Retro Engine Info

[RandyR]

Perhaps I missed it but how do we display the info from the retro engines that (still) support it using the web UI? This was previously accessed using the 'clock' buttons + and - .

I thought there was some talk about re-adding the clock button interface somewhere on the web UI?

Or have we totally abandoned the retro info display? I know Dirk and I talked about it as it was troublesome maintaining.

Randy

[RandyR]

Nice to see that attaching the DGT3000 clock to the DGT board using the clock cable still allows that clock button interface and display when using the web UI in a stand-alone Pi setup.

Forgot to add this link in the previous post:

https://groups.google.com/g/picochess/c/pRurb2vkGDk/m/L6rRwH4oBgAJ

[Johan Sjöblom]

Hello Randy, some quick design thoughts on the clock menu from my side in the latest version and related to the modernized web client menu.

I have followed the design principle that anything that you can do with the new modernized menu can also be done using the DGT clock menu. Its not always applicable, there is no explore button on the clock menu for instance, but its not on the modernized menu either, its just on the web client analysis tab. When I have added menu items I have added them to both menus. The exception was the recently added test with "turbo buttons" for the tutor usage, they are a little bit experimental.

In fact its the other way around: The modernized web menu is not yet up to date with the clock menu. And that means that they are not yet fully synchronized if you use a DGT clock and a web client at the same time, or if you use several web clients etc. That is why I still need to fix the new modernized menu with this issue: https://github.com/JohanSjoblom/picochess/issues/424. After that you can use the clock menu and the modernized menu at the same time from different clients and they should stay in sync. It also solves the problem that if you change picochess.ini settings in the modernized web client you still need to reboot before the settings are applied. This is mainly because the logic of picochess uses the clock menu state as the master of what settings are to be used and the modernized web menu does not yet update the DGT clock menu state with all values. Not for long now until I can fix the 424 and then they should be equal, except that I need to add a translation mechanism also for the modernized web menu now that it starts to stabilize, thats the issue 436 https://github.com/JohanSjoblom/picochess/issues/436 When these 2 issues are fixed I consider the first version of the modernized menu to be complete. Fortunately these changes do not impact the great manual writing work that Andrea is doing.

And the web client "modernized quick buttons" on the top of the clock should work exactly as the minus, play/pause, plus buttons. I have been thinking about adding a ">>" button that would then also display the "<<" as long as you are inside the clock menu. Then you could use the clock menu if you want. What I am saying is that basically those quick buttons should work exactly as the DGT clock buttons, we are just missing the ">>" so that we cannot enter the menu from there.

To test, or experience the clock menu in the web client, have a look at the new feature I made in the web client modernized menu: Display -> show clock. Then the entire web client display changes into a DGT clock-like experience with the full clock menu. All that is missing is a background picture of a DGT 3000 clock. Test that view for a real retro experience :-)  It can also be used to test if the clock menu still works for a given issue. Clicking on that clock should be exactly similar to clicking on the physical buttons on a connected 3000 or a DGT pi 3000. I don't have a 3000 clock myself yet, just a 2010, so I need to trade up and fix a cable so that I can verify it myself. The design intention is clear. The old DGT clock menus are kept intact and if I add something to the modernized menu, I also add it to the DGT clock menu.

--  Johan

[Randy Reade]

Thanks, Johan. I didn’t realize there was already a pseudo clock display. I’ll check it out today.

If you have a DGTPi you already have a DGT3000. Just leave the power unplugged and turn the clock ON using the bottom button. Select mode 25 and the clock will be used. Plug it into a DGT board using the clock cable and the port on the side of the clock. It might take a few seconds to come alive if PicoChess is already running. You’ll only get 8 characters in this setup.

Randy

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[Johan Sjöblom]

O thanks. I did not know this, so I CAN indeed test this also in hardware.

I am guessing that that also means that if I leave the Pi3 without power as you say, just turn the clock ON using the bottom button, I could connect an external Pi 4 from the bus to the DGT Pi Jack just like to a DGT 3000.

-- Johan

[Randy Reade]

I think so but I don't have any experience with either clock mod. Maybe someone else can advise you on that. I think if you use the clock jack mod you're limited to 8 characters. There's some old posts on here somewhere that might help if you can find them.

Randy

[Randy Reade]

It will be 11 characters from what I can find so that's probably the easiest route. Otherwise you'd be replacing the Pi3b with a Pi4b and would want a 3D printed base replacement.

Randy