Banksia GUI released

[Gabor Szots]

Wow, thanks a lot! It looks so beautiful!

Where am I supposed to put those files?

[AdminX]

Wow, thanks a lot! It looks so beautiful!

Where am I supposed to put those files?

Where ever you would like. I put them in the same directory as I have created for Banksia.

[Guenther]

Wow, thanks a lot! It looks so beautiful!

Where am I supposed to put those files?

Where ever you would like. I put them in the same directory as I have created for Banksia.

Have to explain it more precise for Gabor, you choose 'Custom' and click on the preview color then you can select
an image file from any folder (supports a lot of image types).
('Custom' does not exist though for changing to a user piece set)

[Gabor Szots]

Have to explain it more precise for Gabor, you choose 'Custom' and click on the preview color then you can select
an image file from any folder (supports a lot of image types).
('Custom' does not exist though for changing to a user piece set)

Thanks. I have created a folder called 'Graphics' under the main Banksia folder and put them there. Worked OK.

I am usually not this dumb, seems I've had a hard day.

[Guenther]

Have to explain it more precise for Gabor, you choose 'Custom' and click on the preview color then you can select
an image file from any folder (supports a lot of image types).
('Custom' does not exist though for changing to a user piece set)

Thanks. I have created a folder called 'Graphics' under the main Banksia folder and put them there. Worked OK.

I am usually not this dumb, seems I've had a hard day.

I don't think one needs to be dumb to miss a click on a preview for 'Custom' for selecting a file,
when there is no explanation there :) (only found it by chance after I saw Teds post)

I would like to see custom configuring of the piece set too, but I don't know if it uses 'fonts' or svg.

[AdminX]

Can you give me some names of those engines? I just guess they may use option's names with different lower/upper characters. I need to verify it. Thanks

I think they were Deep Shredder 13, Houdini 6 and Deep Hiarcs 14 to name a few.

Thanks!

Unfortunately, all the above engines are commercial and quite expensive. Thus I find and try an old one Hiarcs 13 instead:

Code: Select all

C:\Program Files (x86)\HIARCS Chess\HIARCS 13.2 UCI>Hiarcs13.2MP.exe
HIARCS by Mark John Uniacke
Copyright (c) 1992-2010 Mark Uniacke, Applied Computer Concepts Ltd. All rights
reserved.
uci
id name HIARCS 13.2 MP
id author Mark John Uniacke
option name Licensed To type combo default  var
option name Core Threads type spin min 1 max 2 default 2
option name CPU Usage type spin min 1 max 100 default 100
option name Busy Threads type check default true
option name OwnBook type check default true
option name Book Learning type check default false
option name Book Mode type combo default Tournament var Wild var Surprise var Dy
namic var Tournament
option name Book Positions type combo default 2414780 var 2414780
option name Book Status type combo default Hiarcs13aBook.hcs OK var Hiarcs13aBoo
k.hcs OK
option name Use Tablebases type combo var Often var Normally var Rarely var Neve
r default Never
option name Swindle Opponent type check default true
option name NalimovCache type spin min 1 max 256 default 32
option name NalimovPath type string default
option name Hash type spin min 1 max 2048 default 64
option name Clear Hash type button
option name Retain Hash type check default true
option name Position Learning type check default false
option name Smart Search type check default true
option name Optimistic Search type check default true
option name Combinations type check default true
option name Hiarcs Draw Value type spin min -100 max 100 default 0
option name Search Selectivity type spin min 0 max 7 default 4
option name Playing Style type combo default Active var Active var Aggressive va
r Solid
option name Hyper-Modern Play type check default true
option name GUI Time Lag type check default false
option name AutoSave PGN type check default true
option name UCI_Elo type spin min 750 max 3141 default 2330
option name UCI_LimitStrength type check default false
option name UCI_SearchMoves type check default true
option name UCI_ShowCurrLine type check default false
option name UCI_Chess960 type check default false
option name MultiPV type spin min 1 max 127 default 1
option name Ponder type check default true
option name UCI_EngineAbout type string default HIARCS 13.2 MP is UNREGISTERED.
Visit www.hiarcs.com to purchase activation key for full strength and features.
uciok

The problem is that it used the name "Core Threads" instead of popular one "Threads". That is why BSG cannot auto-detect and fill value for that field. I will support that name anyway.

Can you check those engines to see what names they are using for setting cores/threads (from BSG, open Settings dialog, tab engines, click on each engine and look into their option box)? Thanks again.

Strangely enough they are say/ show:

Code: Select all

option name Threads type spin min 1 max 8 default 8

So I am not sure why for some engines they are not being detected. They all threads now that I have edited the Json file. Before there were not options to set threads at all.

Can you remove them from BSG then re-add them and check if BSG can get that option? Not sure if it is a problem of BSG. I guess those engines may hide that option until registering. I am looking after this issue anyway.

This is what I was able to find.

Naum 4.6: MaxThreads
Deep Shredder 13: Shows nothing at all for Threads
Deep Hiarcs 14: Shows nothing at all for Threads
Houdini 6: Shows nothing at all for Threads
Spike 1.4: Shows nothing at all for Threads
Deep Sjeng WC2008: CPUs

The one that showed noathing at all I added the code to which fixed the problem.

Code: Select all

{
        "default" : 8,
        "max" : 8,
        "min" : 1,
        "name" : "Threads",
        "type" : "spin",
        "value" : 1
      },

[AdminX]

Have to explain it more precise for Gabor, you choose 'Custom' and click on the preview color then you can select
an image file from any folder (supports a lot of image types).
('Custom' does not exist though for changing to a user piece set)

Thanks. I have created a folder called 'Graphics' under the main Banksia folder and put them there. Worked OK.

I am usually not this dumb, seems I've had a hard day.

I don't think one needs to be dumb to miss a click on a preview for 'Custom' for selecting a file,
when there is no explanation there (only found it by chance after I saw Teds post)

I would like to see custom configuring of the piece set too, but I don't know if it uses 'fonts' or svg.

Agreed.

[Guenther]

...

Code: Select all

id name HIARCS 13.2 MP
id author Mark John Uniacke
option name Licensed To type combo default  var
option name Core Threads type spin min 1 max 2 default 2

The problem is that it used the name "Core Threads" instead of popular one "Threads". That is why BSG cannot auto-detect and fill value for that field. I will support that name anyway.

Can you check those engines to see what names they are using for setting cores/threads (from BSG, open Settings dialog, tab engines, click on each engine and look into their option box)? Thanks again.

Strangely enough they are say/ show:

Code: Select all

option name Threads type spin min 1 max 8 default 8

So I am not sure why for some engines they are not being detected. They all threads now that I have edited the Json file. Before there were not options to set threads at all.

Can you remove them from BSG then re-add them and check if BSG can get that option? Not sure if it is a problem of BSG. I guess those engines may hide that option until registering. I am looking after this issue anyway.

This is what I was able to find.

Naum 4.6: MaxThreads
Deep Shredder 13: Shows nothing at all for Threads
Deep Hiarcs 14: Shows nothing at all for Threads
Houdini 6: Shows nothing at all for Threads
Spike 1.4: Shows nothing at all for Threads
Deep Sjeng WC2008: CPUs

...

As this is somehow related, in a post (regrettably buried deeply now in an EO thread) there is a list
I compiled for all uci programs with non standard 'thread' implementation. (actually there was no standard
for it in the beginning)

Code: Select all

Name          UCI Threads command     Other ways                  Default
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
Rybka         | Max CPUs              |                           |       |
...........................................................................
Spike         | CPUs                  |                           |       |
...........................................................................
SjengDeep     | CPUs                  |                           |       |
...........................................................................
Hamsters      | -                     | cmd 'hamsters -threads n' |       |
...........................................................................
ZCT           | -                     | ini file => mp n          |       |
...........................................................................
Delfi         | -                     | ini file => CPU_Threads=n |       |
...........................................................................
Pharaon       | Number of threads     |                           |       |
...........................................................................
Viper         | Number of threads     |                           |       |
...........................................................................
PatzerDeep    |                       | ini file => SMPprocess=n  |       |
...........................................................................
Brutus        | number_of_processors  |                           |       |
...........................................................................
LittleThought | NumThreads            |                           |       |
...........................................................................
Jonny         | CPUs                  |                           |       |
...........................................................................
Arminius      | NumberOfProcesses     |                           |       |
...........................................................................
Hermann       | NumberOfProcesses     |                           |       |
...........................................................................
Minko         | SMP                   |                           | (4)   |
...........................................................................
Hiarcs        | Core Threads          |                           |       |
...........................................................................
Naum          | MaxThreads            |                           |       |
...........................................................................
Jazz          | Cores                 |                           |       |
...........................................................................
Dragontooth   | SearchThreads         |                           |       |
...........................................................................
Firefly       | CPUs                  |                           |       |

[phhnguyen]

Is it possible to assign a different opening book to each competing engine?
Or even an opening book to one engine only?

Your question is a bit ambiguous thus I divide it into a few cases:

1) If you mean assigning manually (by users): YES. Every engine can be set via its parameters and options. They can use their own books. Just turn off books of GUIs to avoid affecting. Note that not every engine has its own book, e.g., Stockfish, Lc0 don't have books.

2) If you mean assigning automatically for each engine via options (BSG can auto-assign cores/threads, memory/hash for each engine): NO. Engines use too many different names/ways to set up their own books thus BSG cannot detect all. Again, not every engine has own book.

3) If you mean a GUI automatically plays opening moves, using different books for different engines: NO/YES. Some books don't have moves, e.g. PGN, EPD books (they have only chess positions): the GUI picks up randomly a position and sets up the game starts from that position. Some books such as Polyglot actually can be used like that (the GUI auto uses two books for two sides). However, it is almost no meaning to let the GUI play itself in the opening period, even using whatever. Instead, GUIs simply pick up a line (of moves) from a Polyglot book to set up a game. Thus for Banksia GUI it is NO.

[phhnguyen]

...

Code: Select all

id name HIARCS 13.2 MP
id author Mark John Uniacke
option name Licensed To type combo default  var
option name Core Threads type spin min 1 max 2 default 2

The problem is that it used the name "Core Threads" instead of popular one "Threads". That is why BSG cannot auto-detect and fill value for that field. I will support that name anyway.

Can you check those engines to see what names they are using for setting cores/threads (from BSG, open Settings dialog, tab engines, click on each engine and look into their option box)? Thanks again.

Strangely enough they are say/ show:

Code: Select all

option name Threads type spin min 1 max 8 default 8

So I am not sure why for some engines they are not being detected. They all threads now that I have edited the Json file. Before there were not options to set threads at all.

Can you remove them from BSG then re-add them and check if BSG can get that option? Not sure if it is a problem of BSG. I guess those engines may hide that option until registering. I am looking after this issue anyway.

This is what I was able to find.

Naum 4.6: MaxThreads
Deep Shredder 13: Shows nothing at all for Threads
Deep Hiarcs 14: Shows nothing at all for Threads
Houdini 6: Shows nothing at all for Threads
Spike 1.4: Shows nothing at all for Threads
Deep Sjeng WC2008: CPUs

...

As this is somehow related, in a post (regrettably buried deeply now in an EO thread) there is a list
I compiled for all uci programs with non standard 'thread' implementation. (actually there was no standard
for it in the beginning)

Code: Select all

Name          UCI Threads command     Other ways                  Default
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
Rybka         | Max CPUs              |                           |       |
...........................................................................
Spike         | CPUs                  |                           |       |
...........................................................................
SjengDeep     | CPUs                  |                           |       |
...........................................................................
Hamsters      | -                     | cmd 'hamsters -threads n' |       |
...........................................................................
ZCT           | -                     | ini file => mp n          |       |
...........................................................................
Delfi         | -                     | ini file => CPU_Threads=n |       |
...........................................................................
Pharaon       | Number of threads     |                           |       |
...........................................................................
Viper         | Number of threads     |                           |       |
...........................................................................
PatzerDeep    |                       | ini file => SMPprocess=n  |       |
...........................................................................
Brutus        | number_of_processors  |                           |       |
...........................................................................
LittleThought | NumThreads            |                           |       |
...........................................................................
Jonny         | CPUs                  |                           |       |
...........................................................................
Arminius      | NumberOfProcesses     |                           |       |
...........................................................................
Hermann       | NumberOfProcesses     |                           |       |
...........................................................................
Minko         | SMP                   |                           | (4)   |
...........................................................................
Hiarcs        | Core Threads          |                           |       |
...........................................................................
Naum          | MaxThreads            |                           |       |
...........................................................................
Jazz          | Cores                 |                           |       |
...........................................................................
Dragontooth   | SearchThreads         |                           |       |
...........................................................................
Firefly       | CPUs                  |                           |       |

Thanks a lot for the useful information!

I will support them maximum even a bit confused since it looks like they don't want to follow the majority and/or that is their commercial tricks.