VANTAGE Update: Native GIF Export & Material Search

Following the initial release, I have added a few specific tools to VANTAGE to help with content creation and technical study. Here is an overview of the new features in the latest build.

1. GIF Studio

If you want to share a game on social media or Discord, a PGN text block isn't always the best format. The new GIF Studio lets you render an animated replay of your game directly in the browser.
It runs client-side (no server uploads) and allows you to adjust playback speed and perspective.

Overlays: Optionally toggle player names, Elo ratings, and event details on the final animation.

2. Material Search

Standard filters like Elo or Date are useful for organizing, but for training, you often need to find specific patterns. I added a Material Filter to the sidebar that lets you search based on the pieces on the board.

Concrete Example:
Let’s say you want to study "Knight vs. Bishop" endgames. You can configure the filter visually:

1. Queens & Rooks: Click until they turn Red (Absent).
2. White: Click Knight until Green (1+), set Bishop to Red.
3. Black: Set Knight to Red, click Bishop until Green (1+).
4. Range: Limit the search to moves 40+ to skip the opening.

VANTAGE will then filter your database and show only the games where this exact imbalance occurred.
Performance Note: Since VANTAGE runs entirely in your browser, it has to essentially "replay" the moves internally to check the exact piece count on the board. Even with a moderate collection (e.g., 1,000+ games), the first search requires some patience as it crunches the data.

3. Bulk Actions & Editor

To help manage larger databases, I added a Bulk Edit mode. You can now select multiple games to mass-edit tags (like fixing empty Event names) or delete them in groups.

There is also a new Board Editor to set up custom positions for analysis.
Note on Chess960: While standard chess is fully supported, the Board Editor does not yet fully handle Chess960 (Fischer Random). Specifically, the board logic cuts off for castling in 960 positions in this version.

Link: Vantage.free.nf