REV ll firmware version?

http://www.flickr.com/photos/10261668@N05/11388752726/

You Cant Touch Dis Regards

Steve