Question 1

How to use Puzzle Maker Pro - Other Shapes

Accepted Answer

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 use Puzzle Maker Pro - Mazes 2D Oblique

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

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 'obliqueness' features.

Mazes 2D Oblique

The Oblique pattern was inspired by the Japanese artist Yayoi Kusama, specifically her illustrations for Alice's Adventures in Wonderland (which is definitely recommended).

Mazes 2D Oblique - Slant

https://malcolm-en-gb.s3.eu-west-1.amazonaws.com/instances/wuGqS3zSeN/resources/j9KDlczj4K/Mazes%202D%20Oblique%20-%20Slant.jpg (Mazes 2D Oblique - Slant)

The slant for each line segment (each edge of a 'square') is determine by two settings:

Line Slant: the maximum slant for the line (either horizontally or vertically), and
Cell Edge Slant: the maximum slant for the cell edges

The values determine a percentage of the row height and column width. If you set it to maximum value (which actually is 30-40%), a row height (or column width) may be increased by up to that value. A row that would be 200 pixels high, may be approx 280 pixels high.

The Line Slant and Cell Edge Slant are randomized and added together for each cell segment. There's a maximum of 40% increase or decrease, to make sure that the cells are still large enough to create a maze.

The most extreme (highest / lowest) points of a line are randomly chosen along the line, but the sides are always at the set cell height or width.

This may sound complex, it's best to play with the sliders and previews yourself, and then read this again, if you need more information.

The Masks Add-On for Puzzle Maker Pro - Mazes 2D Squares

With the Masks Add-On for Mazes 2D Squares you can create shaped mazes. Mazes in the shape of anything you want.

This add-on supports three different styles of mask creation:

Quick Masks
Create masks in the Mask Editor using a silhouette
Create masks in the Mask Editor manually

Of course you can also combine the two: Use a silhouette first, and then manually edit the resulting mask.

You can find the mask options under the Mask tab.

Mazes 2D Squares - Mask Tab

https://malcolm-en-gb.s3.eu-west-1.amazonaws.com/instances/wuGqS3zSeN/resources/MtMjI9wSGg/Mazes%202D%20Squares%20-%20Mask%20Tab.png (Mazes 2D Squares - Mask Tab)

To use a Mask, the first step is to click the “Use Mask” checkbox. That will let the software know that it should use a mask. (You can also uncheck it, to temporarily disable a mask that you’ve set up).

Whenever you switch the Maze Type, the mask will reset.

Note: the details may work slightly different for different shapes, but the main mechanics are the same.

This tutorial applies to the following products:

Masks Add-On for Puzzle Maker Pro - Mazes 2D

Quick Masks

The easiest option to create a mask, is the Quick Mask option.

First, you need to select an image. Either beither clicking the white panel below the “Use Quick Mask” checkbox, or by dragging your image onto that panel.

Next, click the “Use Quick Mask” button, and click “Next Preview”.

Mazes 2D Squares - Quick Mask

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

When you do this, there can be different outcomes:

You get a shaped maze, like the example screenshot.
Nothing happens
You get a result, but it’s underwhelming

After the Quick Mask is generated, the “Use Quick Mask” checkbox will be unchecked automatically – Generating a mask from a bitmap image takes time, and you may not want to generate the same mask over and over, while you’re adjusting style settings (or selecting different tiles).

However, if you want to create a new mask with the Quick Mask feature, because you changed the grid size or the image, you have to manually check this checkbox again.

Quick Mask - Nothing Happens

The Quick Mask option will try to generate a mask, using the grid settings (the number of rows) and the image you selected. It will do so by analyzing the silhouette image, using AI to find settings that result in a "Connected Mask" is created.

Connected Mask – To create a maze, all the cells in the grid must be connected. When you use a mask that results in separate ‘islands’ of cells that are not connected, the mask cannot be used.

If the AI cannot find a Connected Mask the Quick Mask generator will give up, and there will be no mask.

Underwhelming Results

In many cases, especially when you’re first starting to use the Masks Add-On, the result may be a bit underwhelming. The screenshot shows an example of what can happen:

Mazes 2D Squares - Mask Underwhelming Result

https://malcolm-en-gb.s3.eu-west-1.amazonaws.com/instances/wuGqS3zSeN/resources/UXRLQg5SpU/Mazes%202D%20Squares%20-%20Mask%20Underwhelming%20Result.png (Mazes 2D Squares - Mask Underwhelming Result)

Even though we started with the silhouette of a car, and a mask was created, the resulting image and the maze do not resemble a car. This is not a bug: The mask generator did what it’s supposed to do – each cell that has enough colored (in this case black) pixels, will be added to the maze.

However, when the grid is too small (in this case 12 rows) and the lines of the silhouette are too thin, the cells won’t be part of the mask. In this case the roof of the car, and the top of the headlights are not part of the mask.

You can increase the number of rows for the grid, to create a better mask, or optionally use the Mask Editor to manually create a good mask based on the silhouette.

Mask Editor - Using a Silhouette

To create a mask from an image, you’ll need an image that can work as a silhouette: You can set which background color(s) to remove from the mask, and all other colors will be part of the mask. The masks feature won’t work well with line-art images.

When you click “Edit Mask”, you’ll see the Mask Editor:

Mask Editor Overview

https://malcolm-en-gb.s3.eu-west-1.amazonaws.com/instances/wuGqS3zSeN/resources/RQbQUfYO33/Masks%20Add-On%20Mask%20Editor.jpg (Mask Editor Overview)

The resulting mask. If you already had a mask selected, it will be shown here, otherwise all cells will be part of the mask,
The image selection panel. Either click here to select an image, or drag and drop an image onto the white panel
Depending on the image, you may need to adjust the background color
At the top you can see a status message. In the screenshot it’s green “Cells are connected”. If there are disconnected ‘islands’ of cells in your mask, it will show a warning in red.
After selecting an image, you can change the Mask Sensitivity to create a better result,
After changing the grid size or Mask Sensitivity, click “Scan Image” to create the new mask from the current image. This will overwrite any manual changes that you’ve made.

You can toggle each square (or tile) in the mask by clicking on it, or by using the advanced editing options:

Setting the background color

For regular silhouette images, the background will be either white or transparent. You can also select a different color, or even switch the foreground and background for a silhouette image. It’s also possible to use white and a selected other color and transparent as three different options to determine the background.

Changing the Mask Sensitivity

The Mask Sensitivity is the threshold for background pixels in each cell (square or isometric). If there are more background pixels than that threshold, it will be excluded from the mask. Otherwise it will be included. You can manually adjust the threshold to create a slightly different mask from your image.

Three examples of different Mask Sensitivity settings:

Mask Editor - Scan Sensitivity

https://malcolm-en-gb.s3.eu-west-1.amazonaws.com/instances/wuGqS3zSeN/resources/I3rpsYCuEO/Masks%20Add-On%20Sensitivity.jpg (Mask Editor - Scan Sensitivity)

Create Masks Manually

Click on the “Manual Editing” tab (in the Mask Editor) to reveal the advanced editing options:

Masks Add-On Manual Mask Editing Options

https://malcolm-en-gb.s3.eu-west-1.amazonaws.com/instances/wuGqS3zSeN/resources/zLPM5rq2AZ/Masks%20Add-On%20Manual%20Mask%20Editing%20Options.jpg (Masks Add-On Manual Mask Editing Options)

Action - Toggle will switch the color from black to white and vice versa. This will include or exclude the cell or range from the mask.
Action - Copy Color will copy the color of the clicked cell to all the cells in the range
Range Type: When you click on a single cell (tile), you can select whether just the cell, the row or the column have to change color
Range Size: Adjust 1, 3 or 5 cells, rows or columns at a time

The screenshot shows the result after two mouse-clicks:

Click on a cell with Action “Toggle”, Range type “Row” and Range Size “3”
Click on a different cell with Action “Toggle”, Range type “Column” and Range Size “3”

You can see that by using Toggle, some of the white cells in the rows have turned black again. By using “Copy Color” you can prevent this.

You can also see that the result of these two actions is a maze that is NOT connected (see the red warning at the top of the window). I’d have to do more editing to make this into a good shape for a maze.

Note: clicking the cells for editing is somewhat sensitive. If you move the mouse while clicking, the software will not know whether you want to move or click. (If you zoom in, using the mouse wheel, you can click and drag the image, to view exactly the part that you need to see best).

Puzzle Maker Pro - Mazes 2D Overview

Mazes 2D is the 2022 update of our popular Mazes software (formerly Standard Mazes 2D/ Standard and Shaped Mazes 2D).

This option in Puzzle Maker Pro is the entry point for several current and new puzzle modules:

Standard Mazes 2D / Standard and Shaped Mazes 2D (if you have this module, the Mazes 2D Squares option will be available to you)
Mazes 2D Oblique - a Tangle / Doodle / Yayoi Kusama-style maze
Mazes 2D Other Shapes - Easy Octagons and Small Circles

Additionally there are some Add-Ons available for these mazes

The examples in this tutorial use the Mazes 2D Squares. It should be easy to use these options for the other shapes. For specifics, there are additional tutorials for each maze type.

Getting Started with Mazes 2D

Mazes 2D Squares Main Overview

https://malcolm-en-gb.s3.eu-west-1.amazonaws.com/instances/wuGqS3zSeN/resources/TwQWXvoswn/Mazes%202D%20Squares%20Main.png (Mazes 2D Squares Main Overview)

Mazes 2D Squares Main Overview

Select Mazes 2D in the dropdown menu at the top. This will open the puzzle options for Mazes 2D
In the Puzzle Control section you can select the puzzle type, in this case Squares is selected. Here you can also set the number of puzzles (Quantity) and the puzzle size (rows and columns)
There are several tabs for the different maze and customization options. By default the Main tab is selected
On the Main tab you can control the maze generation options, such as the maze / solution complexity and the solution path (where the Start and End points will be chosen)
After changing the settings for the maze, click Next Preview to see a newly generated maze with the changed settings. (This is not done automatically, otherwise you may have to wait after each change)
The preview panel
By default the Solution is shown, use this switch to display the puzzle (without the solution path)

Info Tab

Solution Complexity

You can use the big red slider "Solution Complexity" to control how the maze is generated. There are several built-in algorithms that result in differently shaped mazes. These algorithms set some limits, within these limits the maze generation process is completely random.

To get an idea of the differences, here you see two extreme examples. It's best (and very easy) to experiment with this setting yourself.

Mazes 2D Squares - Complexity 0

https://malcolm-en-gb.s3.eu-west-1.amazonaws.com/instances/wuGqS3zSeN/resources/UsISAYEcCc/Mazes%202D%20Squares%20-%20Complexity%200.png (Mazes 2D Squares - Complexity 0)

Mazes 2D Squares - Complexity 0

Mazes 2D Squares - Complexity 100

https://malcolm-en-gb.s3.eu-west-1.amazonaws.com/instances/wuGqS3zSeN/resources/fCcKZpppAP/Mazes%202D%20Squares%20-%20Complexity%20100.png (Mazes 2D Squares - Complexity 100)

Mazes 2D Squares - Complexity 100

Solution Path

There are several options for the solution path (which is part of the maze generation process:

Default - Top Left to Bottom Right, this may be slightly different for certain maze types
Random - This will set a random starting point on one of the maze edges, and select an end point at an opposite edge
Longest Path - This will choose the longest possible path in a maze. Usually the Start and End points are not on the edges of the maze
Manual - you can manually select the Start and End points. To do this, right-click the preview panel on the maze cell (square/other shape) where you want the Start or End point, and select the appropriate option in the pop-up menu)

Mazes 2D Squares - Path Random

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

Mazes 2D Squares - Path Random

Mazes 2D Squares - Longest Path

https://malcolm-en-gb.s3.eu-west-1.amazonaws.com/instances/wuGqS3zSeN/resources/b4rBaUYtAq/Mazes%202D%20Squares%20-%20Longest%20Path.png (Mazes 2D Squares - Longest Path)

Mazes 2D Squares - Longest Path

Mazes 2D Squares - Manual Start

https://malcolm-en-gb.s3.eu-west-1.amazonaws.com/instances/wuGqS3zSeN/resources/k1md7DgoHv/Mazes%202D%20Squares%20-%20Manual%20Start.png (Mazes 2D Squares - Manual Start)

Mazes 2D Squares - Manual Start

Puzzle Maker Pro - Latin Squares

Latin Squares

A Latin Square is a square where each row and column only contains distinct symbols or colors. It has a resemblance with Sudoku, but the rules are easier to understand, because there are no boxes or regions.

In Puzzle Maker Pro - Latin Squares, there are different grid sizes, ranging from 3x3 (easiest) to 9x9 (hardest). For most grid sizes there are several difficulty levels, which are derived from the difficulty levels for Sudoku.

How to Create Latin Squares puzzles

https://malcolm-en-gb.s3.eu-west-1.amazonaws.com/instances/wuGqS3zSeN/resources/B8yrMBPOmB/Latin%20Sqares%20-%20Settings%20Overview.png (Latin Sqares - Settings Overview.png)

To create Latin Squares puzzles, first you have to select Latin Squares in the Puzzle Type menu at the top (1). The main areas on the screen are:

The Grid Size selection (2), here you can select a grid size from 3x3 to 9x9.
The Difficulty Level (3) - This depends on the grid size, e.g. the smallest grid size 3x3 has only one difficulty level, while the largest grid size 9x9 has 7 difficulty levels
To see the result of your changes click "Create" or "Next Preview" (4). Both will show a new puzzle, based on your settings. Next Preview is best while you're still customizing the style and puzzle settings, this will not save the puzzle on your computer. Create will create a puzzle, save it to the computer and show it in the preview panel (5)
Style options (6) - For Latin Squares there are several style option tabs: Font Settings, Grid Styling and Symbol Options.
The Info tab (6) shows which licenses you have activated for this module
At the bottom right there's the "Preview Solution" checkbox (7) - Use this to switch the preview panel from puzzle to solution and back

By settings the quantity (3) and clicking Create, you can create a large number of puzzles at once. They will be saved in the location you've set up on the Output Settings tab.

Font and Grid Styling

https://malcolm-en-gb.s3.eu-west-1.amazonaws.com/instances/wuGqS3zSeN/resources/uB8GxNDM95/Latin%20Squares%20-%20Font%20Styling.png (Latin Squares - Font Styling.png)

To change the font for your puzzles, click the small looking glass (1) or click the white font preview panel (2). This will open the font setup dialog.

In Puzzle Maker Pro, the font size is always relative to the available to the square or cell where the number or character should be placed. If you want to publish large print puzzle books, please check out this tutorial.

You can also customize the grid colors:

https://malcolm-en-gb.s3.eu-west-1.amazonaws.com/instances/wuGqS3zSeN/resources/B7AqwdK84e/Latin%20Squares%20-%20Grid%20Styling.png (Latin Squares - Grid Styling.png)

You can set the background (canvas) color (1), the color and weight of the outer border (3) and the color and weight of the inner lines / cell borders (2)

Symbol Options (Latin Squares Creative Only)

Numbers

The option to use numbers is only available in the regular Latin Squares module, all other symbol options are available as part of the Latin Squares Creative module.

Letters

https://malcolm-en-gb.s3.eu-west-1.amazonaws.com/instances/wuGqS3zSeN/resources/k1yKCKYK5r/Latin%20Squares%20-%20Letters%20Screenshot.png (Latin Squares - Letters Screenshot.png)

To use Letters, choose "Letters" in the Symbol dropdown list. You can edit which letters to use.

Roman Numericals

https://malcolm-en-gb.s3.eu-west-1.amazonaws.com/instances/wuGqS3zSeN/resources/IxboTWc9tF/Latin%20Squares%20-%20Roman%20Numericals%20Screenshot.png (Latin Squares - Roman Numericals Screenshot.png)

Roman Numericals is a built in style, it will replace 1 with "I", 2 with "II", etc, using the font you selected on the Font Styling tab.

Images

https://malcolm-en-gb.s3.eu-west-1.amazonaws.com/instances/wuGqS3zSeN/resources/25Sytl9F2a/Latin%20Squares%20Images%20Screenshot.png (Latin Squares Images Screenshot.png)

You can use your own images, but please be careful to use relatively simple images only: Especially at higher difficulty levels, it's hard enough to solve the puzzles with numbers or letters. With images the puzzles will be more difficult.

You can add the images one by one by clicking the image panel (the little white rectangles that show a moon and a boot in the screenshot. You can also drag one or several images onto the panels.

Colors

https://malcolm-en-gb.s3.eu-west-1.amazonaws.com/instances/wuGqS3zSeN/resources/F0W0q3Qzvt/Latin%20Squares%20Colors%20Screenshot.png (Latin Squares Colors Screenshot.png)

You can also use colors. The built-in colors have been selected for their uniqueness and contrast. You can change each separate color by clicking on the colored rectangle (e.g. the red or orange rectangles in the screenshot) and selecting a different color with the color dialog window.

Question 7

How to Set Colors and Font Options with Puzzle Maker Pro

Accepted Answer

This tutorial shows how to use the Color Selection options and the Font Options in Puzzle Maker Pro. The Font options are not yet available for every single module at the moment of writing.

Color Selection

In Puzzle Maker Pro you can set the canvas, line and font color for most puzzles using a little rectangle, like the one shown here:

https://malcolm-en-gb.s3.eu-west-1.amazonaws.com/instances/wuGqS3zSeN/resources/ns1DnajCgp/Color%20Selection%20Options.jpg (Color Selection Options.jpg)

You can set the color in several ways:

Add the color RGB code in either decimal or hexadecimal numbers. This allows you to match the colors exactly to other illustrations or style options
Add or edit the color by setting the HSL numbers (Hue, Saturation, Lightness)
Click the rainbow panel (or the black or the white panel on top of it). Clicking the rainbow panel will change the two panels below it to match the selected color
Click the Saturation panel. This is the middle panel, which shows colors from totally gray (unsaturated) to bright blue (fully saturated)
Click the Lumination panel. This is the bottom panel, and shows colors from white to blue to black
You can also click the "Windows Color Picker" button, this allows you to use the standard Windows Color picker to select or edit colors
Click "Use" to use the selected color.

https://malcolm-en-gb.s3.eu-west-1.amazonaws.com/instances/wuGqS3zSeN/resources/ulL8O24x8S/Windows%20Color%20Picker.jpg (Windows Color Picker.jpg)

Font Options

In most cases, whenever there's a font to be used in a puzzle, you'll see a font preview panel, that shows the current font, and allows you to select a different font:

https://malcolm-en-gb.s3.eu-west-1.amazonaws.com/instances/wuGqS3zSeN/resources/27b9z2HXAq/Font%20Preview%20Panel.jpg (Font Preview Panel.jpg)

Clicking on the white area or on the looking glass button will display the Font Setup window:

https://malcolm-en-gb.s3.eu-west-1.amazonaws.com/instances/wuGqS3zSeN/resources/yNvF8ZoU5t/Font%20Setup%20Options.jpg (Font Setup Options.jpg)

This window has several options. (Due to ongoing updates and additions, some options may not be used yet for certain puzzles. Please let me know (with a helpdesk ticket) whenever there's something that you need that doesn't work yet.

Changes will be immediately reflected in the preview panel at the right.

From top to bottom:

Font Selection dropdown menu - you can select a font from the list, or use the built-in font browser to see previews of all the fonts, by clicking the looking glass button
Font Color - set the color for the font, using the Color Selection Dialog
Bold - May set the font type to Bold
Letter Case - This will let the letters unchanged, or force Uppercase or Lowercase use in the puzzle
Relative Font Size - By default the font will be sized proportionally to the squares or shapes in the puzzle, leaving enough margin at the top, bottom and sides. However, you can use this slider to make the font larger or smaller
Move Horizontally / Vertically - Allows you to position the letters in the squares. You may need this when changing from lowercase to uppercase (uppercase letters are all positioned above the font baseline, which may look strange in a puzzle). Also, many free fonts are not scaled or aligned properly, and you can use these settings to correct that

Built-in Font Browser

In most Puzzle Maker Pro modules (except the oldest ones), you can also use the built-in Font Browser to preview and select a font.

https://malcolm-en-gb.s3.eu-west-1.amazonaws.com/instances/wuGqS3zSeN/resources/AFYO3NRioX/Built-in%20Font%20Browser.jpg (Built-in Font Browser.jpg)

Here you can see a number of fonts at once. You can:

Use the Search field to type a part of a font name
Use the font list at the left, and the scroll bar, to quickly move around in the list of fonts
Use the grid Size options at the lower left to change how many fonts are shown in the grid at the right
Use the little looking glass icon for each font to open a larger zoomable preview of the font
Use the little check mark for a font to select and use that font

Note: The Font Browser is also available as a separate purchase, which doesn't require Puzzle Maker Pro

Question 8

How to get started with Puzzle Maker Pro - Wordoku

Accepted Answer

Puzzle Maker Pro - Wordoku is a puzzle maker that creates word puzzles based on the sudoku puzzle rules.

Wordoku Products

This tutorial applies to Puzzle Maker Pro - Wordoku and Puzzle Maker - Pro Variations

Overview

https://malcolm-en-gb.s3.eu-west-1.amazonaws.com/instances/wuGqS3zSeN/resources/tOIAGJDNAD/Wordoku%20Overview%20Screenshot%20Steps.jpg (Wordoku Overview Screenshot Steps.jpg)

The screenshot shows the starting view when you switch to Wordoku in Puzzle Maker Pro:

The Puzzle Type shows whether or not you have a license for Wordoku. You can find details on the Info tab (4)
Wordoku comes in several sizes. The default size is 9x9, based on the regular 9x9 Sudoku grid. If you have the Wordoku Variations module, you can also choose 4x4, 6x6 and 8x8 grids, for 4, 6 and 8 letter words.
Difficulty Levels: these depend on the grid size, and have been derived from the regular sudoku difficulty levels that are used in our Sudoku modules. Please note that wordoku puzzles are actually a bit easier, because you can also guess the word itself. (For example, if you have N . . D, and the remaining letters are E and R, you can 'guess' the word NERD. This is not possible in regular sudoku puzzles.
Wordoku tabs: Word List, Word Styling, Grid Styling and Info. The Info tab displays the licenses and options you have available.
The word list / word list file selection (see below)
Buttons to Create puzzles or create a Next Preview. "Create" will create and save puzzles for each word in the word list. "Next Preview" creates one single puzzle and displays it in the Preview panel (7). This enables you to test styling and other settings before actually creating puzzles. To switch between puzzle and solution preview, check/uncheck the "Preview Solution" box at the bottom right.

Word List Options

You can either type a list of words, or select "Word List File" and select a file that has a list of words. The latter makes it easier to reuse word lists.

The word list should be created as a plain text file with extension .txt (for example with notepad). Copying a list of words from MS Excel or MS Word may work, but it's best to verify that no additional characters (tabs etc) are included
Each word should only have different letters, otherwise it will be skipped when puzzles are generated
Each word should be on a separate line, and have the right number of letters (4, 6, 8 or 9, depending on the Wordoku size)
Optionally you can add a puzzle title, which should be separated from the word by a colon ":". For example "publisher:occupation". The word "publisher" will be used for the puzzle. "occupation" will be added to the title if you create an Instant Puzzle Book. (If you don't create Instant Puzzle Books, the additional word will not be used)
There will be a file "Skipped Words [date-time].txt in the Puzzles folder that has a list of words that could not be used for a puzzle.

Word Styling Options

https://malcolm-en-gb.s3.eu-west-1.amazonaws.com/instances/wuGqS3zSeN/resources/eAj7feO9kM/Wordoku%20Word%20Position%20Screenshot.jpg (Wordoku Word Position Screenshot.jpg)

The Word Styling tab allows you to determine the position of the word in the puzzle, and to set up font and color of the word.

Word Location

You can choose whether the word should be placed Horizontally, Vertically or Randomly. You can also specify the exact position - which row or column to use. For "Random", there's a 50/50 chance of the word being placed horizontally or vertically, and the position (row/column) is also determined randomly.

Font and Color

You can change the font for the letters in the puzzle by clicking the white panel that shows the font preview (in the screenshot that's the Loveday font. You can change the font, the font color, and also change the positioning (vertically and horizontally). Changing the position may be needed because not all fonts are centered on the baseline properly. Additionally, the position may appear off when you use uppercase instead of lowercase.

Grid Styling Options

https://malcolm-en-gb.s3.eu-west-1.amazonaws.com/instances/wuGqS3zSeN/resources/tO1M7pHL44/Wordoku%20Canvas%20and%20Line%20Colors.jpg (Wordoku Canvas and Line Colors.jpg)

The Grid Styling tab allows you to set the canvas color (cell background), and the width (weight) and color for the different lines:

Cell Border: the line around each single cell / square / letter
Region Border: the line around the 3x3 box / region (or 2x2, 2x3 or 2x4 box)
Outer Border: the thicker lines around the entire puzzle

Flat Maze Path Examples

Flat maze with 100% path:

https://malcolm-en-gb.s3.eu-west-1.amazonaws.com/instances/wuGqS3zSeN/resources/EFvTcI6Fux/Flat%20Maze%20with%20100%20pct%20path.png (Flat Maze with 100 pct path.png)

Flat Maze with 30% path:

https://malcolm-en-gb.s3.eu-west-1.amazonaws.com/instances/wuGqS3zSeN/resources/MxvQpq2MsE/Flat%20Maze%20with%2030%20pct%20path.png (Flat Maze with 30 pct path.png)

White Random Maze Path Examples

Random Maze with 100% path:

https://malcolm-en-gb.s3.eu-west-1.amazonaws.com/instances/wuGqS3zSeN/resources/bEVcQaKVTC/Random%20Maze%20with%20100%20pct%20path.png (Random Maze with 100 pct path.png)

Random Maze with 30 pct path:

https://malcolm-en-gb.s3.eu-west-1.amazonaws.com/instances/wuGqS3zSeN/resources/enBrQjDPCl/Random%20Maze%20with%2030%20pct%20path.png (Random Maze with 30 pct path.png)

Colored Random Maze Path Examples

Gray Surface Gray path:

https://malcolm-en-gb.s3.eu-west-1.amazonaws.com/instances/wuGqS3zSeN/resources/xY5fvd56mk/Gray%20Surface%20White%20path.png (Gray Surface White path.png)

Blue Surface White Path:

https://malcolm-en-gb.s3.eu-west-1.amazonaws.com/instances/wuGqS3zSeN/resources/vHbFQtlEt6/Blue%20Surface%20White%20Path.png (Blue Surface White Path.png)

Mazes with Colored Path Examples

White Surface with Colored Path:

https://malcolm-en-gb.s3.eu-west-1.amazonaws.com/instances/wuGqS3zSeN/resources/8n5v2JsTwJ/White%20Surface%20blue%20path.png (White Surface blue path.png)

Colored Surface and Path:

Question 10

How to Use the Time Saver Add-On for Mazes 3D Isometric

Accepted Answer

With the Time Saver Add-On for Mazes 3D Isometric you can create your mazes faster, and you can use additional layout options for the Instant Puzzle Books.

Batch Creation of puzzles

https://malcolm-en-gb.s3.eu-west-1.amazonaws.com/instances/wuGqS3zSeN/resources/QbLhIrYcvn/Mazes%203D%20Isometric%20Time%20Saver.jpg (Mazes 3D Isometric Time Saver)

Here you see the following options:

The row with all the options. If you select Time Saver, you'll see this screen.
"Use Time Saver to generate Puzzles". Make sure this checkbox is checked if you want to use the time saver. You can tell it's active if the bottom shows "Create (TS)".
The Time Saver menu. Add new categories of puzzles, different grid types, and change the cube sizes and amounts of cubes.
Add row. With this you can add more kinds of puzzles to be generated.

You can quickly add rows with your preferred settings by changing the values at the top of the "Grid Setup" area, and then click Add Row. This will add one row to the table with the settings you selected.

You can also edit the values in the table: For the Grid Type and Path Type columns, you can click the downward arrow to select a different type. For the number columns, just click the value you want to change, and you'll be able to edit it.

Note: To use the Custom Height Maps or the Manual Start/End points, you'll have to use the "Preset Puzzles" tab, these options cannot be set with the "Fast" option.

How to use Puzzle Maker Pro - Other Shapes

How to use Puzzle Maker Pro - Mazes 2D Oblique

How to use the Masks Add-On for Puzzle Maker Pro - Mazes 2D Squares

How to use Puzzle Maker Pro - Mazes 2D

Latin Squares Video Overview

How to Get Started with Puzzle Maker Pro - Latin Squares

How to Set Colors and Font Options with Puzzle Maker Pro

How to get started with Puzzle Maker Pro - Wordoku

How to Use the Paths Add-On for Mazes 3D Isometric

How to Use the Time Saver Add-On for Mazes 3D Isometric