>l r @@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@ PICTURE PUZZLE (V1.0) @@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@ *** SYSTEM REQUIREMENTS - minimum of 1 Meg memory ***** Overview -------- If you're like me, you will have quite a collection of Cover Disks just sitting collecting dust (wot?, no disk box?), quite a few containing 'Picture -of-the-Month' and some with nice music on the disk. One day I thought "Wouldn't it be great to be able to continue to appreciate the artist's hard work instead of it, eventually, being re-formatted to use as a blank disk?". As a result, the idea of "Picture Puzzle" was born. "Picture Puzzle" is a jigsaw puzzle generator which allows you to create and do jigsaws with most types of standard (IFF) picture files. So now you can create your masterpiece picture in Deluxe Paint (or similar art program) and then simply load it into "Picture Puzzle" to use as a jigsaw - great fun for kids! "Picture Puzzle" also includes the following features; * Choose the difficulty level i.e. the number of jigsaw pieces * Vertical and/or Horizontally flip options * Save partially completed jigsaw puzzles to disk. * Stopwatch options * Help key shows the picture at any time * Masochist's option - do the jigsaw without seeing the picture * 'Music while you work' option - play SoundTracker modules For the experienced gamesplayer, the program is very easy to use - mouse controlled unless stated otherwise (a summary of keys can be accessed at any time by toggling the 'Esc' key). Go ahead and play it now! For the less experienced or those who are compulsive readers of Instruction Manuals, a full explanation of "Picture Puzzle" follows: Options Page ------------ The options available are as follows; NO. OF PUZZLE PIECES 8 choices available ranging from as little as 4 pieces up to 320 pieces. VERTICAL FLIPS If this option is selected, "Picture Puzzle" will randomly flip puzzle pieces vertically through 180 degrees. HORIZONTAL FLIPS Similar to the above but this time "Picture Puzzle" will randomly flip puzzle pieces horizontally through 180 degrees. LOAD A SAVED PUZZLE This option will load a previously saved jigsaw puzzle after you have clicked on the 'HIT ME' box. A file requester will be displayed with all of the previously saved files for you to choose from. Click on one file name and if happy with that selection, click on the 'O.K.' button. If not, just click on an alternative file name and then click on the O.K button. A small file will then load and set the computer to the options chosen when you last did the jigsaw puzzle. The computer will then remind you of the name of the picture and the disk it was loaded from. STOPWATCH This option can be set to; DEC - play against the clock! The computer sets the time allowed (depending upon the difficulty options chosen) and the countdown starts. Very demanding, even for the very experienced. INC - the stopwatch starts and records the time taken to complete the jigsaw puzzle. CLK - places a clock on screen to prevent you missing your favourite T.V. etc. (Only if a clock is fitted in your Amiga!). OFF - surprise, surprise, it switches the stopwatch functions off. MUSIC Loads and plays standard SoundTracker modules (but not MED modules!). Choose the module you'd like to listen to from the file requester once you've clicked on the 'HIT ME' box. The music can be stopped,played or even changed whilst you're doing your puzzle. MUSIC CHANGE Changes the music before you do your next jigsaw puzzle. If not selected, any existing music will continue to play. SEE PICTURE When switched to 'OFF' (the default position) you can see a copy of the picture at anytime by pressing the 'HELP' key. Pressing that key again returns you to the jigsaw puzzle. When switched to 1,2,3,4 or 5 you are only allowed to see the picture that number of times. Switching to '0' is for masochists only - the picture is never displayed. You have to guess and do the jigsaw puzzle accordingly. Any options selected on the 'Options Page' will be remembered for subsequent puzzles unless you decide to change them or leave the program. Loading a Picture ----------------- The standard file requester is displayed, click on your chosen file and then click on the 'O.K.' button. If you wish to load a picture from another disk, put your disk in df0: or df1: and press the right mouse button. This will display the various drives/directories etc. Click on the appropriate entry once to select it and then a fresh listing will appear of directories/files. To move to a parent directory, click on the small white circle to the left, above the up/down sliders. "Picture Puzzle" will accept any IFF picture file in non-interlaced low, medium, high or HAM modes . If HAM pictures are loaded some 'fringing' may occur to the tiles. I can't do anything about that but don't worry, the 'fringing' goes when the tile is placed in the correct position. If the picture size is too small or too large it will be adjusted to fit the screen. If, after the loading the picture, the "Picture Puzzle" title screen appears, it means that the picture type is not acceptable. Try again with an alternative picture. Manipulating the Pieces (Tiles) ------------------------------- OK, the picture's loaded. After about five seconds viewing time the tiles are mixed up and displayed. To move tiles from one position to another just click the cross-hair pointer on that tile with the LEFT mouse button. Simply move the pointer to the desired position and click the LEFT mouse button again. The tile will now be placed in the new position (and the tile previously occupying that position will be placed in the old position). If you wish to vertically flip the 'picked up' tile just press the RIGHT mouse button (instead of the left one) when placing it in its new position. To horizontally flip the tile just press the SPACE BAR at the same time. The computer will tell you when you have completed the jigsaw. However, if you have a picture that contains large areas of the same colour sky, sea etc. the picture may appear to be complete but several identical tiles may be in the wrong position. You can choose to carry on and guess the right position of these tiles. Alternatively you can press the 'F1' function key to tell the computer that the jigsaw puzzle has been completed. The time and moves taken to complete the jigsaw puzzle will be shown at the bottom of the screen. If you want to give up on a jigsaw puzzle, press the 'F5' function key. This will replace the remain tiles in their correct orientation and positions. Pressing the LEFT mouse key again will then bring you back to the title screen ready to start another jigsaw puzzle. Saving a Partially Completed Puzzle ----------------------------------- Press the 'F10' function key during your jigsaw after having made sure that a disk with enough free space available (approx 1k) is in the disk drive. Press 'S' to save the puzzle or 'F10' again to return to the jigsaw without saving it. If 'S' is selected the standard file requester is displayed. Choose to overwrite an existing file by clicking on it or click in the bottom section of the file requester and type in a file name. Then click on the 'O.K.' box to save the file. Changing Music During a Jigsaw Puzzle ------------------------------------- No problem. Just press the 'M' key and press 'S' to stop the music playing, 'P' to play/restart and 'C' to change the music (the file requester appears etc...) Making a Freestanding "Picture Puzzle" Disk ------------------------------------------- The best way to do this is to set up a self-booting disk (no special libraries required but copy the FONTS directory) and copy the file "Picture Puzzle" to it. Create the root directories "Pictures" and "Modules" and place your pictures/music modules in them accordingly. "Picture Puzzle", by default, will look for these directories to load pictures and music. The saved ".picpuz" files can be stored anywhere on disk. Pictures and Sound modules must NOT be packed. Summary of Keys --------------- Just press the 'Esc' key during your jigsaw puzzle to bring up the summary at the bottom of the screen. Press again (to remove the summary) before you press any other key. Please do write to me with your suggestions on how the game can be improved. I'm already considering adding support for interlaced pictures and MED modules to the next version. What else can you suggest? Finally, my thanks to David & Chris Kent of Barwell for their help. Peter D Wheatstone 28, Mayfield Drive Brayton North Yorks. YO8 9JZ. 16th March 1992