Question 1

How Can I Change the Number of Puzzle Pieces in Puzzle Maker Pro - Jigsaw?

Accepted Answer

When you start Puzzle Maker Pro - JigSaw, and create your first preview, it will use the default settings "Perfect Squares" (or another shape type) and 5 Rows.

https://malcolm-en-gb.s3.eu-west-1.amazonaws.com/instances/wuGqS3zSeN/resources/M456z7oFcV/Jigsaw%20002%20-%20First%20Preview%20-%20Solution.png (Jigsaw 002 - First Preview - Solution.png)

Perfect Squares / Triangles

Depending on your taste or your customer's preferences, you may want to create puzzles with squares (where each side has the same length) or rectangles.

The default setting is to use a square, an equilateral triangle, or a circle. The total height of the image will be divided by the number of rows, and this will determine the number of columns. This may cut off the sides of the image. It may also cause white bars on the sides of the image, depending on the puzzle shape you use.

Imperfect Squares / Triangles

When you uncheck the "Perfect" option, you can set both the number of rows and the number of columns.

https://malcolm-en-gb.s3.eu-west-1.amazonaws.com/instances/wuGqS3zSeN/resources/s6YLNqwZVb/Jigsaw%20004%20-%20Rows%20and%20Columns%20-%20Solution.png (Jigsaw 004 - Rows and Columns - Solution.png)

Setting the number of rows to 5 and the number of columns to 8 results in rectangular puzzle pieces, as you can see in the image.

The image below shows what this would look like on the page:

https://malcolm-en-gb.s3.eu-west-1.amazonaws.com/instances/wuGqS3zSeN/resources/JEOLW67NyA/Jigsaw%20005%20-%20Rows%20and%20Columns%20-%20Puzzle.png (Jigsaw 005 - Rows and Columns - Puzzle.png)

In this image, the puzzle pieces are also printed in a 8 by 5 grid. This is a coincidence, and depends on the puzzle size and format. Puzzle Maker Pro - Jigsaw will always try to print all the parts as large as possible.

Another example:

https://malcolm-en-gb.s3.eu-west-1.amazonaws.com/instances/wuGqS3zSeN/resources/NGdBlN0au5/Jigsaw%20006%20-%20Rows%20and%20Columns%20-%20Alternative.png (Jigsaw 006 - Rows and Columns - Alternative.png)

Here the difference is less extreme, but they still are not perfectly square.

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 6

How to create your own SVG files with Adobe Illustrator (for use in Connect the Dots)

Accepted Answer

This video tutorial will show you the general workflow and some tricks to use Adobe Illustrator's tracing function. This will create SVG files from bitmap files (JPG, PNG). The SVG files can be imported into Puzzle Maker Pro - Connect the Dots.

Question 7

How to use Puzzle Maker Pro - Mazes 2D

Accepted Answer

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

Installation

Installing the plugins

There's a separate tutorial to install our plugins for Powerpoint: Click here.

Installation Issues

When using our Powerpoint Add-ins, there have been a few occurrences where the installer seemed to work properly, but the Add-in was not visible in the Add-in’s menu.

https://malcolm-en-gb.s3.eu-west-1.amazonaws.com/instances/wuGqS3zSeN/resources/Ifih5ZMYla/AddIns%20Menu.png (AddIns Menu.png)

First of all, you should go to File -> Options -> Add-ins, to verify that it’s installed, but possibly inactive, or not available at all.

https://malcolm-en-gb.s3.eu-west-1.amazonaws.com/instances/wuGqS3zSeN/resources/tVZ1DEZfug/AddIns%20Options.png (AddIns Options.png)

In addition to that, there’s an option to force Powerpoint to show Add-in error messages (which may be suppressed otherwise). We need these messages to figure out what’s going on.

You can find this setting in File -> Options -> Advanced.

When you report add-in errors, please be as specific as you can be, and add screenshots of errors that are shown.

You can report the error to the seller (for Powered by BookPublisherTools add-ins) or to our on helpdesk for BookPublisherTools add-ins.

Certificate Not Trusted

There's a separate tutorial to fix certificate issues: Click Here

Other Issues

Please read the tutorials before reporting issues with the plugins.

Easy Journals

Easy Journals Pro

Journal Filler

Easy Puzzle Books

Display Issues

There's a separate tutorial to fix display issues: Click Here

Question 9

Puzzle Maker Pro - Mazes 2D Oblique Video Overview

Accepted Answer

Puzzle Maker Pro - Mazes 2D Oblique Video Overview

Question 10

Using Shapes in POD Graphics Maker

Accepted Answer

POD Graphics Maker is a quick and easy way to make (mostly geometric) images with only a few presses of a button.

There are multiple modules available:

There are two kinds of graphics available: Tiles, and Shapes

The Getting Started Tutorials goes over the options that are available with Tiles, so let's look into what Shapes can do for us. As with any tutorial for this product, we encourage you to try all the options yourself and just play around with the software to see what it can do, and to see which settings you like and which ones you don't.

Basic Settings

We're once again using a pattern from the Starter Bundle of POD Graphics maker, this time we use 00-7 Shape - Flower. This pattern is, exactly as it says on the box, meant to resemble flower drawings.

There are three flower types, where the main difference is how the bigger petals are located compared to the smaller petals.

https://malcolm-en-gb.s3.eu-west-1.amazonaws.com/instances/wuGqS3zSeN/resources/MY9kss7ZF4/Flower.jpg (Flower)

You might find that two of the patterns have lines that don't look quite right. This is easily fixed the moment you start adding colours.

https://malcolm-en-gb.s3.eu-west-1.amazonaws.com/instances/wuGqS3zSeN/resources/eUswVLSobn/Flower%202.jpg (Flower 2)

The moment you press "Use Fill Colours" in the colors tab, it will automatically be fixed.

https://malcolm-en-gb.s3.eu-west-1.amazonaws.com/instances/wuGqS3zSeN/resources/bi2d14zl5A/Flower%20fill.jpg (Flower fill)

Customising your Shape

Every shape has some unique options on the first tab. For Flower, it's Petal Style, Petal Size, Flower Size, Number of Petals, Shape Size.

Petal Style changes the shape of the petals.

Petal Size changes the proportion of the center of the flower compared to the petals.

Flower Size changes the amount of rows of petals (Standard is 2)

Number of Petals does exactly what it says on the box, it changes the amount of petals per row

Shape Size changes the size of the shape, so the flower, you're creating. This may not have a big effect, depending on your settings in the prior options.

Changing those around, and we get a flower similar to this:

https://malcolm-en-gb.s3.eu-west-1.amazonaws.com/instances/wuGqS3zSeN/resources/8CQLhF2r90/Flower%20changes.jpg (Flower changes)

Pattern

The colors tab is the same as for the tiled patterns. If you want more information on those, that can be found at our "getting started" tutorial.

The masks and Text Overlay tabs are explained more in the mask tutorial.

Patterns, however, are something that is unique for the Shapes, and something that the tiles do not have. So let's see what the Pattern tab has to offer for us.

https://malcolm-en-gb.s3.eu-west-1.amazonaws.com/instances/wuGqS3zSeN/resources/NafzZuxKut/Pattern%20tab.jpg (Pattern tab)

We can change the amount of flowers that appears on the canvas, the way they are scattered across the canvas, rotate the flowers (This definitely shows better when you have less... circular patterns), and of course, the colour options.

https://malcolm-en-gb.s3.eu-west-1.amazonaws.com/instances/wuGqS3zSeN/resources/VYfacD6DND/pattern%20options.jpg (pattern options)

A neat detail you may notice, is that the pattern is technically seamless! You can use these in an on-going pattern, if you so choose. The other pattern options are based on tiles, where smaller and larger flowers are repeated in a solid pattern, instead of random.

You can also see there is some rotation, some flowers have a leaf on the very top, some have a gap there.

How Can I Change the Number of Puzzle Pieces in Puzzle Maker Pro - Jigsaw?

How to use the Zoom function in POD Graphics Maker or Puzzle Maker Pro

How can I create Nonogram puzzles?

Planner Links (Plugin for Powerpoint) Tutorial Video

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

How to create your own SVG files with Adobe Illustrator (for use in Connect the Dots)

How to use Puzzle Maker Pro - Mazes 2D

How do I fix my Powerpoint Add-In problem?

Puzzle Maker Pro - Mazes 2D Oblique Video Overview

Using Shapes in POD Graphics Maker