Moby Dam

[Krzysztof Grzelak]

What I need to have installed to test the program Moby Dam. Thank Harm communication to the public program.

[Harm Jetten]

Hi Krzysztof,

The zip file that you can download at http://hjetten.home.xs4all.nl/mobydam/mobydam.html
contains a ready-made Windows executable that you can run on a Windows 64-bit PC.
A small opening book is also included.
You will also need the endgame database files. They are the same files as used by Dam 2.2,
plus damend2.zip for the 2-piece files.
You tell Moby Dam where the book and endgame files are, as shown in the first screenshot.
It would be easiest to create a shortcut for the executable, you can then edit the shortcut properties
to add the -b and -e arguments as shown.

For automated play against other programs, there are several programs (Michel's Dragon Draughts
and Bert's Horizon/Damage hybrid in particular) that support the DamExchange protocol.
You can set up these programs to play a series of games against Moby Dam.

Harm.

[Krzysztof Grzelak]

Thank you very much Harm. Harm I have a huge request to You. Can you do GUI Moby Dam under Windows 7 64 bit.

[Harm Jetten]

You can just use Dam 2.2 as the GUI.
Though it is old, it will successfully install and work on current Windows versions, including Windows 7 64-bit.

[Krzysztof Grzelak]

I Dam 2.2 I use several years. I am deeply interested in Your new program.

[Krzysztof Grzelak]

Harm I have a request to You. You can write how you can run the program Moby Dam under Windows 7 64 bit. I will be very grateful.

[Harm Jetten]

Hi Krzysztof,

I was hoping the procedure would be more or less self-explanatory after studying
http://hjetten.home.xs4all.nl/mobydam/mobydam.html but here it is step by step.
Preparation:
- download and unpack mobydam-2015-07-05.zip to C:\ (will create C:\mobydam folder)
- download and unpack all endgame database zip files to C:\damend
- create a Windows shortcut on the desktop for C:\mobydam\mobydam.exe
- edit the shortcut properties, adding to the end of Target field: -b book\book.opn -e C:\damend
- run the Dam 2.2 installer dam227.exe
Running:
- doubleclick the shortcut to start mobydam.exe
- start Dam 2.2 and open the DamExchange window
- In Dam 2.2, do Game - DamExchange - Make connection with localhost
- In Dam 2.2, do Game - DamExchange - Start game.

I hope this will get you going. If you get stuck somewhere, let me know.

[Rein Halbersma]

Hi Krzysztof,

I was hoping the procedure would be more or less self-explanatory after studying
http://hjetten.home.xs4all.nl/mobydam/mobydam.html but here it is step by step.
Preparation:
- download and unpack mobydam-2015-07-05.zip to C:\ (will create C:\mobydam folder)
- download and unpack all endgame database zip files to C:\damend
- create a Windows shortcut on the desktop for C:\mobydam\mobydam.exe
- edit the shortcut properties, adding to the end of Target field: -b book\book.opn -e C:\damend
- run the Dam 2.2 installer dam227.exe
Running:
- doubleclick the shortcut to start mobydam.exe
- start Dam 2.2 and open the DamExchange window
- In Dam 2.2, do Game - DamExchange - Make connection with localhost
- In Dam 2.2, do Game - DamExchange - Start game.

I hope this will get you going. If you get stuck somewhere, let me know.

I guess this means that Dam 2.2 can act as the GUI for any DXP compliant engine? Or does one also need to implement some functions related to setting up / flipping positions?

[Harm Jetten]

Yes Rein, Dam 2.2 can indeed act as the GUI for any DXP compliant engine.
And you can first set up any desired board position in Dam 2.2 and then do a Start game.
The DXP GAMEREQ message will send that board position to the engine as the starting point of the game.

[Krzysztof Grzelak]

Thank you very much Harm. I have a question. I want to play a game on two separate computers. On one computer, game one program, and on the other I want to play program Moby Dam. Please write what should be a command if you want to game time between the programs was 20 minutes for 75 moves. As the command should be written to whites started the program and what command should be written to the program played black. Is there a need for some program.

[Harm Jetten]

Krzysztof,
Once you have completed the above procedure, the next step (automated play on 2 computers) is easy.
But first you need to check that Moby Dam can be started correctly from the shortcut.
When you start Moby Dam, it writes information to the file engine.log in folder C:\mobydam.
Open it in Notepad, scroll to the bottom of the file and check that it contains the following:

book positions = 8507
all 2-piece db files present
all 3-piece db files present
all 4-piece db files present
all 5-piece db files present
all 6-piece db files present

Are you seeing this?

[Krzysztof Grzelak]

After starting the shortcut mobydam and entering -b book\book.opn -e C:\damend



And entry engine is the

Wed Jul 08 13:37:14 2015
Moby Dam (Jul 5 2015)
compiled with -g -O3 -Wall -march=nehalem -flto -fprofile-use -DPF -DETC -DLMR -DKIL
created tt with 33554432 entries (2^25), size=512MiB
wiped tt with 33554432 entries
init_book: can't find book file book.opn
init_enddb: 4 out of 4 2-piece db files not found
init_enddb: 12 out of 12 3-piece db files not found
init_enddb: 26 out of 26 4-piece db files not found
init_enddb: 44 out of 44 5-piece db files not found
init_enddb: 70 out of 70 6-piece db files not found

I have the impression that the program did not load the base ends.I do not quite know why.

[Harm Jetten]

Ah, I see. You entered the arguments in the Moby Dam window, but that is the wrong place.
You need to do this:

- create a Windows shortcut on the desktop for C:\mobydam\mobydam.exe
- edit the shortcut properties, adding to the end of Target field: -b book\book.opn -e C:\damend

[Krzysztof Grzelak]

- create a Windows shortcut on the desktop for C:\mobydam\mobydam.exe
- edit the shortcut properties, adding to the end of Target field: -b book\book.opn -e C:\damend

I have so done as you write. And still the same.

[Harm Jetten]

Look at the bottom of the engine.log file.
Moby Dam always leaves old information in, only appending new information to the end.