8. The menubar

8.1 File menu

The File menu contains general options for dealing with a game of GIPF.

New game

This is the option to use when you want to start a new game. It opens a window allowing you to enter all the settings necessary for a game of GIPF:

• Game type: Here you choose the type of game you want to play. These options correspond to the 3 game-types explained in the official GIPF-rules.
• Timed game: Turn this option on if you want to res option on if you want to restrict the time each player has for playing a complete game.
• Player (white and black): For each colour you can choose what kind of player will use it. Choose human for one colour and computer for the other if you want to play against the computer, but both sides human or both sides computer are also valid settings.
• Player name (white and black): The names entered here will be shown on each side of the game-board.
• Player time (white and black): If you turned on the "Timed game"-option then you can change the number of minutes allowed for each player.

Load game

Load a game that you saved earlier. If you saved during a game then you can resume the game from where you stopped.

Save game

Save a game in progress. This allows you to return to the game later. A window will open where you can enter a filename.

Save log

If you just finished a memorable game then you can use this option to save all youron to save all your moves to a file. In case you want to see later how you won (or lost) that game.

Setup

Change game settings:

• Computer strength: From 1 to 8, level one is for absolute beginners, from level 4 on the computer plays quite strong. At settings above 5 the computer can take a long time calculating his move.
• Move animation: If you turn the animation on, every move you make will be shown with moving pieces (This makes it easier to understand what is happening).
• Wait before computer move: To make computer moves easier to understand you can make the program wait before executing each computer move. The program will show what move the computer intends to make and wait the number of seconds you enter here.
• Wait before removing a row/gipf: To make it easier to understand what happens when rows and gipf-pieces are removed from the board, you can set this to something different then 0. The computer will then show what it intends to remove and w to remove and wait a number of seconds.
• Show position names: If you set this option then position-names will be shown on the board when you move over it.

Exit

Stop the program. Make sure you saved the current game if necessary.

8.2 Edit menu

Only the first option from the Edit menu (Edit board) can be used when you are not in the edit mode of the program. 'Save board' and 'Make drawing' can also be used when you are playing a game. But the others are only available when you are editing the game-board.

Edit board

Start editing the game-board. (See above for how this works)

Start game

Start a game from the board-situation you were editing. A window opens allowing you to start a game.

Computer move

Have the computer calculate one move from the current board-position. You can choose if it is white or black who has to play and the strength of the computer (higher ithe computer (higher is better).

Clear board

Empty the board, put it in the same situation like the start of a tournament-game.

Restore board

Restore the board to the situation before your started editing the board. Also exit edit-mode and return to play-mode.

Load board

Load a board-position from a file.

Save board

Save the current board-position to a file.

Make drawing

Make a png-file of the current board-situation. You can specify a file-name, the size of the resulting picture and an accompanying text.

8.3 UNDO

When you use UNDO, the game will be returned to the situation before you made your last move. This allows you to try again if you made a stupid mistake.

This option from the menubar is only usable under certain conditions:

• During a game
• When you are not playing a timed game. (this would be too much like cheating)

REMARK: You can >REMARK: You can only do UNDO once at a certain moment in the game. It is not possible to press UNDO several times to go back more than 1 move.

8.4 Help menu

This menu contains only 2 options.

The HELP-option opens a window containing the complete GF1-manual. At the top you get a list of all the different chapters in the manual. When you click on one of the lines, the helptext will immediatly jump to the correct chapter. The help-window can be left open while playing.

The ABOUT-option just opens a window showing the version of GF1 you are using and the author. Press enter or click on the window to remove it. (This is the same window you see when GF1 starts up. At startup, the window goes away automatically after 5 seconds.)