Question 1

How to create Basket Weave Mazes with Puzzle Maker Pro - Mazes 2D Bricks

Accepted Answer

How to create Basket Weave Mazes with Puzzle Maker Pro - Mazes 2D Bricks

This tutorial applies to Puzzle Maker Pro - Mazes 2D Patchwork Bricks.

The tutorial "How to use Mazes 2D Squares" describes how to use the generic options for Mazes 2D.

The module Mazes 2D Bricks for Puzzle Maker Pro contains two maze puzzle types:

Patchwork Bricks, and
Patchwork Basket Weave

This tutorial focuses on Patchwork Basket Weave

Mazes 2D Patchwork Basket Weave lets you design your own maze using the Basket Weave pattern. You can customize the size of the basket, and there are quite a few colorization options, resulting in a more playful (or artistically fulfilling) maze.

The module includes

1 Basket Weave pattern in 8 sizes (2 to 9 bricks/cells per tile)
5 colorization options, and color randomization control

In addition to the Basket Weave options, this module includes the 'standard' maze generation and style options in the Puzzle Maker Pro - Mazes 2D collection.

Note: The Masks Add-On is not available for this module.

Creating Patchwork Basket Weave mazes

Select Mazes 2D in the main Puzzle Type dropdown menu, then select Patchwork Basket Weave in the (maze) Type dropdown menu. Click "Next Preview" to quickly get a first impression. (Changing settings does not automatically create a new preview, because you may want to change multiple settings, and the mazes, especially at larger sizes, may take some time to generate).

https://malcolm-en-gb.s3.eu-west-1.amazonaws.com/instances/wuGqS3zSeN/resources/InjoZEAcpz/Patchwork%20Basket%20Weave%20Overview.png (Patchwork Basket Weave Overview)

On the special Basket Weave tab, you can see four groups of settings

Select the size (number of bricks) for each tile,
Select the Color Style and Accent Color
Select the Accent Color for Color Style 1
Select the Randomization Style for Color Styles 2 and 4

Basket Weave Steps

The number of Steps determines the number of bricks in each 'tile'. You can select a number between 2 and 9, resulting in 2 to 9 bricks horizontally in the first tile, and 2 to 9 bricks vertically in the second tile, etc.

Please be aware that larger tiles (e.g. Steps 7,8,9) will result in mazes that take less steps to solve (because the cells are larger).

In the screenshot above you can see a 20 x 20 grid, using tiles with 3 bricks each. At the right side and at the bottom, you can see that some of the tiles are cut off. That's because 20 is not a multiple of 18. You'll see 6 full tiles and 2 thirds of the tiles at the right and at the bottom.

To prevent this, you can use the option "Full Tiles Only", that will use the largest number of tiles possible without cropping any of them.

https://malcolm-en-gb.s3.eu-west-1.amazonaws.com/instances/wuGqS3zSeN/resources/bUaHpvv7WJ/Patchwork%20Basket%20Weave%20Full%20Tiles%20Only.png (Patchwork Basket Weave Full Tiles Only)

Basket Weave Colorization

There are 5 colorization options for Basket Weave mazes:

None - no additional colors will be applied
Bricks - Color Range: A custom color range will be calculated (see below). Brick 1 in each tile gets Accent Color 1, the last brick gets Accent Color 2, and each brick in between gets a color 'between' the other two
Bricks - Random Colors: Each brick gets a random color, but bricks in the same position will get the same color
Tiles - Checkerboard: Every other tile will be colored with the Accent Color, creating a checkerboard pattern
Tiles - Random Colors: Each tile will get a randomized color. Some tiles may get the same color

Color Range

The Color Range option used the two colors Accent Color and Accent Color 2, and will calculate steps between the RGB values of these colors. Let's say Accent Color = RGB (255,20,0) and Accent Color 2 = RGB (255,162,154). When there are three bricks in each tile (Steps = 3), the middle tile will get the 'averaged' color RgB (255, 91, 77). 91 is exactly in the middle between 20 and 91, 77 if exactly in the middle between 0 and 154.

This brief explanation is just to get a feel for it. It's best to play with the colors and find results that appeal to you. This mechanisme will work with grayscale colors as well.

https://malcolm-en-gb.s3.eu-west-1.amazonaws.com/instances/wuGqS3zSeN/resources/sof2BqySIP/Patchwork%20Basket%20Weave%20Color%20Range.png (Patchwork Basket Weave Color Range)

Random Colors

For random colors, a new color is selected 'near' Accent Color. The "Randomization Range" slider determines the maximum percentage that the new color can be changed from the Accent Color. When you use bricks with random colors, Brick 1 in each tile will always get the same color, etc.

When you select Tiles with Random Colors, each tile (the bricks in each tile) will get a different random color.

https://malcolm-en-gb.s3.eu-west-1.amazonaws.com/instances/wuGqS3zSeN/resources/MBYGaDjcFI/Patchwork%20Basket%20Weave%20Random%20Colors.png (Patchwork Basket Weave Random Colors)

That's all... it's a Basket Weave is a simple pattern, that gets a unique look and feel with the colorization options.

How to create Brick Mazes with Puzzle Maker Pro - Mazes 2D Bricks

This tutorial applies to Puzzle Maker Pro - Mazes 2D Patchwork Bricks.

The tutorial "How to use Mazes 2D Squares" describes how to use the generic options for Mazes 2D.

The module Mazes 2D Bricks for Puzzle Maker Pro contains two maze puzzle types:

Patchwork Bricks, and
Patchwork Basket Weave

This tutorial focuses on Patchwork Bricks

Mazes 2D Patchwork Bricks lets you design your own maze in a several brick bond patterns. In addition to the different patterns and customizations, you can use an accent color for some of the bricks, resulting in a more playful (or artistically fulfilling) maze.

The module includes

7 different brick bond types
3 options to customize the size and position within each bond type
6 colorization options (including randomization of the colorization pattern and randomization of the color)

In addition to the Bricks options, this module includes the 'standard' maze generation and style options in the Puzzle Maker Pro - Mazes 2D collection.

Note: The Masks Add-On is not available for this module.

Using Mazes 2D Patchwork Bricks

Select Mazes 2D in the main Puzzle Type dropdown menu, then select Patchwork Bricks in the (maze) Type dropdown menu. Click "Next Preview" to quickly get a first impression. (Changing settings does not automatically create a new preview, because you may want to change multiple settings, and the mazes, especially at larger sizes, may take some time to generate).

https://malcolm-en-gb.s3.eu-west-1.amazonaws.com/instances/wuGqS3zSeN/resources/u2HAbt0HhQ/Patchwork%20Bricks%20Overview.png (Patchwork Bricks Overview)

On the special Bricks tab, you can see three groups of settings

Select the brick bond type (variation)
Brick and position customization
Bricks Colorization

Bond Types

Currently there are 7 bond types included in Patchwork Bonds:

Flemish Bond
Stretcher Bond
Raking Stretcher Bond
Dutch Bond
English Cross Bond
Dearne's Bond
Rat Trap Bond

Customization Options

In general, as with most features in Puzzle Maker Pro, it's best to experiment and find out your own preferred settings.

Using slider "Height/Width Ratio" you can change the dimensions of the short brick

Using slider "Large/Small Brick Ratio" you can change the size of the large brick (relative to the short brick)

Using slider "2nd Row Shift" you can change the position of each 2nd row of bricks. In reality you shouldn't do ths for load-bearing walls... But for a simple maze, you can be creative.

The screenshot below is just one example of customized brick settings.

https://malcolm-en-gb.s3.eu-west-1.amazonaws.com/instances/wuGqS3zSeN/resources/yZPGzJsDSg/Patchwork%20Bricks%20Customization.png (Patchwork Bricks Customization)

Note: with these settings it's possible to create bricks that have barely any width, making it hard to draw the maze. The software should not crash when you try this, but the walls and passages may overlap. Always check a couple of previews to verify that the results are perfect.

Colorization Options

There are several ways to colorize the bricks in the bricks mazes, creating a more playful and/or elegant experience:

None, no colors will be used, besides the colors on the Style tab
Small Bricks, the small bricks will be colored using the Accent Color
Uneven Bricks, this will color every other brick using the Accent Color
Uneven Rows, this will color the bricks in row 1, 3, 5, etc, using the Accent Color
All Bricks, this will use the Accent Color for all bricks. This works best with the "Randomize Colors" option (see below)
Randomize Pattern, this will use a random Colorization pattern for each puzzle that's generated

The option "Randomize Colors" will create random colors close to the chosen Accent Color, creating a lively, more or less organic, colored wall. (Randomization is done by using a random number to the R, G and B codes of the color).

How to use Puzzle Maker Pro - Mazes 2D DIY Mazes

This tutorial applies to Puzzle Maker Pro - Mazes 2D DIY Mazes.

The tutorial "How to use Mazes 2D Squares" describes how to use the generic options for Mazes 2D.

The tutorial for "Patchwork Log Cabin" describes the common features - this tutorial focuses on how to draw and create your own maze.

Mazes 2D DIY Mazes lets you design your own maze. Entirely, or as a building block that will be repeated and rotated to fill a larger grid.

This module includes:

The option to use your own maze, by creating a text file that can be selected (imported) in Puzzle Maker Pro
3 colorization options (no colors plus two ways to add color accents, dependent on the your maze specifications)
Several options to fill a larger grid (maze) with a smaller design. If you are using POD Graphics Maker as well, you'll recognize this. (this feature is described in detail in the tutorial for "Patchwork Log Cabin"

In addition to the log cabin options, this module includes the 'standard' maze generation and style options in the Puzzle Maker Pro - Mazes 2D collection.

Note: There is no Masks Add-On available for this module. However, you can build the mask into your DIY Maze by adjusting the pattern.

Using Mazes 2D DIY Mazes

Select Mazes 2D in the main Puzzle Type dropdown menu, then select DIY Mazes in the (maze) Type dropdown menu. Click "Next Preview" to quickly get a first impression. (Changing settings does not automatically create a new preview, because you may want to change multiple settings, and the mazes, especially at larger sizes, may take some time to generate).

https://malcolm-en-gb.s3.eu-west-1.amazonaws.com/instances/wuGqS3zSeN/resources/IBkFx743jG/DIY%20Mazes%20Overview.png (DIY Mazes Overview)

On the special DIY Maze tab, you can see several groups of settings:

File selection
Repeat settings
Colorization settings

How to use the Repeat settings and colorization settings is described in the Patchwork Log Cabin tutorial. The way it looks will completely depend on your maze.

Creating the maze

There are 6 steps to create your maze

Draw the maze
Number the different cells / shapes in your maze
Create a text file from these numbers
Select the text file in Puzzle Maker Pro
Click Preview
Adjust maze settings

Step 1 - Draw the maze

https://malcolm-en-gb.s3.eu-west-1.amazonaws.com/instances/wuGqS3zSeN/resources/Lo3eOJFSFz/DIY%20Maze%20-%20design.jpg (DIY Maze - design)

This example image was created in Powerpoint (using a 5x5 table), but you can draw with pencil and paper, or any way you like. The image with the different cells or shapes is just for you, it's not just by Puzzle Maker Pro.

The one thing you need to take care of, is that the grid is made out of squares, each row has the same number of squares, and each column has the same number of squares.

You obviously do not need to design the passages between the cells. These will be generated by Puzzle Maker Pro. if two shapes have multiple shared borders (such as shape 3 and 4 in the next image), Puzzle Maker Pro will randomly select one of the borders.

Each shape needs to be fully connected (in math terms: 4-connected). That means the squares in the shape should be next to each other vertically or horizontally. Otherwise no maze can be generated.

You can choose your own size, up to 100x100. However, in most cases you get create effects by using a smaller design, e.g. 5x5 to 10x10 squares, and then use the power of Puzzle Maker Pro to create randomized repeats.

Step 2 - Number the cells

https://malcolm-en-gb.s3.eu-west-1.amazonaws.com/instances/wuGqS3zSeN/resources/I5kRldmEwk/DIY%20Maze%20numbered%20cells.jpg (DIY Maze numbered cells)

You can use numbers or letters or words, to identify each shape in your maze design. The example uses consecutive numbers (this is the best way for quality control, to be sure there are no duplicate numbers in different shapes).

Step 3 - Create a text file

Now create a simple text file, that can be edited in Notepad. The software can NOT handle Word, Excel or Powerpoint files!

Here's a screenshot of the file DIYMaze.txt that I created for this tutorial:

https://malcolm-en-gb.s3.eu-west-1.amazonaws.com/instances/wuGqS3zSeN/resources/XU6nyc8ohF/DIYMaze.jpg (DIYMaze)

The commas will be used to separate the different cell/shape codes. You cannot use another symbol instead.

That's really all there's to it.

Step 4 - Select the text file

That's number (1) in the screenshot at the top of this page

Step 5 - Click Preview

You'll need to click "Next Preview" to see the results. This is done on purpose, because you may want to adjust several settings at once, and generating a custom maze can take a bit of time (a second or two, for very large mazes, depending on your computer)

Step 6 - Adjust maze settings

Depending on your design, you can now change the grid size and the repeat options, to get differently looking randomized mazes from your design.

Advanced design options

Excluding squares from the maze

There is no Masks option for DIY Mazes, but you can easily exclude cells from the maze: Just use a 0, or nothing at all to add a square that's excluded.

For example 1,1,0,2,2 - this is identical to 1,1,,2,2 (the first option is easier to read and to adjust visually).

Colorization

In addition to the numbers for your maze, you can add a separate (!) line starting with the word 'Accent1' or 'Accent2' that has the numbers that need to be colorized. The lettercase of the word Accent1 doesn't matter.

Accent1 will be used if you select Color Style 1, acccent2 will be used if you select Color Style 2.

This will use the specified accent color for shapes 1, 6 and 9. This can give you a result like the following screenshot:

https://malcolm-en-gb.s3.eu-west-1.amazonaws.com/instances/wuGqS3zSeN/resources/Ow7ueuRR6Y/DIY%20Maze%20Accent%20Colors.png (DIY Maze Accent Colors)

Final remarks

Just like other Puzzle Maker Pro modules, it's best to play around with the settings, generate previews of the mazes, and find settings that fit your style. Don't forget to save these settings as presets, for later reuse!

How to use Puzzle Maker Pro - Mazes 2D Patchwork Log Cabin

This tutorial applies to Puzzle Maker Pro - Mazes 2D Patchwork Log Cabin.

The tutorial "How to use Mazes 2D Squares" describes how to use the generic options for Mazes 2D.

In this tutorial we'll explain the specific 'log cabin' features.

Log Cabin is a type Patchwork design, resembling the way logs are stacked to build a log cabin.

This module includes:

4 different log cabin designs
3 colorization options (no colors plus two ways to add color accents, dependent on the log cabin design)
Several options to fill a larger grid (maze) with a smaller log cabin design, just the way it's done in patchwork designs.

In addition to the log cabin options, this module includes the 'standard' maze generation and style options in the Puzzle Maker Pro - Mazes 2D collection.

Note: Due to the specific algorithm for Mazes 2D Patchwork Log Cabin, the Masks Add-On is not available for this module. It would go against the log cabin concept, and additionally, you wouldn't be able to mask smaller parts of the 'logs'. However, the Mazes 2D DIY Maze module can do all this and more.

Mazes 2D Patchwork Log Cabin

Select Mazes 2D in the main Puzzle Type dropdown menu, then select Patchwork Log Cabin in the (maze) Type dropdown menu. Click "Next Preview" to quickly get a first impression. (Changing settings does not automatically create a new preview, because you may want to change multiple settings, and the mazes, especially at larger sizes, may take some time to generate).

https://malcolm-en-gb.s3.eu-west-1.amazonaws.com/instances/wuGqS3zSeN/resources/77E92SJ0ue/Patchwork%20Log%20Cabin%20Overview.png (Patchwork Log Cabin Overview)

On the special Log Cabin tab, you can see several groups of settings:

The Log Cabin settings Variation and Steps
Repeat settings
Colorization settings

Variation and Steps

Currently there are four different Log Cabin variations in this maze module:

Standard
Courthouse Steps
Chimneys and Cornerstones
Chevrons

For each variation you can customize the size ("Steps"), this will add more log levels.

https://malcolm-en-gb.s3.eu-west-1.amazonaws.com/instances/wuGqS3zSeN/resources/J4gJVE2Imb/Patchwork%20Log%20Cabin%204%20Variations.JPG (Patchwork Log Cabin 4 Variations.JPG)

Repeat Settings

As you can see, these separate grids have quite long cells, which would result in fairly easy mazes. That's why there's the option to fill a larger grid with these log cabin patterns, and generate a maze for the entire grid. The grid size is determined by the Rows/Columns settings in the Puzzle Control area.

https://malcolm-en-gb.s3.eu-west-1.amazonaws.com/instances/wuGqS3zSeN/resources/fETY0Ty7Fp/Patchwork%20Log%20Cabin%20Repeat%20Patterns.JPG (Patchwork Log Cabin Repeat Patterns.JPG)

There are several 'Repeat' options:

Copy - this will just copy the log cabin pattern until the grid is filled.
Rotate Clockwise (1x, 2x, 3x)
Mirror Vertically or Horizontally or both
Random - will randomly select one of the repeat options for each maze you generate.

Finally there's the "Full Repeats Only" option: When you want a 50x50 puzzle, but the log cabin size you selected is 8x8 squares, the log cabins at the right and bottom will be cut off. This may not be a problem, but especially when you use the colorization options, you may want to show only full log cabins. The Full Repeats Only option lets you do that. In the 8x8 log cabin example and a 50x50 maze, it would generate a 48x48 maze instead, using 6 log cabin patterns in each direction.

Colorization Settings

Colorization of your mazes is not required, but it can be a nice touch. In patchwork / quilting there's usually a kind of contrast in the different fabrics that are used, resulting in patterns like this:

https://malcolm-en-gb.s3.eu-west-1.amazonaws.com/instances/wuGqS3zSeN/resources/hsLv9rHrj8/Patchwork%20Log%20Cabin%20Colorization.JPG (Patchwork Log Cabin Colorization.JPG)

You can use this for a maze as well. There are three colorization options and a random option

No Color
Color Variation 1
Color variation 2
Random (Randomly choose one of the three options for each maze you generate)

https://malcolm-en-gb.s3.eu-west-1.amazonaws.com/instances/wuGqS3zSeN/resources/UQQLVJHdnl/Patchwork%20Log%20Cabin%20Maze%20Colorization.JPG (Patchwork Log Cabin Maze Colorization.JPG)

The colorization can give a true patchwork log cabin look and feel to the maze, as you can see in these examples.

Just like other Puzzle Maker Pro modules, it's best to play around with the settings, generate previews of the mazes, and find settings that fit your style. Don't forget to save these settings as presets, for later reuse!

How to use Puzzle Maker Pro - Mazes 2D Cubism

This tutorial applies to Puzzle Maker Pro - Mazes 2D Cubism and Puzzle Maker Pro - Mazes 2D Cubism Variations Add-On.

The tutorial "How to use Mazes 2D Squares" describes how to use the generic options for Mazes 2D.

In this tutorial we'll explain the specific 'cubism' features.

This module works by splitting the entire canvas into smaller areas (squares, rectangles or triangles).

Note: Due to the algorithm used by Mazes 2D Cubism, the Masks Add-On is not available for this module.

Mazes 2D Cubism

https://malcolm-en-gb.s3.eu-west-1.amazonaws.com/instances/wuGqS3zSeN/resources/7pdkcni44w/Mazes%20Cubism%20Overview%20Fifty%20Fifty.png (Mazes Cubism Overview Fifty Fifty)

To use Mazes 2D Cubism, select "Mazes 2D" in the puzzle type dropdown menu, and then select "Cubism" in the Puzzle Control area. Next, click preview to generate a first maze.

The number of rows and columns defines the smallest possible square in the maze. However, due to randomization, it's not always guaranteed that this size will occur
The "Split Ratio" slider controls how often squares (or rectangles) will be split into smaller squares or rectangles. To keep many relatively large squares and rectangles, move the slider to the left. To get many small squares and just a few larger ones, move the slider to the right.

Mazes 2D Cubism Variations

The Mazes 2D Cubism Variations Add-On adds two new variations to the Cubism mazes:

Golden Ratio
Triangles

Golden Ratio

The Golden ratio (also sectio aurea / sectio divina) is a way to split a line in two sections, where the ratio between section 1 and section 2 is identical to the ratio between section 2 and section 1 plus section 2. This can be applied repeatedly.

Triangles

The addition of triangles will result in a completely different type of maze. In this case the maze will consist of squares, rectangles and triangles.

https://malcolm-en-gb.s3.eu-west-1.amazonaws.com/instances/wuGqS3zSeN/resources/MF8KmHwRjV/Mazes%20Cubism%20Overview%20Triangles.png (Mazes Cubism Overview Triangles)

To use Triangles, select the "Squares / Rectangles / Triangles option (1)

How to use the Time Saver for Puzzle Maker Pro - Mazes 2D

The Time Saver for Puzzle Maker Pro - Mazes 2D works for:

The Time saver consists of two distinct parts:

Batch creation of mazes
Advanced layouts options with grids up to 10x10 puzzles or solutions

Batch Creation of Mazes

There are several ways you can control the mazes that are generated by the Time Saver

Using Presets
Enter rows in the control grid
Add images for masks using the Quick Mask options

We'll discuss these different options in the paragraphs below.

Batch Creation using Presets

https://malcolm-en-gb.s3.eu-west-1.amazonaws.com/instances/wuGqS3zSeN/resources/Bgl3MfS42X/Mazes%202D%20Time%20Saver%20Presets.png (Mazes 2D Time Saver Presets)

To use this option, don't forget to click (check) the options "Use Time Saver" and "Use Time Saver - Preset Puzzles".

Click the tab "Preset Puzzles" on the Time Saver tab. At the left you can see all the presets for Mazes 2D. If they're not visible yet, click "Refresh List".

The presets shown here are presets that you have saved yourself. There are no built-in presets, since it's so very easy to create your own.

You can select one or more presets (using Shift / Ctrl to select multiple presets) and click "Add Selected". The default quantity for each preset is 1, you can change this by clicking on the number you want to change.

Preset puzzles can be combined with the "Fast" mode for the Time Saver.

Batch Creation using the Control Grid

When you use the Control Grid (the "Fast" option), The Time Saver will use most of the settings from the regular "Puzzle Settings". These will be overruled by the specific settings that can be entered in the grid.

https://malcolm-en-gb.s3.eu-west-1.amazonaws.com/instances/wuGqS3zSeN/resources/mOYcLeAuzp/Mazes%202D%20Time%20Saver%20Fast.png (Mazes 2D Time Saver Fast)

Select the maze type that you need, the quantity and the grid size (Rows / Columns)
Click "Add Row" to add a row to the Control Grid
Change options as needed in the Control Grid by clicking the number or item you want to change
Click "Create (TS)" to create the puzzles and optionally the Instant Puzzle Book

Batch Creation using Quick Masks in the Control Grid

If you have the Masks Add-On, you can use the Quick Masks option:

https://malcolm-en-gb.s3.eu-west-1.amazonaws.com/instances/wuGqS3zSeN/resources/v4rKADjwcp/Mazes%202D%20Time%20Saver%20Quick%20Mask.png (Mazes 2D Time Saver Quick Mask)

Set the maze type and grid size that you need. You should set the Quantity to 1, unless you want several puzzles with identical masks
Click "Add Quick Mask". This will open the file explorer on your computer, allowing you to select one or several images. For each image, a row in the Control Grid will be added
Change options as needed
Click "Create (TS)" to create the puzzles using the Time Saver.

How to use the Styling options for Puzzle Maker Pro - Mazes 2D

This tutorial applies to:

There are five different sections for styling, which are combined on 3 tabs, that can be found on the Style tab

Passage / Door Styling (Line Style tab)
Wall / Border Styling (Line Style tab)
Colors (Colors tab)
Solution Path Styling (Colors tab)
Start/End Settings (Start/End tab)

Line Style tab

Passages / Doors

The Passage / Doors settings control how large the openings between the different squares, circles or other shapes are. The maximum is 100% (completely open).

https://malcolm-en-gb.s3.eu-west-1.amazonaws.com/instances/wuGqS3zSeN/resources/8A1ihjmN47/Mazes%202D%20-%20Styling%20-%20Passage.png (Mazes 2D - Styling - Passage)

As you can see in the screenshot, changing the passages setting will create a different 'atmosphere' for the maze.

In addition to the Passage Width setting, you can also randomize the Passage Width and/or the Passage Position, resulting in a more chaotic looking maze:

https://malcolm-en-gb.s3.eu-west-1.amazonaws.com/instances/wuGqS3zSeN/resources/Sh92ULE9XL/Mazes%202D%20-%20Styling%20-%20Passage%20Random.png (Mazes 2D - Styling - Passage Random)

Note: This setting is not used for the Small Circles mazes.

Borders / Walls

The Borders / Walls settings control the width (weight) of the lines between te squares, octagons or other shapes. The current maximum is 20% (of the square width).

https://malcolm-en-gb.s3.eu-west-1.amazonaws.com/instances/wuGqS3zSeN/resources/K7PzfLysWo/Mazes%202D%20-%20Styling%20-%20Walls.png (Mazes 2D - Styling - Walls)

As you can see in the screenshot, this setting makes the walls much more pronounced.

Additionally you can randomize the wall thickness (or width / weight). This will determine a different line width for each cell (square, octagon, circle, etc) and draw all lines around the shape with that line width, resulting in a more hand-drawn, stylish look.

https://malcolm-en-gb.s3.eu-west-1.amazonaws.com/instances/wuGqS3zSeN/resources/XgCnQZEk0C/Mazes%202D%20-%20Styling%20-%20Walls%20Random.png (Mazes 2D - Styling - Walls Random)

Colors tab

There are five different places to set the colors for Mazes 2D:

The (Wall) Line color (Line Style tab)
The Font color for Start and End symbols (Start/End tab)
The Canvas and Cell 'Floor' color (see below)
The Solution line color (see below)

Canvas / Background Colors

The canvas and 'Floors' colors are two ways to fill the background of an image with color. The canvas is shown everywhere where there is no cell (square or other shape), the Floor color is shown for every cell.

The example below shows an extreme coloring scheme:

In this example we chose the Easy Octagons shape to illustrate the use of colors. All the purple areas are not covered by octagons, the yellow areas are octagons.

For square or oblique mazes, the canvas color will be shown when you use a mask to define the maze contours, otherwise it will not be visible.

Solution Line Style

You can customize the look and feel of the solution path (which will only be shown in the maze solutions!):

You can set the color (for puzzle books printed in grayscale you can select a contrasting gray color)
You can set the width (weight / thickness) of the path, this is a percentage of the cell width
You can choose a dashed path
You can choose a curved path (which often looks better for non-square shapes)

Below you can see two examples with the dashed and the curved path.

https://malcolm-en-gb.s3.eu-west-1.amazonaws.com/instances/wuGqS3zSeN/resources/5ohsZv5pa6/Mazes%202D%20-%20Styling%20-%20Solution%20Dashed.png (Mazes 2D - Styling - Solution Dashed)

https://malcolm-en-gb.s3.eu-west-1.amazonaws.com/instances/wuGqS3zSeN/resources/AwBt1nYFRm/Mazes%202D%20-%20Styling%20-%20Solution%20Curved.png (Mazes 2D - Styling - Solution Curved)

Start/End tab

There are several options to customize the Start and End points in Mazes 2D:

https://malcolm-en-gb.s3.eu-west-1.amazonaws.com/instances/wuGqS3zSeN/resources/8JR1teg1iE/Mazes%202D%20Squares%20-%20StartEnd%20Options.png (Mazes 2D Squares - StartEnd Options)

You can choose to let the outside passage / wall open. This is shown in the green circle, where the left and top edges of the square are left blank
You can set the font and font color for the Start and End letters - just click the font preview panel that says Arial to change the font and other settings
You can change the letters to be used
You can use images instead of letters.

Using images for Start and End

https://malcolm-en-gb.s3.eu-west-1.amazonaws.com/instances/wuGqS3zSeN/resources/JvF1MxnEjt/Mazes%202D%20Squares%20-%20Start%20End%20Images.png (Mazes 2D Squares - Start End Images)

To use images for Start and End, you can drag and drop images on the two white panels (the Start/End Image Settings), or click the panels and select an image).

How to use Puzzle Maker Pro - Mazes 2D Other Shapes

This tutorial applies to Puzzle Maker Pro - Mazes 2D Other Shapes.

The tutorial "How to use Mazes 2D Squares" describes how to use the generic options for Mazes 2D.

The Puzzle Maker Pro module Mazes 2D Other Shapes offers two additional shape styles for your mazes:

Easy Octagons, and
Small Circles

Easy Octagons

Mazes 2D Easy Octagons

https://malcolm-en-gb.s3.eu-west-1.amazonaws.com/instances/wuGqS3zSeN/resources/QyQAq3WZ7v/Mazes%202D%20Easy%20Octagons.png (Mazes 2D Easy Octagons)

The maze type 'Easy Octagons' will create a maze with octagon shapes. It's called "Easy" because the little squares between the octagons are not part of the maze, making it easier to solve. This maze type is great to provide some variety in your maze or activity books.

All the maze and styling options are identical to the Mazes 2D Squares options.

By playing with the color and line styling, you can create some outstanding designs, such as:

Mazes 2D Easy Octagons

https://malcolm-en-gb.s3.eu-west-1.amazonaws.com/instances/wuGqS3zSeN/resources/3ROK56FSuw/Mazes%202D%20Easy%20Octagons%20Styling.png (Mazes 2D Easy Octagons Styling)

Small Circles

Mazes 2D Small Circles

https://malcolm-en-gb.s3.eu-west-1.amazonaws.com/instances/wuGqS3zSeN/resources/o3tEjFaiRA/Mazes%202D%20Small%20Circles.png (Mazes 2D Small Circles)

The maze type 'Small Circles' will create a maze with small circles instead of squares. This maze type is also great to provide variety in you rmaze or activity books.

By playing with the color and line styling, you can create some unique designs, such as:

https://malcolm-en-gb.s3.eu-west-1.amazonaws.com/instances/wuGqS3zSeN/resources/PNmYsHfsZe/Mazes%202D%20Small%20Circles%20Styling.png (Mazes 2D Small Circles Styling)

Small Circles - Limitations

Due to the nature of the circles, it's not currently possibly to use the Style options to configure or randomize the passages between the circles.

How to create Basket Weave Mazes with Puzzle Maker Pro - Mazes 2D Bricks

How to create Brick Mazes with Puzzle Maker Pro - Mazes 2D Bricks

How to use Puzzle Maker Pro - Mazes 2D DIY Mazes

How to use Puzzle Maker Pro - Mazes 2D Patchwork Log cabin

How to use Puzzle Maker Pro - Mazes 2D Cubism

Puzzle Maker Pro - Mazes 2D Squares Video Overview

Puzzle Maker Pro - Mazes 2D Oblique Video Overview

How to use the Time Saver for Puzzle Maker Pro - Mazes 2D

How to use the Styling options for Puzzle Maker Pro - Mazes 2D

How to use Puzzle Maker Pro - Other Shapes