Hi, this is a page dedicated to Fixation, a Macintosh client for FICS (the Free Internet Chess Servers) and ICC (the Internet Chess Club). Fixation is absolutely free. Information about obtaining the source code is below.
For more information on the chess servers check out their web site and also a list of commands and what they do.
Like any good Macintosh program, Fixation is mostly self-explanatory. A short guide to using the program follows.multiple game windows with pretty color graphics
After loading Fixation, select "Open Connection" from the File menu. You will be presented with a dialog asking for your name, password, etc. Type in the relevant information and hit return, and you will be connected to the server. If you don't want to type your password, you can leave the field blank and the server will prompt you. This way, the password doesn't get saved and is a little more secure. This option is only really for the paranoid and those with psychotic roommates.
Also present in the open dialog is a shortcut feature. Using this is not necessary to the operation of Fixation, and in fact probably not useful to those only connecting to one Chess server. A list on the right of the dialog keeps track of a number of different connection settings, which you can modify to your needs. For example, you might keep a shortcut for FICS and another for ICC. Instead of having to type in a password and an address each time you want to switch servers, you can simply double click on a shortcut. To add a new shortcut, type in a name for it in the box at the bottom named "shortcut". To remove a shortcut, select it from the list and hit the remove button.
In navigating the text window, feel free to use the Home, End, Page Up and Page Down keys. Additionally, Help and forward delete, the keys right next door, move the text window up and down one line at a time, useful for reading finger info etc. while a game window is up.
Fixation keeps a command history, accessable through the up and down arrows, just like a good UNIX shell.
Flip: Flips the current window's board. This does not change the flip variable kept by the server.
Smart windows: Probably the most confusing option. I recommend leaving it on. If you experience the problem of typing "observe roman", then FICS or whatever saying "You are now observing game 3.", but no window appears, try turning this option off. That shouldn't happen, though. Smart windows tells the server to stop observing a game when you close a window locally, and vice versa.
Smart Text: The server sends a prompt after every move. This can quickly clutter up your text window. Selecting this option (the default) tell Fixation to try to eliminate extra prompts.
Colored Text: Various events are put in color. Tells are red, messages green, says purple, and challenges blue.
Colored Channels: Puts channel tells in dirty yellow. There is a problem with admins telling to channels that will be fixed eventually. (In Fixation, everything gets fixed.)
Admin Colors: Hilights tells to channels 0 and 1. Don't use this option.
Slow + Smooth Text: When selected, Fixation scrolls the text window after every line. This slows things down when printing out big blocks, like who's and fingers.
Minimalist turn marker: When selected, the player who's turn it is will only be indicated by a red circle, instead of a circle + lines. Friarstyle.
Give Background Time When Dragging: If this is selected, piece dragging may be noticeable less smooth. Leave this option unselected unless you know what you're doing. If selected, Fixation will give processing time to other applications running in the background. You shouldn't need this, but it might be useful for running a bughouse simul or something.
Sound For Tells: When you're not playing, a dumb little sound will be heard whenever someone tells you something.
Ask before quitting: Double checks all quits. Note: Fixations will always ask if you really want to quit if you're in the middle of a game, whether this option is selected or not.
Flash when time running low: Flashes a red box when time gets below 10 seconds for either player. Past negative 10, no more flashing.
Show promotion options: Pops up a little window so you can choose what you want to promote to. You can hit the relative key or click on the right piece. Space bar for queenie.
Please note that the graphics are not in the public domain for use outside of Fixation. The first two sets are copyright Wim van Beusekom, from whom I have received permission for their use. The third set is copyright Apple, from whom I have received no permission ;-j However, I'm not the first to use them, and I'm reasonably confidant that it's no big deal. If they are concerned, they can tell me to discontinue use, I guess.
Anyway, please report any bugs you find, and here's the source for Fixation. If you do some work on it, please let me know. Same if something is poorly documented.
By the way -- I'll give two free copies of Fixation to anyone that figures out where the default names come from. In two years plus of distribution, nobody has yet solved this puppy . . .
Most people are nicer ;-j
 miller@minerva.cis.yale.edu |
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