Some exciting new developments going into this version, but before I list the changes..
- Thanks to help from @Kameone, KaTrain now has a YouTube channel where we have recorded some tutorials and overviews of new features. If you have ideas for videos, or want to collaborate, please let me know!
- A big thank you to the new Github and Liberapay sponsors for their support.
Quick overview of New Features
New Features and Improvements
- New/Improved AI options:
- Handicap AI - Uses KataGo's options to play more aggressively when behind.
- Better calibrated rank with more human-like behaviour (especially in the opening) thanks to @bale-go.
- New analysis options:
- Re-analyze game: allows you to review the entire game again to a certain number of visits, great for generating SGFs with accurate in-depth reviews.
- Continuous analysis: When idle, will improve analysis of the current position, similar to 'pondering' in Lizzie.
- The board now uses textures for the stones/dots and should generally look a lot nicer, thanks to "nimets123" for the graphics.
- Sound effects when stones are placed, thanks to Jordan Seaward for providing the effects.
- The AI options UI has been improved.
- all settings now use a slider with suggested values instead of having to enter a number.
- 'core' settings are highlighted and put at the top. changing these settings will give you an estimate of the AI's rank based on self-play against the calibrated rank AI.
- Note that changing the other, advanced, settings is likely to make these estimates inaccurate.
- An extra panel has been added to the graphs where estimates the rank of both players based on algorithms developed by @bale-go
- This is a statistical estimate and may be quite variable. Still it may be helpful in determining in what part of the game your weaknesses are.
- It is recommended not to leave this panel open all the time, as it is computationally expensive.
- Support for Tygem .gib files
- Minor improvement and bug fixes:
- Player names and ranks shown at the top right when loading SGFs, and saved for KaTrain AIs.
- 'analyzing' status hidden when done.
- Shortcut buttons for komi fixed in new game
- Red colors in the info box are now only used on errors, and the principal variation (PV) is also shown in yellow for better readability.
- Estimated score/Win rate/Point loss statistics now do not take up space when hidden.
- Engine is now quicker to give an error when crashing.
- The top move is now highlighted more clearly with an additional border.
- Double clicking on a move now goes to the move just before that point in the game, as you are usually interested in alternative moves for the selected one.
Installation
- Windows users can simply download and run the KaTrain.exe file attached, or download the .zip file and run the .exe in that (which is slightly faster)
- New and improved Linux/MacOS instructions are here.
Patches
v1.3.1: Minor bug fixes and NGF file support
No need to upgrade from 1.3 unless you are encountering one of these minor issues
- Minor bug fix on loading different sized boards in quick succession,
- Minor bug fix on rank estimation in nodes without a move (e.g. pandanet) sgf files.
- Sound files for linux fixed in the pypi package.
- wbaduk ngf file support.