SCID vs PC

The thing I dislike about SCID vs PC is that it uses multiple windows, instead of the docked model of SCID (which isn't always best, mind you).  

I like Chessdb better than SCID.  I've just DL'd Scid vs PC I'm interested to see how it compares. I'm hoping it's a little less buggy than both Chessdb and SCID. 

I dislike the multple windows on "SCID vs Mac" as well. And even with multiple windows you are still stuck with the small board size. I guess most PC users are used to small montors but on my Mac the maximum board size is way too small. When I use a chess program I want the board to completely fill the left part of the screen except for menus and maybe status, and prefer all the other views on the right side. ChessX with it's resizable, dockable views ( recent builds at  www.box.com/chessX ) does that perfectly.

Hi Ed. It seems I couldn't crack the secret to some of these advanced changes. Would it be possible for you to briefly describe how you went about changing the board themes in the scid.gui file, and also how you were able to change to custom square bitmaps and custom fonts? Thanks. 

Sure.  I'd be happy to.

Themes:  In the bin folder you will find a text file called scid.gui.  Open this file with your favorite text editor (TextPad is my choice) and do a seach for "ColorSchemes".  When you do you will see the following:

# { name(unused), lite, dark, highcolor, bestcolor, bgcolor, highlightLastMoveColor }

set colorSchemes1 {
  { Blue-white    #f3f3f3 #7389b6 #f3f484 #b8cbf8 steelblue4}
  { Blue-ish    #d0e0d0 #80a0a0 #b0d0e0 #f0f0a0 grey}
  { M.Thomas    #d3d9a8 #51a068 #e0d873 #86a000 grey20}
  { GreenYellow    #e0d070 #70a070 #b0d0e0 #bebebe #29764e}
  { Brown    #d0c0a0 #a08050 #b0d0e0 #bebebe tan4}
}
set colorSchemes2 {
  { Tan        #fbdbc4 #cc9c83 #b0d0e0 #bebebe rosybrown4}
  { Grey    #dfdfdf #808080 #b0d0e0 #bebebe black }
  { Rosy    #f8dbcc rosybrown #b0d0e0 #bebebe rosybrown4}
  { SteelBlue    lightsteelblue steelblue #51a068 #e0d873 #002958}
  { Red        rosybrown1 indianred3 #ffa07a lightsalmon #780000}
}

You can edit each those five hex values, in each line, and the color of the board square will change.  Initally, try editing just one value, saving the file, and then re-loading the program to make to see the difference and to make sure this procedure is working.

You will, of course, need a utility or a program to determine what that hex value is, based upon the exact color you want.  There's probably a site online that can do this.  (I used Paint Shop Pro.)  Alas, I don't have my edited values in front of me, since I'm at work.  Last night I made three  boards with different shades of green, three boards with different shades of brown, three boards with different shades of blue, and one gray board.  I named them Green1, Green2, Brown1, etc.

(Note that there is no highlightLastMoveColor value to edit.)

Also, you might want to make a backup copy of this scid.gui file, before you edit it, just in case you really screw up or something.

Bitmaps:  I will have to get back to you on this.  I did this awhile ago, prior to 4.8 coming out.  I recall creating a new bitmaps folder, and putting fou new bitmaps in there, for the board squares.  Once they are in there, they appear on the bottom of the Chessboard/Pieces option window, instead of the default four choices.  (EDIT:  Or maybe I stuck them in one of the existing folders.  Don't remember... will reply later.)

Custom Font:  The other day Steven e-mailed me a new font.  The data for the fonts are also located the scid.gui file.  All I had to do was edit this scid.gui file and replace ond of the old fonts with this new font.  (The new font I now have is the TTUSCF font that I like and enjoy using now and then.)

I can put this text that needs to be copy and pasted in the file on my own website somewhere, and provide the link, to make it available for others.  (Again, that will have to be done this evening, once I get home.)

EscherehcsE,

From the help files...  Custom Textures (for the squares of the boards):

Up to ten custom board textures can be loaded. These must be placed in the directory Scid vs PC/bin/textures (windows) or $HOME/.scidvspc/textures, and be of the form wood_l.gif / wood_d.gif or steel_l.png / steel_d.png , for example.

If the custom textures were loaded properly,the Startup status will reflect that.  For example, right now I have just four custom textures, called wood-01_d.gif, wood-01_l.gif, wood-02_d.gif, etc.  The Startup window says this:

User Textures: processing C:\Program Files (x86)\Scid vs PC-4.8\bin\textures
   Adding texture wood-01
   Adding texture wood-02
   Adding texture wood-03
   Adding texture wood-04

They are your typical GIF file, that can be created with any graphics editor.  It appears they can be about any size.  For example, my wood-04_l and wood-04_d GIF files are 1,318 by 1,318 pixels in size.  But my wood-02 GIF files are each only 182 by 200 pixels in size.  I think they just need to be larger than than your largest board square size.

@MrEdCollins... any chance you'd cut and paste your scid.gui into a post on this forum -- then those of us who like your settings (I do!) could just cut and paste your scid.gui ( after of course making sure to save a copy of our original scid.gui)? 

Or is the scid.gui really huge? Maybe it's too big for the cutnpaste thing?

EscherehcsE,

1) Download this font from my website:

http://www.edcollins.com/uscf-chess-font.txt

2) Make a backup copy of your scid.gui file (located in your binary (bin) folder, just in case.

3) Open your scid.gui file, with any text editor.

4) REPLACE any of the fonts inside that file with the font you download from my site.  (EDIT:  It seems you don't have to REPLACE.  You can just ADD the new one.  Seem the discussion below.)

For example, assume you don't like that last chess font, called Spatial.  Do a search on Spatial in the scid.gui file.  Your editor should take you to line 59677.  This is where this data for this font starts.  That first section you see is the font data for size 25.  The next section is for size 30.  This will go on and on, through size 80, and to about line 68854.  Delete all of this and replace all of with this the uscf font data from my site.  Just copy and paste it into the gui file. Be sure to note the { and } and maintain the format/integrity of the file.

5) Save the file and then reload the program and then enjoy the new font.

(I hope those instructions are clear.)

JG27Pyth,

The scid.gui file is HUGE.  Way too large to post here.  173,000 lines!  And other than the new custom font I have (USCF instead of that funky Spatial font) and my new board schemes, everything else is the same.

These are my new colorSchemes, that I changed yesterday.  I still have some tweaking to do, and I like some of them more than others, but I prefer these colors over the default values.  Maybe you will too.  

set colorSchemes1 {
  { Brown1    #F0D9B5 #B58863 #FCFE7A #B86868 #000000}
  { Brown2    #EAC892 #AA7C56 #FCFE7A #B86868 #000000}
  { Brown3    #F0C98C #B97E4F #FCFE7A #B86868 #000000}
  { Green1    #EEEED2 #769656 #FCFE7A #B86868 #000000}
  { Green2    #EBEBC7 #89AD65 #FCFE7A #B86868 #000000}
  }
set colorSchemes2 {

  { Green3    #F1F1DD #8EAE6E #FCFE7A #B86868 #000000}
  { Blue1    #EEEEEE #8FA1C7 #FCFE7A #B86868 #000000}
  { Blue2    #E3ECFF #A5B6D7 #FCFE7A #B86868 #000000}
  { Blue3    #f3f3f3 #7389b6 #FCFE7A #B86868 #000000}
  { Grey1    #dfdfdf #808080 #FCFE7A #B86868 #000000}
}

Thanks -- I'm gonna copy the colors and dl the font. From the screen pics you posted it's a serious upgrade to the look. 

Thanks Ed. Of course, the square graphics I'd like to use are bmp, so I'll have to convert them to gif or png, but I guess that's possible. I'll give it a shot. (I was looking in my Scid folders a while ago trying to find bmp's, and not finding any. I was very confused. :) )

 Also, I already have Gimp installed, although I never use it, and it can give hex values for colors. So I can do that if I want to.

You gave me a lot of stuff to play around with. :) 

Yes, crystal clear! I'd already browsed the scid.gui file and noticed all of the font entries, so it makes perfect sense to me. Thanks again!

You don't really have to replace any of the board styles/fonts inside. It's enough to just add a new ones. BTW, thanks for the USCF piece styles, I like them much better.

No problem!

I've been playing around too!  Thanks for giving me the incentive!  The link below are ten different textures I created!  You will be hard pressed to pick a favorite, I think!  Some good wood textures, some good solid color textures, etc.

www.edcollins.com/chess/textures.7z

You will, of course, need to unpack the 20 files from the archive.  (7-zip, is free.)  Add all of these files to your bin/textures folder and enjoy. 

Let me know which one you like the best!

Really??  Sweet!!

I didn't know that.  Steven told me to replace one of them, so I assumed his program had a hard-coded amount of just eleven piece fonts to choose from.  Glad to know you don't have to replace, but you can add! 

Since I didn't care at all for the funky one I got rid of, I don't think I'm going to take the effor to put it back.  I like the simple fonts.  Merida1 and USCF are the only two I see myself using.  MAYBE Merida2 now and then, and MAYBE Alpha now and then.

Right-click and view image at its actual size, if Chess.com re-sizes it.

The position is from one of my EPD test files.  White to play.

r1b1rk2/p1pq2p1/1p1b1p1p/n2P4/2P1NP2/P2B1R2/1BQ3PP/R6K w - - 0 1

The best move, according to the test file, is Nxf6!  It takes Houdini almost a full minute to decide it IS the best move.

How's this for an interesting "texture" I created.  It looks like the diagrams in many (most?) of my chess books!

rnbqkb1r/p3pppp/1p6/2ppP3/3N4/2P5/PPP1QPPP/R1B1KB1R w KQkq - 0 1

In the position below, White's best move is to ignore his attacked knight and play 1.e6!

For those who don't have Paint Shop Pro, or Gimp.  (Or even if you do, maybe this is easier):

http://www.2createawebsite.com/build/hex-colors.html

Yea, docked windows can be cool.  Apparently, "SCID's Docked Mode has too many niggles and is not included."