Diagrams - czbar/ChessForge GitHub Wiki
Inserting Diagrams
You can insert a diagram at any place in the Study, Game, or Exercise view as a visual aid to illustrate a position or highlight a key idea. To do this, go to the relevant view (dark blue below), place the cursor where you want the diagram inserted, and use the right-click context menu run one of the Insert Diagram ... functions (dark green below). In our example, we go to the Games view (dark blue below), open Game 2 of Chapter 2 (light blue below), select the move 9.h3 (red below), and from the context menu choose Insert Diagram After Move (light green below):
System inserts the diagram (green below) directly after the designated move (red below)
In most cases you want to insert a diagram after the move, however when there are multiple variations at a specific move, inserting a diagram immediately after could be misleading. In such case use Insert Diagram Before Move instead.
For example, after 1.e4 we have two variations: 1...c5 2.Nf3 and 1...d5 2.exd5. If a diagram is inserted after 1...c5, the move 1...d5 would be shown next, which can be misleading, since it cannot be played in that diagram position (1...c5 has already been made). Inserting the diagram before the move 1...d5 solves the problem, as it shows the position after 1.e4, and the following move 1...d5, can be played in that diagram position.
Flipping Diagrams
If you want to change the orientation of the inserted diagram, use Flip Diagram function from the right-click context menu. In our example, the inserted diagram is White-oriented (yellow below). To change this, select Flip Diagram from the context menu (green below):
System change the diagram to Black oriented (yellow below):
Swapping Diagrams and Comments
If a diagram is inserted for a move with a comment, you can choose whether the comment appears before or after the diagram. Use the Swap Diagram and Comment option from the right-click context menu. In our example, the diagram is inserted directly after the 9.h3?? (blue below). From the context menu (red below) we select Swap Diagram and Comment (green below):
The system moves the comment from below the diagram (blue arrow below) to appear before the diagram (blue below):
Deleting Diagrams
To remove a diagram, open the right-click context menu (red below) and select Remove Diagram (green below):
Saving Diagrams as Pictures
Diagrams created in Study, Games, or Exercise views can be saved as PNG image files for use outside of Chess Forge. You can do this using one of the following functions:
Save Diagram as Picture
This function is used to save one diagram at a time. To use it, right click on any diagram (red below) and select Save Diagram as Picture (green below):
The Save Diagram as Picture dialog box will open, allowing you to select the directory where the picture will be saved (blue below) and specify the file name (green below).
Note that the File Name will be used by Chess Forge as the base for naming pictures in the future. For example, if we name our file Diagram.png (green above), the next time the function is run, the system will suggest a name using the same base with _1 added (green below). This number will increment with each subsequent use. The user can overwrite the suggested name at any time.
Use the Save button (red above) to open a dialog where you can specify the parameters for the diagram being saved as a picture:
- Diagram size - determines how large the diagram will be (green below)
- Chessboard colours - choose from 6 preset combinations (blue below)
- Border width - sets the width of the black border surrounding the diagram (orange below)
- Don't ask again in this session (yellow below) - if you plan to export multiple diagrams with the same settings, enable this option to prevent Chess Forge from prompting for configuration options until the program is restarted.
Power Tip: To clear the Don't ask again in this session setting without restarting the program, hold the SHIFT key while selecting the Save Diagram as Picture menu item.
The diagram has been saved in the selected directory (green below):
Save Diagrams as Pictures
This function is used to save multiple diagrams at a time. To use it, select Save Diagrams as Pictures from the Chapter menu (red below):
The dialog box opens, allowing you to select:
- Scope - determines whether diagrams from the current view, chapter, or the entire workbook will be saved as pictures (green below)
- Items Type - determines whether diagrams from Intro, Study, Games, or Exercises will be saved as pictures (blue below):
Continue to open Save Diagrams as Picture dialog box, allowing you to select the directory where the picture will be saved (blue below) and specify the file name (green below).
Note that the name you specify will be used as the base for naming subsequent pictures. For example, if you name your file Diagram_1.png (green above), the remaining pictures will be saved as Diagram_2.png, Diagram_3.png, etc.
Use the Save button (purple above) to open a dialog where you can specify the parameters for the diagrams being saved as a pictures:
- Diagram size - determines how large the diagrams will be (green below)
- Chessboard colours - choose from 6 preset combinations (blue below)
- Border width - sets the width of the black border surrounding the diagrams (orange below)
- Don't ask again in this session (yellow below) - if you plan to export multiple diagrams with the same settings, enable this option to prevent Chess Forge from prompting for configuration options until the program is restarted.
Power Tip: To clear the Don't ask again in this session setting without restarting the program, hold the SHIFT key while selecting the Save Diagram as Picture menu item.
The diagrams have been saved in the selected directory (green below)