Beta Test Macintosh

Last update: Sunday 12-12-2021

Currently we are testing build 149 for Macintosh.

Changes and additions in this beta version:

Apple notarization has been fixed so that it will ask permission to use the microphone.

Stockfish 14 is the default chess engine.

You can add static diagram marks (highlighting squares and drawing arrows) to each position by right clicking on the diagram. The marks are saved automatically. Deleting marks can be done by marking the diagram in the same way again. Delete all static diagram marks by using the Edit menu.

The engine can optionally draw a grey arrow showing its current best move. This can be disabled using the Arrows checkbox in the engine area.

The Multimedia menu adds the ability to record your voice while treating the diagram as a demo board, moving pieces, marking squares, drawing arrows, and emphasizing anything by moving the mouse. The mouse cursor movement will play back as a large red translucent arrow for easier viewing. The multimedia will play back on any diagram even if you have changed the size of the board, the pieces, or changed whether White or Black is at the bottom.

This version uses the default folder Chess Openings Wizard for its documents. (Older versions used the folder Chess Openings Wizard 2016.) This change was made because the ebooks are in a newer data format that allows for the multimedia recordings.

Here is the download link for the Macintosh DMG (disk image).

downloadbutton

After downloading the .dmg file, double click on it. When it opens with a picture of the Applications folder, drag the application icon (red bishop) down over the Applications folder.

Run the app by selecting it from the Applications folder. It will be called Chess Openings Wizard Build 149.

If you already have a registered copy of Chess Openings Wizard Professional then the app will automatically find your existing product key.

  • Please test adding diagram marks (highlighted squares and arrows).
  • Please test Stockfish 14.
  • Please test recording your voice while marking the diagram by moving pieces, drawing arrows.
  • Email me to let me know how everything went. Thanks! mike@bookupmembers.com

This version will require that your Mac is running one of the following operating systems:

  • OS X 10.15.x Catalina
  • OS X 11.x. Big Sur
  • OX X 12.x Monterey

Build 55 changes:

  • You can now click on the ‘to’ square first when making a move by clicking squares (instead of dragging).
  • The ECO code and opening description appear at the top of every ebook window as you navigate variations. This can be turned off in the program settings to allow manual opening code editing as in the past.
  • The Commands menu has Add Moves That Transpose that works just as in the legacy version.
  • The Commands menu has Add Pedigree Moves that will add any moves that reach a position in the Pedigree database. I will be making a video on this.

Build 54 changes:

  • At startup, an ICC integration wizard will run. It works with ICC for Macintosh to set up “watched PGN” entries for all the ICC log files. This wizard will not come up if it does not see ICC log files.
  • As startup, the program will offer to install the sample data.

Build 53 changes:

Training Wizard functions are complete.

  • Transposition ‘T‘ is now in red.
  • Keying in moves now works.
  • The watch PGN edit dialog had “Save As” dialogs. It now has proper “Open” dialogs.  (Hud D.)
  • Clipboard contents are no longer erased when the program started.
  • Changes to the past moves font size take place immediately.
  • Entering moves can now be done by clicking in the ‘from’ square and ‘to’ square.

Build 51 changes:

  • Indicate checks and indicate captures is now working properly. (reported by Jacques P.)
  • Switching chess engines no longer causes the program to freeze.
  • The engine now displays the second best move/line if there is one.

Build 50 changes:

The Watch PGN Files functions have been added. They are described in this YouTube video.

  • The file name area was widened in the dialog before importing PGN.
  • Arrow key navigation has been added. When the candidate list has the focus (after clicking on it) the right arrow key plays the highlighted move, the left arrow key takes back moves and the up and down arrow keys select candidate moves.
  • Renaming and deleting ebooks are now functional.

Build 46 changes:

Game window is complete. Games stored in PGN format can now be viewed and animated.

  • The startup process is logged in ChessOpeningsWizardStartupLog.TXT in the Documents folder to help pin down an ERangeError 0085BE30
  • Leaving the search game dialog with all blanks used to get no games. Now it correctly brings in all games in White player order.
  • Improvements restoring the ebook window layout
  • 1.d4 g5?? 2.Nf3 each show results from the Pedigree tree even though no games start with 1.d4 g5.
  • The search games, move order tree doesn’t show …g5 as a candidate. Fixed.
  • Copying and pasting FEN notation works.
  • The display of candidate moves has been redesigned in an effort to fix problems with clicking on candidate moves being ignored.
  • Crashing on exit with the engine on is fixed.
  • Double clicking on the list of open ebook windows  in the main window will switch to the window.
  • Engine logging is now an option in the program settings.
  • Ebook windows can be restored to their default settings.

Build 42 changes:

  • Chess engine will not stop analyzing after moving forward and backward too quickly (notably Stockfish).
  • The sample ebooks have a better layout. New ebooks are made with the better layout.
  • The Pedigree database is automatically used to display grandmaster game results for the opening moves.

Build 40 changes:

  • Chess engines are more stable.

Build 38 changes:

  • Chess engines
  • Setup position (endgame studies, tactics puzzles)

Build 35 changes:

  • Sample ebooks – install them by File | Install Sample Ebooks…
  • Rename ebook
  • Copy ebook (It’s finally extremely easy to make a backup copy of your ebook.)
  • Import Ebook (bring the contents of one ebook into another)
  • Rename position
  • New way of checking product keys

Suggestions:

Add move guessing to the diagram (clicking on ‘to’ square) as in ChessBase. (Jacques P.)

ADDED: Have the program allow clicking on the ‘to’ square first. (Jacques P.)

Have the Enter key handle OK buttons. (Jacques P.)

Add a way to play a game against the engine from any position. (Jeremy)

Known issues:

“Access violation at address 00018B60, accessing address FFFAC7E0″ when running the engine. This is an intermittent problem.

Jumping to a board name should highlight the current board’s name. (Jacques P.)

The ICC Wizard has a type that refers to the “ICC Windows” version. (Charles D.)

The candidate area can lose focus and won’t react to arrow key navigation when this happens. (Jacques P.)

Window menu is not populated. (Harish S.)

FIXED: The diagram needs a setting to move pieces instantly without animation. (Harish S., Jeremy)

FIXED: Changing chess engines requires the program to be restarted.

FIXED: Stockfish would stop analyzing if you clicked forward and backward too quickly through the moves.

FIXED: Program would intermittently crash when exiting the program due to chess engine controller.

FIXED: Pedigree database would incorrectly display game results carried forward from earlier positions.

Geoffrey B. reports that only the top candidate can be played by clicking it.

Colin P. also reports that candidates are not played when clicking on them.

Hud D. reports blank assessments after importing PGN that should have assessments for each game.

Stan R. reports that the splitter bar below the past moves pane also moves the top splitter bar. I’m still trying to figure out how to get it to behave as expected.

FIXED: Stan R. reports the bug where changes to a position (such as deleting a candidate move) are not saved if the very next thing you do is close the ebook.

FIXED: Importing PGN files with FEN notation starting with Black to move causes an error. (Gregg S.  provided the sample gms.PGN file.)

Before downloading the new version, please take the time to drag and drop your previous test version to the Trash. Here’s how to do that.

  • Open a Finder window.
  • Click on the Applications folder.
  • Right click on the old test version (say, ChessOpeningsWizardBETABuild54) and choose Move to Trash. (Or you can just drag that application to the Trash.)

After downloading the .dmg file, double click on it. When it opens with a picture of the Applications folder, drag the application icon (red bishop) down over the Applications folder.

Run the app by selecting it from the Applications folder. It will be called ChessOpeningsWizardBETABuild55

The first time the app is run, it will ask for your product key. Your product key came  in a separate email from Bookup.

Please test the installation of the sample ebooks.

Test making a copy of an ebook.

Test setting up a position and naming it.

Did everything work okay? Email me to let me know. Thanks! mike@bookupmembers.com

Old entries are below this line.

2015 December 12 Build 32

This version does something that the currently released program (on Windows) cannot do. When it pastes PGN, it takes you right to the position that is a novelty for the last game you pasted. Please test this by copying and pasting a PGN game into an ebook that already has some of the opening moves of the game you are pasting.

2015 March 5 (old entry)

The purpose of this test is to see if the code signing is working. You should be able to download and install the app without changing the Gatekeeper settings on your Macintosh.

Select the Apple menu, System Preferences… and the General tab. The setting for “Allow apps downloaded from:” should be set to Mac App Store and identified developers.

Whether you are able to install and run the app or not, please let me know as soon as you can how it went on your Macintosh. mike@bookupmembers.com

If the app runs on your Macintosh…

* Please choose Help | Show Debug Information. Then copy and paste the contents of those four strings  in an email to me.

* Try creating a new ebook and mousing in some moves. Leave the ebook window open and then quit the app and start the app again. Does the ebook open back up automatically?

You can  put in moves and comments.