Display Tab - Environment Options
This tab controls display-related settings and visual preferences for SwissSys.
Section panels
Controls whether section panels are displayed at the top of the main window.
When to disable: Only disable if you run single-section tournaments and want a cleaner interface.
Default: Checked (on)
Show board ranges
Displays board number ranges in the section panels at the top of the main window.
When to enable: Enable this when you need to quickly identify which boards are assigned to each section in multi-section tournaments.
Impact:
- Section panels will show information like “Section 1 (Bds 1-10)”
- Panel width increases to accommodate the extra text
- Also appears in panel tooltips when hovering
Default: Unchecked (off)
Show round status
Displays the current round number in the section panels at the top of the main window.
When to enable: Enable this when you want a quick visual reference of which round each section is currently in.
Impact:
- Section panels will show information like “Section 1 Round 3”
- Panel width increases to accommodate the extra text
- Useful for multi-section tournaments where sections may be on different rounds
Default: Unchecked (off)
Forced name format
Controls automatic formatting of all player names entered into the system.
Available options:
- Initial uppercase - Proper case (e.g., “Smith, John”)
- All uppercase - Full caps (e.g., “SMITH, JOHN”)
- Last name uppercase - Mixed case (e.g., “SMITH, John”)
When to use: Set this at tournament start to ensure consistent name formatting across all registrations.
Impact:
- Applies automatically to all newly registered players
- Existing players remain unchanged (use Players → Set uniform name format to update them)
In the case of initial uppercase, SwissSys does its best with hard names like Thad McSuits III, but you may have to tweak a name here and there if your players are particular.
Key codes
Customize the symbols SwissSys uses to signify results and colors in game tables.
When to change: For non-English speaking users, changing codes to match local language improves readability.
Customizable codes:
| Code Type | Default | Description |
|---|---|---|
| Loss | L | Game result - loss |
| Draw | D | Game result - draw |
| Win | W | Game result - win |
| Black | B | Player color - black |
| White | W | Player color - white |
Screen styles
Changes the visual theme/skin for the entire application interface.
When to change: Personalize the look and feel, or improve readability based on your display preferences.
Available options: All Windows VCL themes installed on your system (e.g., “Amethyst Kamri”, “Windows”, “Carbon”)
Impact:
- Changes colors, button styles, and panel appearances throughout the application
- Applied immediately when you click OK
- If changing while a tournament is loaded, you may be prompted to save first
- Setting persists across application restarts
Default: “Amethyst Kamri”
Maximized screen height adjustment
Fine-tunes how tall the main window can be when maximized.
Range: -50 to +50 pixels (adjusts in steps of 2)
When to change:
- If your taskbar is at the bottom and the SwissSys status bar is hidden when maximized, increase this value (positive numbers)
- If the window extends too far and covers your taskbar, decrease this value (negative numbers)
Impact:
- Adjusts the maximum window height to compensate for different taskbar sizes and positions
- Positive values allow the window to extend higher on screen
- Negative values reduce the maximum height
- Takes effect immediately when you maximize the window
Default: 0 (no adjustment)
Tip: Start with small adjustments (+/- 2 to 4 pixels) and test by maximizing the window.
Fees field labels
Customize the labels for the three fees fields to match your tournament’s fee structure.
Default labels: “Fees&1”, “Fees&2”, “Fees&3”
Common customizations:
- “USCF$” - USCF membership dues
- “State$” - State chess federation fees
- “Event$” - Tournament entry fee
When to change: Set these before registration begins to make fee collection clearer for staff and participants.
The ”&” character underlines the following character, creating a keyboard shortcut (e.g., “Fees&1” becomes Alt+1).
Age/Grade label
Controls whether the application displays “Age” or “Grd” (Grade) in column headers throughout the interface.
Options:
- “Age” - Uses “Age” and “Cl/Age” in column headers
- “Grd” - Uses “Grd” and “Cl/Grd” in column headers
When to change: Change this based on whether your tournament tracks player ages or school grades.
Impact:
- Affects column headers in:
- Wall Chart view
- Standings view
- Registration grids
- The actual data displayed doesn’t change—only the label describing it
- Helps clarify what the age/grade column represents for your specific tournament
Default: “Age”
K-value
Controls the weighting factor for rating changes calculated by SwissSys.
When to change: Rarely needed - this setting is provided mainly for backwards compatibility with older rating systems.
Impact: Adjusts how much ratings change after each game based on the K-factor formula.
Most modern tournaments should leave this at the default value unless you have specific rating calculation requirements.