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matthew_romoser ♡ 229 ( +1 | -1 )
Annoying Problem with ChessBase 9.0 Hello all ....

I realize that this is not technically a "GameKnot" related post, but it seems this forum is the best fit. I've got a problem with ChessBase 9.0 and I'm at about my wits end trying to solve it. I've been dealing with this issue for over a year and ChessBase's "Customer Support" has been a black hole for my email messages.

So .... I'm hoping that other ChessBase 9.0 users here can help me with this one.

My problem is with ChessBase 9.0's "SetUp Position" boards and the boards that show up in "Text" database entries. Instead of using figurines to represent the pieces, the boards use the alphabetic representation in which "UPPER CASE" = white and "lower case" = black. To make matters slightly more annoying, the character for "bishop" is the German "L" instead of the English "B". I cannot for the life of me find where in ChessBase these would be changed. Oddly enough, if I open a Game Window in ChessBase, the game window uses the standard figurines ... but not the setup position and text database entries.

Just FYI .... the solution is not to go to the TOOLS >> OPTIONS >> NOTATION tab and select 'figurines'. That only changes the notation in the Game Window.

ChessBase's online support, as I said, has ignored 4 previous attempts by me to contact them asking how to solve. I've even created a webpage with screen captures from my computer to show them the problem! :) Here is the URL if you care to look:

-> www.mattandbeth.com

Do any of the CBase users out there know how to solve this problem? I cannot find any menu options to change it. I have also tried to find the location of the bitmap containing the alphabetic "chess pieces" with the idea of trying to replace it with one that contains figurines. I cannot even find the bitmap in any ChessBase directory (that I'm aware of). Can anybody shed some light on this? I know from ScreenCaps on ChessBase's website and from friend's who also have ChessBase 9.0 that these windows SHOULD have figurines and not letters.

I would be very, very grateful if you could let me know or provide any insights.

All the best!

Matt R.

matthew_romoser
alberlie ♡ 8 ( +1 | -1 )
do you have gif's in the following directory: <<root>>\<<program-folder>>\chessbase\cbase9\gif ?
matthew_romoser ♡ 18 ( +1 | -1 )
Hi Albrecht ... Yes, I do. And they are figurines. I've seen these before and assumed they were the figurines for the Game Board.

:) Yes, puzzling. I don't know the real purpose of this gifs.

Matt
skipslot ♡ 56 ( +1 | -1 )
I remember having a problem similar to that shortly after I got CB9. My best solution was to use Winboard to create the position in a fen notation and from there CB9 could then pick it up and I could work with it then. In many respects winboard is very elementary and sometimes the best solution, you simply drag and drop the piece off the board and re-arrange the board like you want it. It creates the fen notation automatically so CB can transpose the position. I assume you are just trying to create a set piece position on the board? For example, a position from a midgame or endgame.
alberlie ♡ 104 ( +1 | -1 )
hmmm, really strange...

I deleted those gifs and still I had figurines both in the game windows and the position setup.
I assume you already tried resetting all changes in the options menue?
Apart from that, I can think only of the very clumsy try of reinstallation... And if you were to try that, make sure to deinstall _every_ chessbase stuff you've got first (including earlier versions of CB) - also Fritz (you never know...) and then restart before reinstalling.

And a possible workaround regarding your King's Indian CB-training disk might be to open that database with the chessbase light thinggy you have included in the Fritz shell (press F12 in the normal Fritz-window, then strg+o and browse to the respective directory)

And a very faint last resort try might be to write an email directly to Steve Lopez, that guy who writes that weekly chessbase column on chessbase.com. Include the pics right into the email and send it to him (mailadress at the bottom of his weekly column)
matthew_romoser ♡ 59 ( +1 | -1 )
Albrecht ... Thanks for the suggestions! I do not own Fritz (only the Fritz v. 5.xx that came bundled with ChessBase 9.0), but I do think I have ChessBase Light somewhere. It would be interesting to see if my CDs will open in it. If not, it's a free download! :) That would take care of my problems studying.

However, the stubborn side of my says, "Hey! I paid a good chunk of $$ for ChessBase 9.0 ... it should work dag-gone-it!" So, I might try your suggestion to email Steve Lopez regardless.

Please, keep the ideas coming! Thanks!

Matt
matthew_romoser
mateintwo ♡ 42 ( +1 | -1 )
it is easy you do not have properly installed fonts on your system.
If you read the Readme.txt file you will see

4. Possible problems with chess piece fonts:

In case you notice letters instead of chess pieces on the board,
please try to reinstall the true type fonts which are contained
in the folder "Fonts" on this CD manually. Use the Control Panel -> Fonts
function.

it should work then.

Luca
More: Chess
matthew_romoser ♡ 173 ( +1 | -1 )
Luca (mateintwo) ... Thanks!!! Success!!! :) :) :) :)

I checked my computer's font folder against my CB9 CD's font folder and, sure enough, the fonts had not been installed. Once I copied over the TTF files from the CD ... PRESTO! ... I now have figurines! I would never have guessed those were fonts. My assumptions was that they were from a BMP or GIF file of some kind. No wonder I couldn't find it when I went looking.

Thanks a bunch! Speaking of Readme.txt files, I suppose I should get in the habit of actually reading them! :) I don't think many people bother ... just like many people don't bother reading the licence agreement when installing software. They just scroll to the bottom and click "accept". The licence agreement could say, "By clicking 'ACCEPT' you have agreed to donate your liver to science." and they wouldn't be the wiser until the guys in the bloody, white coats and sharp knives show up at the front door ... just like in Monty Python's "Meaning of Life". Perhaps that's how that poor fellow got on their list ... he didn't read the licencing agreement for Microsft Office!! :)))

Anyway, thanks a bunch! If I'm ever in Varese, I'll buy you a beer (or a glass of wine if you prefer). :)

Cheers,

Matt

P.S. Now, that still begs the question ... why couldn't the "Customer (non) Service" folks at ChessBase kindly written me back and told me that themselves? Shame on them for allowing their "Technical Support" online email be a black hole to their customers. Over the course of a year, I wrote them no fewer than four times. To the folks at ChessBase ... I like your product, but your Tech Support is lousy.
wschmidt ♡ 62 ( +1 | -1 )
Actually, Matt, the fact that the answer was in the Readme text may be the very reason they didn't respond. I'm not saying I agree with the approach, but it it could be one of the ways they keep costs down - only answering questions that aren't already answered in their FAQs and Readme files.
*
I wouldn't be surprised if GK has a similar approach to suc questions. When I first joined up, I sent a question to Mike that I later realized was answered (well, you had to read between the lines) in the FAQ. I never got a response. Any time I've sent a question not addressed in the FAQ, I've received an answer. (I haven't always liked the answer, but I got it.)
misato ♡ 24 ( +1 | -1 )
wschmidt is absolutely right "Please note, if your question is already answered in the FAQ, you will not receive a reply!"

is the note which is shown when you hit the contact-us button on the bottom of most (all?) GK-pages before you get the chance to write your question and send it.
alberlie ♡ 22 ( +1 | -1 )
wschmidt... that was what crossed my mind also, but then again ... It's called "support", isn't it? Most support lines answer even the dumbest questions - precisely because that is what "support" means.
matthew_romoser ♡ 69 ( +1 | -1 )
Well .... I suppose you have a point (regarding comparing the readme.txt to a FAQ), but whenever I have problems with software, I usually don't go looking for the readme.txt file to find an answer. I usually try to find my answers using the "Help" menu. I've never had to find "help" in the readme.txt file before.

In the case of ChessBase, it contained nothing on the problem I was experiencing. So, that is when I turned to tech / customer support. And, yes, I still feel they could have at least returned my email and said, "Hey, dummy! Look in the readme.txt file!" :-) I shouldn't have to turn to forums and bulletin boards for help on software packages ... IMHO.

Again, thanks Luca!

Cheers,

Matt




jambo ♡ 75 ( +1 | -1 )
Also Matt ..... just FYI , there are 2 locations in the CB9 Help file that address the very problem (along with a resolution) you were experiencing. How do I know this .....?? I had the exact same problem as you did and found my answer there. As a result, I ended up installing approx. 6 different sets of chess piece fonts after I realized how easy a fix this was.

Your experience with this must have been horrible to have lived with for a year +. I was going out of my mind after a mere 4 days. But alas ..... you were able to succeed !

You might benefit by browsing that CB9 Help File from time to time. There's tons of info there. Good Luck ...... Good Chess !
nottop ♡ 29 ( +1 | -1 )
good information I enjoyed reading these posts because I have an old version of chessbase and was thinking of upgrading. Not answering queries because they think you already have the information does not seem satisfactory to me. Think I'll keep my old version (which works ok) and spend my money elsewhere.