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Subject: Re: Need help with CM 9000 and WB2UCI

Author: Ralph Patriquin

Date: 13:30:11 01/03/03

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On January 03, 2003 at 05:33:46, Manfred Meiler wrote:

>On January 02, 2003 at 21:42:56, Ralph Patriquin wrote:
>
>>I've recently purchased Chessmaster 9000 and have a few questions. The first
>>involve running The King 3.23 under the Fritz 7 GUI using WB2UCI. Thanks to
>>help from Manfred Meiler I have it running but there are some anomalies with
>>Engine Parameters. Here is my WB2UCI.eng file:
>>
>>[ENGINE]
>>Name=The King 3.23
>>Author=Johan de Koning
>>Filename=WB2UCI.exe
>>
>>[OPTIONS]
>>Program=C:\Program Files\Ubi Soft\Chessmaster 9000\TheKing.exe
>>InitString=cm_parm default opk=595966 opp=96 opn=99 opb=102 opr=100 opq=103
>>myp=96 myn=99 myb=102 myr=100 myq=103
>>cc=115 mob=120 ks=150 pp=115 pw=125
>>cfd=0 sop=100 avd=-10 rnd=0 sel=12 md=99 tts=33554432
>>;HashCommand=cm_parm tts=%i000000
>>Ponder=false;
>>ShowThinkingMove=true
>>Logfile=false
>>;Visible=Ponder,Hash,ShowThinkingMove,Logfile,Extras
>>Visible=ShowThinkingMove,Logfile,Extras
>>
>>[EXTRAS]
>>Personality=<readfile>|combo|Pillen|Chessmaster|Kleinert|Pillen|Utzinger
>>HashTable=<readfile>|combo|32 MB|4 MB|8 MB|16 MB|32 MB|64 MB|128 MB
>>
>>The first problem is that even if I set Ponder and Hash as Visible, they don't
>>show up. Therefore I set up my own HashTable combo button where, for example
>>"32 MB.txt" looks like this:
>>
>>;CM settings for 32 MB Hash table
>>
>>cm_parm tts=33554432
>>
>>This works, but I wish the built in Hash command would work. If I look at the
>>log file I can see that WB2UCI is sending the Hash and Ponder options over,
>>but they don't show up.
>>
>>Concerning how HashCommand=cm_parm tts=%i000000 works, it will send for
>>example "cm_parm tts=32000000" for 32 MB, correct? The actual number of bytes
>>is 33554432, as I send in the InitString or in "32 MB.txt". Would this affect
>>performance at all by having the Hash not be aligned on a power of 2?
>>
>>Also, even though I have defaults set for Pillen personality and 32 MB Hash, I
>>don't believe this gets sent unless  I bring up the Engine parameters, select
>>these settings and OK it. That's why I send these defaults through the
>>InitString. Am I right in this assumption?
>>
>>My final question concerns the appearance of the Chessmaster 9000 GUI itself.
>>I'm running it on Windows XP Home Edition, and the Chessmaster font doesn't
>>look right. For instance a command in the drop down menus will have letters
>>squished together and spacing between letters that is too large, all in the
>>same word. Has anyone else had this problem and know how to fix it? I'm bummed
>>because Chessmaster is known for its pretty interface, but mine looks sad.
>>
>>Thanks for any and all help,
>>
>>Ralph Patriquin
>
>
>Hello Ralph,
>
>your above mentioned Wb2Uci.eng is NOT the file that I've sent to you some days
>ago.
>My Wb2Uci.eng for you (according recommendation of Odd Gunnar Malin) was:
>
>[ENGINE]
>Name=CM 9000
>Author=Johan de Koning
>Filename=Wb2Uci.exe
>
>[OPTIONS]
>Program=C:\Program Files\Ubi Soft\Chessmaster 9000\TheKing.exe
>InitString=cm_parm default\ncm_parm opk=123456
>HashCommand=cm_parm tts=%i004096
>ShowThinkingMove=true
>;Logfile=true
>Visible=Ponder,Hash,ShowThinkingMove,Logfile,Extras
>
>[EXTRAS]
>Personality=<readfile>|combo|Default|Default|CM9_Utz12n|The King
>3.23MM|CM9_Pillen|CM9_8777_Kleinert
>
>With this Wb2Uci.eng you're able to set/change the hash size within Fritz 7 GUI.

Manfred, again, thanks for your help. I did originally set up WB2UCI.eng
_exactly_ as you sent it. All I did later was change some file names for
personalities to suit me. With either your version or mine Hash and Ponder _do
not_ show up in the Engine parameter dialog of Fritz 7. Here's the start of a
log file:

0.000: ** Adapter: Wb2Uci 1.3B5
0.031: C> uci
0.031: C< id name The King 3.23
0.031: C< id author Johan de Koning
0.031: C< option name Personality type combo default Pillen var Chessmaster var
Kleinert var Pillen var Utzinger
0.031: C< option name Hash type spin default 2 min 0 max 256
0.031: C< option name Ponder type check default true
0.031: C< option name ShowThinkingMove type check default true
0.031: C< option name Logfile type check default true
0.031: C< uciok
0.093: C> setoption name Hash value 8
0.093: C> setoption name Ponder value false
0.093: C> isready

As you can see WB2UCI is sending both the Hash and Ponder options to Fritz7,
but they don't show up in Engine parameters. I was confused because the jpg
file you sent me of your dialog shows a Hashtable spin box, although you also
are missing a Ponder check box.

I noticed that on its own, Fritz sends Hash, Ponder and MultiPV commands, so I
tried a little experiment. If I try to set up any parameter named Hash,
Ponder, or MultiPV, it doesn't show up in Engine parameters. If I call them
say, HashTable, Think, and MPV, they _do_ show up. So it seems that Fritz 7 is
dropping them purposely.

So if you are indeed using Fritz 7, I don't know why your Hash spin box shows
up and mine doesn't. My version of UCI.dll is 1.0.1.1, could that be the
difference?

>Also you're able within Fritz 7 GUI to select one of the prepared CM
>personalities - look at the last line "Personality=..." in Wb2Uci.eng, setting
>parameters defined in single *.txt files (e.g. CM9_Pillen.txt for Pillen
>personality).
>There's no need to define the hash size and the setting parameters (of a
>personality) in the Wb2Uci.eng file.
>
>I thought my short instructions in my email to you (with the prepared files)
>were clear enough.
>
>Regards,
>Manfred

Again, Manfred your stuff worked fine except for the difference mentioned
above. Concerning personalities, my combo box works fine also. As I stated
above however, The King will start with the default Chessmaster personality,
even if my combo box has a default of say Pillen, unless I actually select
from the combo box and then press OK. At least I believe this is true. That is
why I set up the personality I wish to start up with in my InitString. I can
still change it if I want to through the combo box later, as often as I wish
while The King is running, and that works fine. Hope this clears things up.

Ralph



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