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HowToUseMasks

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Masks for Trees

Basics

The Tree window displays information on all the moves made from the current position in games in the database. See also The Tree window for more details.

To add additional informations beyond pure statistical data a Mask can be defined. One can imagine a Mask as a transparet layer above the current tree, that holds additional data e.g. commentaries for moves or positions, own evaluations and ones own opening repertoir. Masks are stored in a Mask file (.stm) and thus are independent of the databases to be used with. That is, one can define a Mask once and use it with various databases by just loading it from the Tree windows menu.

As soon as a Mask file is opened, the displays of the Tree window change. First of all, all moves from the current position that are present in the mask are highlighted. Additionally, NAGs and markers may show up in front of a move or commentaries concerning the move will show up at the end of its line. Finally, the current postition may also hold a comment.

Note: The indepencence of Masks from a database make them a very powerfull tool to handle opening repertoirs. Contrary to the traditional way of opening lines, Masks have the advantage to handle transpositions transparently, simply cause they are based on the current positions instead of a line leading to it.

Using a Masks

As Masks operate on the tree view of a given database, first of all the tree view has to be opened either by [Window / Tree window] or the shortcut ctrl-t. For starting out it makes sense to open a larger reference database as this simplifies the addition of moves to a Mask. However, Masks work with every database, even the Clipbase, that is one could also import a collection of games from a PGN file to the Clipbase to set up a Mask.

Now, a mask file has to be created or loaded. These files use the extension .stm. To create a new mask file select [Mask / New] from the Tree windows menu. Similarly, an existing mask can be opened using [Mask / Open]. Finally, [Mask / Open recent] is a shortcut to the recently used Mask files.

Once a Mask file is opened new commentary can be added to this specific mask. Note again, that the Mask is independent of database used for its creation. It can later applied to any database of ones liking. For an opening repertoir it might thus make sense to generate two masks, one for the White and one for the Black openings.

To add markers or comments to moves, first add the move to the mask by choosing Add to mask from the context menu available by clicking on the line with the right mouse button. After a line was added, it is highlighted in blue within the tree window. Similarly, a move can be removed from the mask by [Remove from mask] from the context menu.

Note: If the move to be added is not displayed in the tree window Scid offers a list of all possible moves by means of the context menu. As this might be quite a bunch of moves, they are split into several context menu items at the end of the available choices. All are labled by [Add this move to mask] and in case necessary numbered. Just select a move from one of those lists if it does not show up in the tree anyway.
After a move was added to the Mask and one can select the following markers from the context menu. These markers will show up left to the move annotated:
NAG symbols are the simplest annotation symbol. The menu displays only those nags sensible for a move (not a position) which results in the following symbols possible !!, !, !?, ?!, ?, ??, ~
By selecting [Marker 1] and [Marker 2] up to two additional graphical markers can be attached to a move. They are mainly meant to handle opening repertoirs. The available options are:
Include line in repertoire
Exclude line from repertoire
Main Line
Bookmark
White
Black
New line
To be verified by further analysis
To train
Dubious line
To remove
To remove a marker just select the item [No marker].
Color Allows to add a little colored square in front of the move for ones own highlighting. To remove it again select [White]
Comment move allows to add a textual comment for the line. This comment is shown right to the line it is associated. Note that only a part of the first line shows up there to give some visual feedback that commentary exists. The whole comment shows up in a tooltip once the mouse is moved over the line in question.
Comment position can be used to add a comment for the current position. This comment is shown on top of Tree window once the commented position is reached. Note that Scid displays only the first line of the comment to save space in the Tree window. However, if the mouse is moved over that line the whole commentary shows up in a tooltip.
Don't forget to save the Mask! You will be prompted to do it if you close a Mask that has been modified or if a Tree window is closed.

To search for commentary, symbols etc. use [Masks / Search]. Here one can select various check boxes that use the selected search option as criterion. After selecting Search a list of all positions found is displayed in FEN notation followed by the move in question and the commentary if any.

[Display mask] will display the current Mask in a line style. Stating at the current position all subsequent moves are sorted into some unfoldable tree to give an overview of the current lines of play similar to what is found in many repertoir books. Note that not all information are displayed (e.g. comments are shorted to fit the display). Additionally, as Masks work on positions rather than move sequences they may contain loops (ie. transpositions) which can not be unfolded in a line wise display perfectly. That is, this display may be cut at a certain point.

Conversion to Masks

Setting up a mask can be a tendious taks especially for complex opening repertoirs. However, if such a repertoir is available as a Scid database or a number of PGN games, or lines stored in usual chess games, Scid can use that information to set up suitable Masks automatically.

First of all one has to load the information into a Scid database. In case the information is already available as a Scid database this is as easy as opening it. In case a PGN file is use it should be either imported into a Scid database or one can use the Clipbase to import it temporarily. In that case one should make sure that the Clipbase is empty before importing. ([Edit / Empty Clipbase]).

The next step is to open the tree for the just opened Scid database. Then a new Mask should be created or an existing one opened. Note that this function may be used to consolidate serveral bases into a single Mask.

Now, the Mask can be filled automatically with the game content of the database. In this process, comments within the games will be converted to move comments (appending to those existing eventually) in the Mask. NAG symbols will be added as well. To initiate this process one can chose either [Masks / Fill with game] to fill the Mask with the contents of a single game, or [Fill with Database] to loop over all games in the database.

Note: especially filling a Mask with an entire base can be quite time consuming.

Note: The mask is filled with all moves till the end of the game including all variations within a game. Therefore, it is sensible to use only bases for this procedure that end the games as soon as the middle game is reached.


Related

Wiki: TheTreeWindow

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