Tree View
by Anders Kierulf
2013-05-07
Tree view is the main new feature in SmartGo Kifu 2.2. It shows you the main line of play as well as any variations you explore. It tells you where you are, and makes it easy to navigate to other points in the game.
However, it can be easy to get lost in an expansive tree view, and it often seems to be a feature that appeals more to programmers than to Go players. (Programmers love tree structures.) So I’ve long resisted adding a tree view to SmartGo, but I think I’ve finally figured out how to do it right.
The tree view in SmartGo Kifu breaks new ground by focusing on the essentials:
- Better overview: It shows you more of the game by compressing regular black-white-black-white move sequences.
- Clear structure: The structure of the tree is revealed by distinguishing regular move sequences from branch points.
- Useful move info: Moves with annotations are clearly shown, providing more useful information.
Please let me know what you think and how you use the tree view.
For those waiting to hear news about the Mac version: This feature was actually ported from the Mac to iOS, so yes, there’s some progress.
(Tree view was big item #1 for SmartGo Kifu; at least two more big changes coming before the summer is over.)