FIBS Board backgammon forum

Well, it's up, but I stopped being an early adopter of 3dFibs upgrades a long time ago.  Anybody try it yet?

Well...I saw someone on Fibzilla the other day - so it has been tried. Will download and submit my opinion later 

Well....Windows 7 did NOT like that..will keep on, but for the minute it can stay shut down!!

Ok, got it going...I think those who like 3DFibs, will love FibZilla- a lot of the *most* annoying things have been addressed.

I like:
Server/shouts separated
disable autoscroll
sounds always fun  
chat windows are tidier
'shout' / 'command' entry window is better in the middle of the screen
Coloured shouts  
The playerlist is much nicer and more informative



Dislike:
Still cant work out how to get a match into gnu for analysis
toggle double, either ctrl D or from the menu are not working here [can do it manually via command]
I couldnt see where the button, or option to split playerlist into 'ready' players - so that was just a long list and hard to work with
The 'toggle' between playerlist and board is good...but the flicking back when it is my turn, without my consent weas annoying. I was on the bar for a long stint   and thought I would browse who was there, but that was hard work when it came switching back for my futile roll..
The fact that it shuts down when I disconnect...I generally keep javafibs open for weeks, and simply connect and disconnect at will.

Didnt get to play with friends lists and see what that is capable of...but feel that I might be more inclined to have a play with this upversion.

ive always liked the 3dfibs interface and when i saw there was a new version i  tried it today.  i have to say i really like what i saw.  its a nice improvement over previous versions.  im not sure what the  "disable auto scroll" feature does can someone help me out with that?

to diane:  to import your matches to gnu or XG go to options, preferences, fibs and have the box checked to  save the match as jf.mat.

when you to to import the match you may have to look in your "my documents" folder instead of the program files folder for your computer.  then there shouldnt be any problems.

great job 

Thanks - found the match now..it had been saved, I just didnt think to look in the other folder!

The 'disable autoscroll' is for reading back through shouts or server output. If you try without ticking that, it will keep scrolling so you keep ending up back at the bottom, whereas disable will hold it still so you can read at your own pace.

Did the 'toggle double' work for you?

I only played a one Ptr this morning before work.  I'll try a longer match tonight when I get home.  If I remember right in older versions you could click on the cube itself to double.

I think it is unquestionable though FIBzilla 5.0.19 is the latest version. 

Thanks, I'll try it. 

Dianne -- easiest way to analyze in gnubg is this: 

1)  Start the gnubg program
2)  Open the folder ...my documents/3dfibs/jf_mat
3)  Click on the match you want to analyze, and simply drag'n'drop it in the gnubg window.  It should open the match, no problem.  If it doesn't, try re-installing gnubg. 

Quote from: KDP on March 09, 2011, 04:11:09 PM
I only played a one Ptr this morning before work.  I'll try a longer match tonight when I get home.  If I remember right in older versions you could click on the cube itself to double.

This isnt about cubing...it is about toggling off the option to cube...like when you are sat on the bar against a closed board, and may as well go and make a cup of tea or something 

Quote from: Bones on March 09, 2011, 07:21:15 PM
Thanks, I'll try it. 

Dianne -- easiest way to analyze in gnubg is this: 

1)  Start the gnubg program
2)  Open the folder ...my documents/3dfibs/jf_mat
3)  Click on the match you want to analyze, and simply drag'n'drop it in the gnubg window.  It should open the match, no problem.  If it doesn't, try re-installing gnubg. 

Thanks _ KDP had already solved this for me, I was simply looking in the wrong folder...but thanks for the input 

I might add another 'dislike'...Fibzilla hides matches in illogical places 

i wouldnt say its totally illogical.  several other sites i play at also save the matches to a my documents folder.  im sure there is a reason for it although not being a computer guy i couldnt tell you what it is.

Me either - it is probably *more* logical...just different from what I am used to. 

Did you try turning off the cube option yet?

just as i suspected, clicking on the cube itself will allow you to double.  no fuss, no muss.

*Tries very hard to stay calm*

I have no problem cubing...cubing I can do...I can do it by command, I can do it by clicking the cube...I can do it by menu.

What I CANT do, except by command, is STOP the option to cube...ie put on autoroll, for when I KNOW there is absolutely no danger of me wanting to cube in the near future.

Anyone else having this problem?

sorry misunderstood the question.  im  still at a loss as to why you would need outside assistance to stop you from doubling though.

Dont you ever find yourself in an 'I do NOT want to double' situation...like when you are on the bar, maybe two checkers..and the board is closed...and you may as well go and do something else for a moment.....like get coffee???

I like the last version I had of 3dfibs better (4.0.76).  Main gripes with the new one:  no filter for ready players only, other than clicking the heading...and you have to sort by name first then status if you want them in alphabetical order. 

Also (and more important) "toggle silent" doesn't work.  At all.  (it recognizes and says it's on or off, but doesn't make any difference)  Regardless of whether it's toggled or not, shouts are always coming through on the top window, which is annoying as h&ll.  When I went back to the 3dfibs version on my other computer, I noticed the same thing is true for it, but you can toggle the entire window between system command and shouts...so if you're in command mode, you don't see any shouts.  I emailed fibzilla reporting that "toggle silent" doesn't work (but works fine in other clients) and their response is that it it's something with fibs.  I don't see how this can be true when multiple other clients work as they should.  They even went so far as to straight up lie to me and tell me they "turned off shouts for me".  Not sure how they would do that, but I logged in again and shouts were coming through loud and clear. 

I'd like to find the media for the old 4.0.76 version (or newer for something between that version and "fibzilla").  Or some other client that does a good job of showing piece movement...I prefer not to have to read the text and look at the point numbers to figure out where your opponent just moved to and from. 

Quote from: thejtluv on March 16, 2011, 05:36:42 AM
Main gripes with the new one:  no filter for ready players only

With you all the way on that one, very clumsy!

Quote from: thejtluv on March 16, 2011, 05:36:42 AMAlso (and more important) "toggle silent" doesn't work.  At all.  (it recognizes and says it's on or off, but doesn't make any difference)  Regardless of whether it's toggled or not, shouts are always coming through on the top window,
I emailed fibzilla reporting that "toggle silent" doesn't work (but works fine in other clients) and their response is that it it's something with fibs.  I don't see how this can be true when multiple other clients work as they should.  They even went so far as to straight up lie to me and tell me they "turned off shouts for me".  Not sure how they would do that, but I logged in again and shouts were coming through loud and clear. 

This is more complicated - I will try to explain it...but as I only know 'it is so'...it might not be clear.  If you dont understand what I have written - search for 'clip' on here, and lots of other posts made might make it clearer.

Some things I think matter are: fibs was originally accessed by telnet and modern clients do much more. So, when you use the toggle silent command on fibs..it stops a certain sort of feed coming through to you - and I think in telnet, that would effectively stop you seeing the shouts.  In current clients however, it doesnt - and something called 'clip' means the shouts keep coming through. [The same is true of 'gagging a single player', if you use the fibs only gag, you will still see their shouts...but not tells]  So, the clients which effectively 'toggle silent', actually use a client side filter of fibs shouts - so javafibs shuts the shouts up by simply not displaying them, rather than by turning them off.
I am not sure about their attempt to 'turn shouts off for you' though...and even more so, since it didnt work!

PS, I read loads of the articles about CLIP...which I think is short for Client Protocol, and I still dont get it...all I know are the sypmtoms 

You can also read this, if you think it might help...http://www.fibs.com/fibs_interface.html#toc