Jeff Goldsmith's Home Page, d(r)aft

IGN Entertainment
8000 Marina Blvd., 4th Floor
Brisbane, CA 94005
jeff@ign.com

Caltech Computer Graphics Group
Caltech 350-74
Pasadena, CA 91125
jeff@gg.caltech.edu

able of Contents

What's New
Research
Figure Skating
Bridge Columns Guest Columns Typesetting Software K&R Evaluator Problems and Movies Conventions Miscellany Table Cards Other Sites
Other Games
Miscellany

hat's New?

Most recent update: March 19th, 2008

A new column. (3/20/08)
A new column. (12/12/07)
A new column. (12/12/07)
A new column. (10/15/07)
A new column. (10/15/07)
Updated game dealers list. (10/13/07)
A new column. (10/9/07)
A new problem set. (9/2/07)
A new column. (8/24/07)
Updated Barbu cheat sheet. (4/19/07)
Added corner table numbers to Table Cards. (4/10/07)
Duplicate Tichu. (4/09/07)
Table Cards for 6 tables. (4/09/07)
A new column. (1/6/07)
A new column. (1/6/07)
A new column. (1/4/07)
A new column. (1/4/07)
A new column. (1/4/07)

esearch

Papers

Marching Cubes in Cylindrical and Spherical Coordinates,
journal of graphics tools, Vol. 1, No. 1, April, 1996.
Optimized Computer-Generated Motion for Animation,
Masters thesis, Caltech Computer Science, 1994. (long)
Quintic Splines, unpublished, 1992,
A Hypercube Ray Tracer,
ACM Conference on Hypercubes and Parallel Processing Proceedings, 1988
Automatic Generation of Object Hierarchies for Ray Tracing,
IEEE Computer Graphics and Applications, May 1987.
Static and Dynamic Database Distribution for Graphics Ray Tracing on the Hypercube,
Tech. Report, Caltech Concurrent Computing Project, 1986
A Ray Tracing System for the Hypercube,
Tech. Report, Caltech Concurrent Computing Project, 1985
Reparameterization of Surfaces by Lines of Curvature,
(aka. "How to do something intuitively obvious by the most roundabout way possible.")
Tech. Report, RPI Center for Interactive Computer Graphics, Sept. 1983
My resume has a bibliography of other stuff.

LinkWinds Images

LinkWinds is a freeware Data Visualization system, produced at JPL. These are some images generated with it. To get a copy of LinkWinds, follow these directions or see the Linkwinds homepage.

igure Skating

Dance Diagrams

I built these diagrams using a computer graphics package. They have very clean edges (unlike me!) but do not have annotations, such as step numbers. They illustrate well that the patterns in the USFSA rulebook were handdrawn and seem to have some errors. To view them, one needs a PostScript viewer, common as a helper application. If you don't have one, try Ghostview. Enjoy.

I rewrote all the patterns in Java. I have built a Java applet that can read a funny diagram syntax and produce patterns. It's still in a very preliminary form, but you can play with an empty slate and try to create your own interactively. I haven't figured out how to let you write your own files, yet, but that'll happen eventually.

You will need Netscape 3.0 to run this, I believe. The Netscape 2.0 Java interpreter doesn't do everything I expect. I think.

Oh...these do have annotations.

One last caveat: these are not exactly identical to those in the USFSA rulebook. I tried to make these perfectly symetrical, keep lobes perfectly tangent, etc. That is not the case in the book. Mine probably have some other flaws (far fewer than my real ones!) but I hope they'll improve as time goes on.

Java

Canasta Tango Dutch Waltz Rhythm Blues Cha Cha Swing Dance Fiesta Tango	Hickory Hoedown Willow Waltz Ten Fox Fourteenstep Foxtrot European Waltz	American Waltz
Code producing the Canasta Build your own Info on the applet

Postscript

Canasta Tango Canasta Tango with Axes Dutch Waltz in a Rink Rhythm Blues Cha Cha Swing Dance	Fiesta Tango Hickory Hoedown Willow Waltz Willow Waltz in a Rink Ten Fox Fourteenstep
Code producing the Canasta

Gif

Canasta Tango

Dutch Waltz

Rhythm Blues

Cha Cha

Swing Dance

Fiesta Tango

Hickory Hoedown

Willow Waltz

Ten Fox

Fourteenstep

Foxtrot

European Waltz

American Waltz

A list of US ice dances and some info about them. (Updated 7/9/96.)

Photos of skaters

Surprise me with a random picture.

Skating stuff on the net

Sandra Loosemore's Stuff

The USFSA

Two dances written by Peter Moormann:

ridge

Bridge Without Sam

Bridge Without Sam is a set of (hopefully mostly funny, sometimes interesting) columns written for the Caltech student newspaper. In case you are running a browser that doesn't do HTML3.0, a Postscript version is available, too.

Some friends have contributed columns in the same style as Bridge Without Sam. Enjoy!

Typesetting Bridge

LaTeX

I use some LaTeX macros to typeset bridge. These were originally published a long time ago by someone else; I've long since lost the original, sorry. This file includes several of my own; it bears only a passing resemblance to the original. One of the macros (dhand) was written by Bobby Bodenheimer for me. It seems as if only one macro (crdima) is left from the original, but it's a good one.

HTML

Articles and Hands

I recently built a set of macros for typesetting bridge in HTML. They are now good enough to use. The normal simple things one tends to want to do are pretty easy. Since HTML doesn't have a macro capability, I used the UNIX m4 macro processor. I am now using some of the more advanced features of m4; that might make it hard to port to a different macro processor. Probably not.

The macro code (as to be expected) is a little opaque, so I wrote out some very brief instructions. Looking at a finished example and resultant HTML document is the easiest way to learn how to use this stuff.

There is now a perl version of the macros. It doesn't have quite the functionality of the m4 version. In particular, it doesn't know recursion, so it will only substitute in the order I gave it, and only to a specified depth. It's dumb about parentheses (don't put any inside macros or it'll get things wrong, but you can escape them: \( and \) won't confuse it) but doesn't eat the word "shift," unlike the m4 version. It doesn't need the silly header line, either. Try it and tell me how it blows up. You will need perl, however, to use it. Look at the bottom of this page for how to get a copy of perl5 for PCs. To invoke it, use macros.pl inputfiles >newfile.html
I usually call my input files ".bml" files, for "Bridge Macro Language."

You will also need some image files I use; you can replace them with your own by substituting the appropriate file names into the top of the macro file.

The four suit symbols were given to me by Rod Roark; they are a vast improvement on my last version. Thanks, Rod.

OKbridge Hand Records

I wrote a perl program to convert OKbridge hand records into HTML. It uses the m4 macro package noted above. To use it, you need to set things up right and then type:


okb2bml.pl inputfiles | m4 > outputfile

An example: before and after. I'm open to suggestions on the best way to display the ancillary information, such as opening lead, form of scoring, etc.

Tournament Results

Here's a perl program for formating results of tournaments in HTML. It only reads the format in which I get the information, but it's not hard to tinker with it (heh, heh). Here's an example of it in operation: before and after.

I have a new, very expanded version of this program that reads ACBLScore output and converts it into formatted text files, simple HTML (with "pre" blocks) or table-style HTML. It has an include file that lists the author (you, not me, although I'm the example) and links to the author's email and web pages. As usual, it's written in perl. It tries to handle the newest version of ACBLScore (as of 3/1/96) and the old one, too. There are some things that'll confuse it; please give me feedback if you find such cases.

I have tinkered slightly with the program to cover all the cases encountered in the Philadelphia NABCs. It seems to have done pretty well. (3/17/96)

Here is an example input file and the three types of output it can produce: text, simple HTML, and nicer HTML.

Most recently updated: 3/22/96

I also have a new perl program that tries to convert PageMaker output into text. PageMaker uses vertical bar, lower case c, double quote, and control-q for the four suit symbols. This converts them to S H D C respectively. It tries to be reasonably intelligent about making sure that those characters are actually intended as suit symbols. It also tries to identify hand diagrams, and in them, convert "10" to "T" and remove the spaces between the cards.

Summary of Available Typesetting Programs

Private Scores

I built some bridge private scores for the Caltech Bridge Club. They reflect my personal preferences as well as a fair bit of input from the rest of the Club. They are designed to fit inside a standard convention card holder.

Bridge Software

All the software here is free for personal or club use. Please do not distribute it without headers. If you make money from it, ask me first. No warranty express or implied. These were built for my personal use, and therefore are not bulletproof. They'll do something useful without much trouble, probably.

Bridge Movies

I have created a program that allows easy building of bridge movies. (Actually, any Web movie, but the software caters to bridge typesetting well.) It's free for the taking and is not very hard to use, I think. You will need perl. It contains the following pieces:

I put all the pieces into a compressed tar file.

Version 1.06 (12/9/97): Handles "Double" in bidding and fixes some semantics changes under Perl5.

Version 1.04 (2/11/97): improved to handle Microsoft Explorer.

Version 1.03 (1/7/97): does multiple swiss matches, VPing, has some bug fixes, and can create leader boards.

Version 1.02 had automatic IMPing for team matches and has a couple other small tinkers.

The manual explains how to install the software (not too hard) and how to use the program at quite some length. If you don't like reading manuals, read only the section on installation (short) and look at the example. It ought to be enough information for you to build a fairly complex movie. The example is mostly explanation.

Thank you to the alpha testers: Brian "Binkley" Oxley, Danil Suits, Don Kersey, and Mike Albert. They get some of the credit; I shall take all of the blame.

Hand Evaluation

``knr'' computes Edgar Kaplan and Jeff Rubens' (K&R) complex computer count, published in an article in The Bridge World. It also computes HCP and Danny Kleinman's version of the count. I have found it useful in mediating evaluation disagreements, and for tuning my hand evaluation skills. Input looks like:

AKq
KTxx
QT73
Q10

C source code is available. I also have a version in perl.

You can try K&R here!

Reiterating some of Rubens' article, this evaluator is supposed to represent Edgar Kaplan's (very fine) hand evaluation judgment. The scale is pretty close to the standard Work count. Kaplan feels that a 12.50-count is a mandatory opening in a major and a 12.00-count is an optional opening in a major. 12.50 is optional in a minor and 13.00 is mandatory.

I recapped the details of the K&R evaluation algorithm in text.
No more hacking through the code .

Mark Nau figured out what they really meant by an ambiguous line in the article and pointed out a couple bugs in the perl (and thus cgi) version. I've tried to fix them. (3/1/96)

Included in the evaluator (at least the on-line version) is Danny Kleinman's evaluation.

T-shirt Printing

``shirt'' makes postscript drawings of a fanned hand. It doesn't do face card centers, but otherwise is useful. It can do color separations (use the -s option). I have used it to make artwork for silkscreened t-shirts several times. Input format is:

S: AK2
H: QJ32
D: QJ7
C: AKT

A sample image created with it and source code are available.

Dealing and Hand Records

I have a suite of utilities for dealing hands and doing various useful things with the hands the dealer makes. I'll put more here if anyone cares.

So far, I've placed the following:

Dealer with example output.
Program to make pages of hand records and example output.
Program to make PostScript big hand records for making hands or doing panel shows and example output.
Instructions

All these were developed with a UNIX environment in mind. I suspect that a PC one wouldn't be much trouble. All caveats as expected; I'll answer questions or help somewhat if you find this stuff useful. All that's here is source code, so you need to know how to compile C programs, and you need a compiler. That's easy with UNIX.

Bridge Problems and Polls

Bridge Movies

Bridge movies are interactive problem sets.

Good news for Microsoft Explorer users (unlucky you!): I think I've fixed the movies so that they work with MSE. Please tell me if they don't.

Technical note: The San Diego movie and North American Swiss movie might each take well over an hour to play. You can stop in the middle and bookmark your position. When you come back, all will be as you left.

Movies I Built

San Diego Bridge Movie (Our results...spoilers!)

OK KO IMP Bridge Movie

North American Swiss Bridge Movie (Our results...spoilers!)

Movies Others Have Built

Roberto Scaramuzzi's Swiss Match

Curt Hastings' Blue Ribbon Pairs movie

Regular problems and polls

Problems	Answers		Problems	Answers
Las Vegas Barometer '93 Palm Springs Barometer '93 Life Master Pairs '94 Reno '94 Israeli Bridge Festival 95 Monterey Sectional '95 Culver City Sectional '95 Palm Springs Regional '95 Pasadena Winter Regional '95 NAOP District Finals '96 Two from a club game Queen Mary Regional '96 Some from a Club Game 3/96 One from a Club Game 3/96 That's Silly! Bridge Week '96 Blind Spot Miami Nationals '96 Long Beach Regional 8/96 A Low-Level Double 9/96 Glendale Sectional 10/96 Reno Regional 12/96 San Diego Regional 4/97 Van Nuys Sectional 4/97 Bridge Week 7/97 Bridge or Barbu? 9/97 Bakersfield Regional 10/97 Long Beach Sectional 11/97 What Does This Mean? (12/97) One from a Club Game (1/98) To Bid or Not to Bid (1/98) Some from a Unit Game (2/98) Grand National Teams 2/98 Unlucky? Or Pathetic? 3/98 Defense Problem from OKB 3/98 Reno Nationals 3/98 The Worst Bidding of the Year 4/98 Go for Blood? 6/98 High Level Bridge 6/98 Chicago Nationals 7/98 Preempts Work 8/98 Queen Mary Regional 9/98 Two Balanced 11-Counts 10/98	Answers Answers Answers Answers Answers Answers Answers Answers Answers Answers Answers Answers Answers Answers Answers Answers Answers Answers Answers Answers Answers Answers Answers Answers Answers Answers Answers Answers Answers Answers Answers Answers Answers Answers Answers Answers Answers Answers Answers Answers Answers Answers Answers		Pomona Sectional 1/99 Money IMPs 3/99 Queen Mary Regional 3/99 One from an Old Bridge World 3/99 Do You or Don't You? 6/99 Bridge Week 7/00 Burbank Sectional 10/00 Long Beach Sectional 11/00 Reno Regional 12/00 Grand National Teams 5/01 Toronto Nationals 7/01 Riverside Sectional 10/01 What's Going On? 11/01 Las Vegas Nationals 11/01 Palm Springs Regional 12/01 Misc. Probs Fall 02 Montreal Worlds 8/02 A Barbu Problem 11/02 Santa Barbara Sectional 11/02 An Interesting Question Palm Springs Regional 12/02 Misc. Problems 1/03 Downey Sectional 1/03 Escondido Sectional 1/03 San Bernardino Regional 2/03 West LA Sectional 4/03 Long Beach Nationals 7/03 Hollywood Park Regional 9/03 Reno Nationals 3/04 Ontario Regional 7/04 A Lead Problem 7/04 Pasadena Sectional 8/04 Reno Regional 12/04 Atlanta Nationals 7/05 Not Those Clubs Again... 7/05 Denver Nationals 11/05 Riverside Sectional 3/06 To Shoot or Not to Shoot? 4/06 Sanity Check 9/06 Two from a Club Game 10/06 Hawaii Nationals 11/06 Two Problems 9/07	Answers Answers Answers Answers Answers Answers Answers Answers Answers Answers Answers Answers Answers Answers Answers Answers Answers Answers Answers Answers Answers Answers Answers Answers Answers Answers Answers Answers Answers Answers Answers Answers Answers Answers Answers Answers Answers Answers Answers Answers Answers Answers

Weird Science: Voidwood; Overcall Structure Followups; Relay Major Suit Raises; Roberto's variation to above; An Ogust Variation; A lebensohl idea; A defense to multi; Ed Davis' 10-12 NTs; Twisted SWINE (runouts after 1NT-(Dbl)); Two-Way Checkback Stayman; Woolsey defense to 1NT openings; Lipshitz 2/Bart; Nagy Game Tries; Kokish's Rebids after 1-2; Discussion of Major Suit Raises; Mohan defense to Weak NTs; Drury Doubles; Double Negatives in Competition; Cooperative Runouts after 1NT is Doubled; Power Doubles; 1NT Overcalls for Takeout; Fout's notes on the Overcall Structure; Roman Jump Overcalls; Kantar-Kleinman Slam Force; Grant's Hack; 2NT-3

General Weirdness: Jeff's Imperious Rules of Bridge; A short glossary of bridge terms; Yarborough Fair?; The Chicago Convention; Overberries vs. Ruff Diamonds (in text); Table of Suit Breaks; Report from OKBridge C&E Commitee (ki case); A study of IMP matches; Some strange individual movements and a scoring program.; An improved movement for 3-table pair games. (Stolen from the Orange Book.); A letter (excerpted in the Bridge World) on the Definition of Logical Alternative.; Some photos from the Reno Regional '97.; Some photos from Bridge Week '02.

Other Bridge Sites: The WBF home page.
    They have fixed the biggest flaws
    and now the site is pretty good. Congrats, guys.
    It's even reasonably fast, now.; The ACBL home page.; The Bridge World magazine.; The (English) 1997 laws.; The bridge archive; The Bridge Base page (Fred Gitelman); Richard Pavlicek's home page; A bunch of super columns by Grant Baze.; The GIB project. (Matt Ginsberg); David Stevenson's bridge pages.
    David is in charge of training directors in Britain.
    His pages include a very helpful synopsis of the
    changes between the 1987 and 1997 Laws (effective in ACBL events May 26, 1997).; Jude Goodwin-Hanson gave me such a nice review at Great Bridge Links...
Someone ought to ask her to put ``Table Talk'' up on the net.; Colin Ward's Punkydoodle Corners, the hilarious exploits
of some bridge monsters, the "Fearsome Foursome."
It's not for everyone, but I think it's great.

This list is by no means complete, nor do I intend it to be. These are just some of the places I go once in awhile or, perhaps, more often than that. Many others have compiled large bridge lists, so I don't feel any need to do so. Inclusion here isn't even indication that I think these pages are better than ones that are not here, but one can infer from the fact that I visit them that I like them

Oddly, that might not be completely accurate.

ther Games: General
German game awards; Some Dealers in these and similar games.; A set of ratings of a few hundred games.; A taxonomy of the rated games.; A Report on 1999 Gathering of Friends.; A Report on 1998 Gathering of Friends.
The games; Airlines Rules Clarifications; Atlantis rules translation; Barbú Cheat Sheet (plus other goop); Updated Barbú Cheat Sheet (plus other goop); Barbú Strategy Guide; Barbú: San Francisco rules and other Variants; Barbú: Ravage City minimal construction; Blackbeard Variant; Black Vienna Puzzle; Bohnanza Conventions; Cafe International translation; Cafe International puzzles; Can't Stop Odds; City of Chaos FAQ; Creights Summary; Creights in Detail; Das Riff Translation; Die Siedler von Catan Variants; DinoHunt Tinkers; 1835 Thoughts; 18xx Series Differences (Version 1.35); 18xx Series Differences (Version 2.495); Filthy Rich Interpretations and Variants; The Great Brain Robbery Variant; Groo: the Game Rulings; Hase und Igel Tinker; My favorite Rules of Hearts; High Bohne English card inserts (set 1); High Bohne English card inserts (set 2); History of the World Odds; Illegal Translation; Lord of the Rings Card Labels; Mega-Hypereconomic Galactic Conquest,
my favorite play-by-email game.; Merchant of Venus Variant; Middle Earth: the Wizards map; Nuclear Jedi Magic Information; Oh Hell Variants (updated 2/5/97); Oregon Hearts Rules; Outpost expansion set gamekit; Roadkill Variants; Rosenkönig Optional Rules; Schnapp, Land, Fluss Translation; 6 Nimmt/Take 6 Variant; Sixteen Thirty-Something... Optional Rule Set (3/11/96); Strand Cup Tinkers; Subway Vigilante Tinkers; Tales of the Arabian Nights Variants.; Target Tinkers; 2038 Thoughts; Wizards Optional Rules; Wucherer Card Summary, tinkers, and interpretations; X Pasch Deluxe Translation and variants; Xxxenophile Tinkers