gnubg can import matches produced by various other programs or online servers. For example, you can import matches played on GamesGrid or FIBS. gnubg can export positions, matches, or money session to a number of formats; some suitable for printing, some suitable for including in emails or Usenet postings, and others suitable for publishing on the world wide web or for posting to backgammon forums.
The following sections describe how to import and export positions, matches, and sessions with gnubg.
gnubg can import positions in
Jellyfish
.pos format. To import a position
file using the GUI select a file from File->Import->.pos
position.
The .pos position format is documented at The Jellyfish Position File Format.
gnubg can also import matches and money sessions in the .mat format. This format is often used to move games between different programs, as most programs (e.g., Jellyfish, Snowie, BGBlitz, and others) support import and export of this format.
To import a match or money session in the .mat format, select a file
from File->Import->.mat match.
Note that at least one program (BBGT) is known to write multiple matches in the same .mat file. In this case gnubg will only read the first match. If you wish to import all matches from such a .mat file, you'll manually have to split the file into files containing the individual matches.
gnubg can import matches and money sessions played on GamesGrid if saved in the SGG format. Currently, gnubg doesn't support import of the native undocumented .cbg format. Also note that gnubg does not analyse table stakes, so imported money sessions will be analysed as a normal money session.
To import an SGG file using the GUI select a file using the menu entry
File->Import->.sgg match.
gnubg can import matches and money sessions from FIBS in the oldmoves format. Most of the GUIs for playing on FIBS supports saving of matches either in the oldmoves format or in Jellyfish .mat format.
To import an oldmoves file using the GUI select a file using the menu
entry File->Import->FIBS oldmoves.
Note that gnubg will only read the first match in the file. If you wish to import all matches from a file containing more than more game, you'll manually have to split it.
gnubg can also import matches and money sessions played on TrueMoneyGames saved in the TMG format (file suffix .tmg). Please note that gnubg does not analyse table stakes, so imported money sessions will be analysed as a normal money session.
To import an TMG file using the GUI select a file using the menu entry
File->Import->TrueMoneyGames .tmg match.
Matches written in the Hans Berliner BKG format can be imported into
gnubg. To import an BKG file using the GUI select a file using the
menu entry File->Import->BKG session.
gnubg can import positions written in the Snowie .txt position format. Please note that very important distinction between Snowie .txt position and Snowie Standard Text. The former is used for position and the latter is an extension of the Jellyfish .mat format, and can be imported in gnubg using the .mat importer.
gnubg can also export positions to Snowie .txt format for easy exchange of positions with Snowie users.
To import an Snowie .txt position file using the GUI select a file
using the menu entry File->Import->Snowie .txt position file.
gnubg doesn't support batch import and analysis using the GUI, but batch import is possible with the command line version of gnubg.
Under Unix execute:
gnubg -t < input-file > output-file
Under Windows it depends on how your version of gnubg was build. For example, if you use the build by Øystein Johansen you should execute
gnubg-no-gui.exe < input-file > output-file
The input-file must be carefully prepared. For example, it could look like:
import sgg file1.sgg
analyse match
save match file1.sgf
import sgg file2.sgg
analyse match
save match file1.sgf
import mat file3.mat
analyse match
save match file3.sgf
If you wish to adjust your setting for the analysis you can include commands like:
set analysis chequerplay evaluation plies 2
set analysis cubedecision evaluation plies 3
[...]
See the command reference for further details regarding the commands available in gnubg.
There are a number of utilities written that can read and write positions, matches, and money sessions in other formats than the ones gnubg has direct support for. Bunny's Zone Converter can be used to convert matches saved on MSN Gaming Zone to Jellyfish .mat format which can be imported into gnubg.
The neural net backgammon program BGBlitz can read Gamesgrid .cbg, FIBS/W logfiles, MacFIBS logfiles and other formats which can be written back in the .mat format for importing into gnubg.
If you want to exchange the playes, i.e., gnubg has imported you as
the top player rather than the bottom player, select them menu entry
Game->Swap Players.