Thank you I am very pleased you like our new product.
Answering your points in turn:
1) Having the toolbar organized...
It is currently arranged into four icon groups:
a) Database icons
b) Game icons
c) View icons
d) Play icons (only shown in play mode)
2) The Engine Configure dialog size should be remembered.
Under cosideration
3) The Save Game dialog and "Save current game" prompt should note which database is affected. Maybe you can display the database name in the title bar?
The Save game dialog is always in the context of the current tab. Is the database name in addition required in this case?
4) The Flip Board icon should be different from the Switch Sides icon.
I think you are right, we could do with a unique icon for swap sides
5) The Pause button doesn't seem to stop Hiarc's ponder thinking. I thought this was its purpose.
It is supposed to pause the clocks, unfortunately there is no pause command in the standard UCI spec. We could stop the engine.
6) When reviewing a game, if would be nice if "cmd-right arrow" went to the start of the next variation in all cases.
It currently steps through the game one move at a time and opens a variation selector if a variation is available. I assume you are meaning for it to jump to the next variation point and give the choice of next moves, however I am concerned that loses some context as there could be a jump of many moves to the point where a variation occurs.
7) When analyzing a game, it would be nice if the board showed the current position being analyzed (even if shown in reverse, as the analysis seems to do).
Unlike other chess software our GUI does not freeze onto the current operation locking out the user, but instead allows the user to navigate and add comments to a game as the game analysis is in progress. Some people like that, while others prefer to be locked out of the game watching while the game analysis is going on (whether this is because that is what people are used to in other GUIs or because that is more natural way of working I am not sure). We are considering how best to address this, it maybe that we make it optional to follow the game analysis on board/notation while it occurs.
HCE feature requests
Moderators: Watchman, Mark Uniacke, mrudolf
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Mark Uniacke
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Eric Wainwright
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Hi Mark,
Many thanks for your reply. A few responses below:
1) Having the toolbar organized into groups...
[Mark] It is currently arranged into four icon groups: a) Database icons b) Game icons c) View icons d) Play icons
[Eric] I see. It still might be nice to have dividers between the groups. Your decision.
3) The Save Game dialog and "Save current game" prompt should note which database is affected. Maybe you can display the database name in the title bar?
[Mark] The Save game dialog is always in the context of the current tab. Is the database name in addition required in this case?
[Eric] Ok, this isn't always apparent. If you have multiple databases open with changed games in each and you quit HCE,
you'll get a series of dialogs that all look the same.
5) The Pause button doesn't seem to stop Hiarc's ponder thinking. I thought this was its purpose.
[Mark] It is supposed to pause the clocks, unfortunately there is no pause command in the standard UCI spec. We could stop the engine.
[Eric] I'm thinking of the case where you want to pause the game and work on something else on your Mac for awhile (with all CPUs available).
6) When reviewing a game, if would be nice if "cmd-right arrow" went to the start of the next variation in all cases.
[Mark] It currently steps through the game one move at a time and opens a variation selector if a variation is available...
[Eric] It took me awhile to figure out that cmd-right arrow worked only on the move BEFORE the main branch and not on the FIRST move
of the main branch. So, my suggestion concerns mostly this case. However, I don't see why it can't be
generalized to work for all moves.
Thanks again!
Many thanks for your reply. A few responses below:
1) Having the toolbar organized into groups...
[Mark] It is currently arranged into four icon groups: a) Database icons b) Game icons c) View icons d) Play icons
[Eric] I see. It still might be nice to have dividers between the groups. Your decision.
3) The Save Game dialog and "Save current game" prompt should note which database is affected. Maybe you can display the database name in the title bar?
[Mark] The Save game dialog is always in the context of the current tab. Is the database name in addition required in this case?
[Eric] Ok, this isn't always apparent. If you have multiple databases open with changed games in each and you quit HCE,
you'll get a series of dialogs that all look the same.
5) The Pause button doesn't seem to stop Hiarc's ponder thinking. I thought this was its purpose.
[Mark] It is supposed to pause the clocks, unfortunately there is no pause command in the standard UCI spec. We could stop the engine.
[Eric] I'm thinking of the case where you want to pause the game and work on something else on your Mac for awhile (with all CPUs available).
6) When reviewing a game, if would be nice if "cmd-right arrow" went to the start of the next variation in all cases.
[Mark] It currently steps through the game one move at a time and opens a variation selector if a variation is available...
[Eric] It took me awhile to figure out that cmd-right arrow worked only on the move BEFORE the main branch and not on the FIRST move
of the main branch. So, my suggestion concerns mostly this case. However, I don't see why it can't be
generalized to work for all moves.
Thanks again!
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Mark Uniacke
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1) There is a vertical divider currently, maybe it is not so clear.
3) That is a very good point, I agree with you it would be useful especially in that case.
5) Another good point Eric, thanks I think stopping the engine makes sense here.
6) Cmd+right arrow (Ctrl+right arrow for PC users who are wondering what we are talking about!) gives you the decision to go down a variation at any point where there is a branch. That can only be done at the point where there is a variation. For example 1. e4 c5 (1...e5) - the branch is offered when navigating forwards from 1.e4. That makes sense to me.
I may of missed your point but the Cmd+right arrow does apply to all moves and all branches not just the main line, you can be in a sub variation and you will still be offered the branch if it is there. Clearly if there is no branch the next move is played.
3) That is a very good point, I agree with you it would be useful especially in that case.
5) Another good point Eric, thanks I think stopping the engine makes sense here.
6) Cmd+right arrow (Ctrl+right arrow for PC users who are wondering what we are talking about!) gives you the decision to go down a variation at any point where there is a branch. That can only be done at the point where there is a variation. For example 1. e4 c5 (1...e5) - the branch is offered when navigating forwards from 1.e4. That makes sense to me.
I may of missed your point but the Cmd+right arrow does apply to all moves and all branches not just the main line, you can be in a sub variation and you will still be offered the branch if it is there. Clearly if there is no branch the next move is played.
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Eric Wainwright
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- Location: Boulder, CO, USA
6) Cmd+right arrow gives you the decision to go down a variation at any point where there is a branch….
[Mark] I may of missed your point but the Cmd+right arrow does apply to all moves and all branches not just the main line, you can be in a sub variation and you will still be offered the branch if it is there. Clearly if there is no branch the next move is played.
[Eric] I meant that cmd-right arrow would be enabled and active at all times, not just before a branch. However, my main use case is just this: I'm reviewing a game using the right arrow and I come to the last move before the variation line (i.e. the 1st move of the main line branch). I want to drop into the variation line using cmd-right arrow, but I first have to back up with the left-arrow, hit cmd-right arrow, then choose the 1st variation from the dialog and click Ok. It would be nice if I could just hit cmd-right arrow right there and drop into the variation line. Supporting that would be quite sufficient!
Best regards
[Mark] I may of missed your point but the Cmd+right arrow does apply to all moves and all branches not just the main line, you can be in a sub variation and you will still be offered the branch if it is there. Clearly if there is no branch the next move is played.
[Eric] I meant that cmd-right arrow would be enabled and active at all times, not just before a branch. However, my main use case is just this: I'm reviewing a game using the right arrow and I come to the last move before the variation line (i.e. the 1st move of the main line branch). I want to drop into the variation line using cmd-right arrow, but I first have to back up with the left-arrow, hit cmd-right arrow, then choose the 1st variation from the dialog and click Ok. It would be nice if I could just hit cmd-right arrow right there and drop into the variation line. Supporting that would be quite sufficient!
Best regards
Re: Icon Resizing
Well put James. I concur, particularly with regard to vertical space, which is at a premium in this wide-screen world.JamesCoons wrote:the ability to get rid of the toolbar entirely would be a nice option. Also purely decorative space such as borders I would prefer to be minimal.
New features I would welcome the most. I know some of them are being worked on:
- Engine vs. Engine match
- New compressed database file for better speed on opening large databases (keep PGN for annotated games, and smaller databases, since it is more stable and compatible)
- Chess pieces Berlin (it is a freeware design)
- Search for games with annotations and with no annotations
- Search for material (not just for position)
- Search and delete duplicated games
- Engine vs. Engine match
- New compressed database file for better speed on opening large databases (keep PGN for annotated games, and smaller databases, since it is more stable and compatible)
- Chess pieces Berlin (it is a freeware design)
- Search for games with annotations and with no annotations
- Search for material (not just for position)
- Search and delete duplicated games
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frjentsjer
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Mark Uniacke
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frjentsjer
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1. When copying a game to an open database save it (prompt?) as a new game instead of replace opened one by default. I have already replaced a few games by copying a new game to add it to the database - really annoying, but maybe I handle it wrong.
2. Save a game to a selected database (not only currently opened one). But I think someone mentioned it before.
3. I support requests of different format support for databases. PGN is probably the easiest one to handle, but with large databases it loads and works really slow.
4. Search games by opening name. I know there is an option to search by set position, but sometimes an amateur like me would like to check different opening games despite even know its moves and ECO code.
2. Save a game to a selected database (not only currently opened one). But I think someone mentioned it before.
3. I support requests of different format support for databases. PGN is probably the easiest one to handle, but with large databases it loads and works really slow.
4. Search games by opening name. I know there is an option to search by set position, but sometimes an amateur like me would like to check different opening games despite even know its moves and ECO code.
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Michael Blake
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Actually, you may be right. By working slow I meant mainly the loading time. I have tried once an imported database which was opening like 90 seconds or more, but aftewards maybe it worked faster. Still, the move statistics showed after a few seconds delay.
Sorry, I did not try working with it again (just because of those bad impressions).
This database I have mentioned was exported database from other commercial product from PC. On that system it loads in less then 10 seconds and the delay is usually 1-2s. Hence, I claimed that's the problem of pgn.
Sorry, I did not try working with it again (just because of those bad impressions).
This database I have mentioned was exported database from other commercial product from PC. On that system it loads in less then 10 seconds and the delay is usually 1-2s. Hence, I claimed that's the problem of pgn.
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Mark Uniacke
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The load time of a large database is slower than other products because unlike other products we produce a complete model of the database. This has a number of advantages...
The result of this is much faster searches and other user operations when using HIARCS Chess Explorer. For example if I want to know all the games in the database for the current position that is available almost instantly, other chess database software are much slower (in fact many cannot do the operations with PGNs at all). Equally if I want to know the statistics for moves, openings or players in a database that can be obtained easily and near instantly.
Another example is the Player Explorer, if you want to know the popular openings in a database or for a player they are available almost instantly and it is possible to immediately obtain the games in the openings just by clicking on them in the Player Explorer. I don't know of any other software that can do that, nevermind do it as fast.
We believe people spend more time working on a database than they do loading it, so while the load time seems long, overall it saves a lot of time for the user because there are no delays waiting for information while using HCE and the information is better linked together. I can just click on a player I am interested in and get his report, then click on the opening I am interested in and get the games etc.
Alos I should point out that you can do other operations, e.g. load other databases or view games while a large database is loading. HCE can handling multiple databases simulateneously.
By contrast with other software you have to wait for most of these operations so while their load time is much shorter it is much slower to use their software because they don't build any model of the database, they simply open it.
Addressing the questions:
1) If an existing game is loaded and modified it is replaced - this is logical since it is often not good to have multiple copies of the same game in the same database as the statistics then become less accurate.
If a game is copied to a database tab and saved it is saved as a new game so I do not know how you can get it to replace since there is nothing to replace as it is a new game to that database. Please email me the steps to recreate the situation and we will investigate it.
2) You can save a game to another database as follows. If I have db A and db B open and I am looking at a game in db A. I want to save it to db B. I can do this using Edit->Copy->Games.... I then choose Current game and db B and click OK and it is done.
Of course it can also be copied and pasted in the usual way as well, including copying a filter collection of games.
3) PGN is not so much easy as it is standard and that is why it was the first and most important format to support. We are looking at also supporting our own format in version 2.0 in addition as that offers some advantages over the PGN format which is very verbose.
4) You can search for games by ECO code in the search dialog. You can also find games by name in the Player Explorer by clicking on the opening name. We do not support typing the name in as there are so many different spellings and different names for openings it would be quite ambiguous.
We will look into full screen mode.
The result of this is much faster searches and other user operations when using HIARCS Chess Explorer. For example if I want to know all the games in the database for the current position that is available almost instantly, other chess database software are much slower (in fact many cannot do the operations with PGNs at all). Equally if I want to know the statistics for moves, openings or players in a database that can be obtained easily and near instantly.
Another example is the Player Explorer, if you want to know the popular openings in a database or for a player they are available almost instantly and it is possible to immediately obtain the games in the openings just by clicking on them in the Player Explorer. I don't know of any other software that can do that, nevermind do it as fast.
We believe people spend more time working on a database than they do loading it, so while the load time seems long, overall it saves a lot of time for the user because there are no delays waiting for information while using HCE and the information is better linked together. I can just click on a player I am interested in and get his report, then click on the opening I am interested in and get the games etc.
Alos I should point out that you can do other operations, e.g. load other databases or view games while a large database is loading. HCE can handling multiple databases simulateneously.
By contrast with other software you have to wait for most of these operations so while their load time is much shorter it is much slower to use their software because they don't build any model of the database, they simply open it.
Addressing the questions:
1) If an existing game is loaded and modified it is replaced - this is logical since it is often not good to have multiple copies of the same game in the same database as the statistics then become less accurate.
If a game is copied to a database tab and saved it is saved as a new game so I do not know how you can get it to replace since there is nothing to replace as it is a new game to that database. Please email me the steps to recreate the situation and we will investigate it.
2) You can save a game to another database as follows. If I have db A and db B open and I am looking at a game in db A. I want to save it to db B. I can do this using Edit->Copy->Games.... I then choose Current game and db B and click OK and it is done.
Of course it can also be copied and pasted in the usual way as well, including copying a filter collection of games.
3) PGN is not so much easy as it is standard and that is why it was the first and most important format to support. We are looking at also supporting our own format in version 2.0 in addition as that offers some advantages over the PGN format which is very verbose.
4) You can search for games by ECO code in the search dialog. You can also find games by name in the Player Explorer by clicking on the opening name. We do not support typing the name in as there are so many different spellings and different names for openings it would be quite ambiguous.
We will look into full screen mode.
Dear Mark
thank you for your comprehensive answer. In fact, I totally did not realise all the processes behind the long loading time. Your arguments convinced me how wrong I was. I would for 1000 times also prefer faster working times than the loading times.
1) I will write the E-mail with screenshots then.
Cheers
Mateusz
PS. Any ETA for 2.0? Can't wait to see all the new features
thank you for your comprehensive answer. In fact, I totally did not realise all the processes behind the long loading time. Your arguments convinced me how wrong I was. I would for 1000 times also prefer faster working times than the loading times.
1) I will write the E-mail with screenshots then.
Cheers
Mateusz
PS. Any ETA for 2.0? Can't wait to see all the new features