Question 1

Which Product do I need to Purchase for Geometric Mazes

Accepted Answer

This pages lists the different options for Geometric Mazes.

At BookPublisherTools we work hard to preserve the value of your investment. Even though Geometric Mazes is a brand new module with new algorithms, the current owners of the Standard Mazes 2D module will be able to use the Squares option of Geometric Mazes without needing an additional purchase.

https://malcolm-en-gb.s3.eu-west-1.amazonaws.com/instances/wuGqS3zSeN/resources/k82wf3uELN/Overview%20Geometric%20Mazes.png (Overview Geometric Mazes.png)

There are two new products to get started with Geometric Mazes:

"3 Shapes", as a sidegrade/upgrade for owners of Standard Mazes 2D (or Standard & Shaped Mazes 2D). You can also buy this module if you don't need the squares mazes at all.
"All Shapes" is for new customers, who haven't purchase our other Mazes products in the past.

Differences between Standard Mazes 2D and Geometric Mazes

There are currently multiple 2D mazes products in the product list in Puzzle Maker Pro. These include: Standard Mazes 2D and Geometric Mazes. These modules use different algorithms to create the puzzles. While Geometric Mazes has some unique options (and will be getting additional add-on options), the Standard Mazes 2D product is more suitable for large mazes (100+ rows and columns) and is faster for batch creating lots of mazes.

There's also a difference in the 'random wall thickness' option: Standard Mazes 2D randomizes for each wall, while Geometric Mazes will randomize for each cell, resulting in different, more natural looking patterns.

(Future) Add-on's for Geometric Mazes

Currently several future add-ons are planned:

Rooms and Crossings (Rooms are larger cells in a grid, only available for Squares. Crossings will be available for Squares, Triangles and Hexagons)
Breadcrumbs (text - words or phrases, or images, to add an additional challenge to the mazes)

Question 2

How can I create Hexagon JigSaw puzzles?

Accepted Answer

Puzzle Maker Pro - JigSaw Hexagons is similar to the Jigsaw Squares, but because of the shapes there are some key differences.

Hexagon Shapes

https://malcolm-en-gb.s3.eu-west-1.amazonaws.com/instances/wuGqS3zSeN/resources/DQXLrglWHz/Jigsaw%20026%20-%20Blank%20Hexagons%20Puzzle.png (Jigsaw 026 - Blank Hexagons Puzzle.png)

Unlike Squares, Hexagon shapes will never perfectly fill a square or rectangular image. You can see this in the picture above. The corners and side pieces will always look this way, unless you select the "only Full Shapes" button. More about that below.

The puzzle page that's generated for JigSaw Hexagons has the same layout as the puzzle pages for JigSaw Squares, as you can see in the screenshot below.

https://malcolm-en-gb.s3.eu-west-1.amazonaws.com/instances/wuGqS3zSeN/resources/lEpZgN60or/Jigsaw%20030%20-%20Hexagon%20Puzzle%20Page.png (Jigsaw 030 - Hexagon Puzzle Page.png)

Perfect Hexagons vs Irregular Hexagons

You can choose between Perfect Hexagons and Irregular Hexagons.

With the Perfect Hexagons setting, used in most of the examples in this tutorial, you can choose the number of rows (the number of hexagons vertically). The software will calculate the number of columns (the number of hexagons horizontally).

You can also choose for irregular hexagons (by switching off "Perfect Hexagons"). What this does is 'squish' the hexagons to fit the amount of columns and rows you have selectecd. In most cases this is graphically less appealing, but the option is there if you want it. If you switch off Perfect Hexagons, it will use the number of columns you set to create the image.

https://malcolm-en-gb.s3.eu-west-1.amazonaws.com/instances/wuGqS3zSeN/resources/usDHA33S3O/Jigsaw%20029%20-%20Irregular%20Hexagons.png (Jigsaw 029 - Irregular Hexagons.png)

Hexagon Coordinates

Hexagon Coordinates are a bit complex, because of the nature of hexagons. Puzzle Maker Pro - Hexagons has uses the following method for numbering rows and columns:

https://malcolm-en-gb.s3.eu-west-1.amazonaws.com/instances/wuGqS3zSeN/resources/fhNsTxaOew/Jigsaw%20027%20-%20Hexagon%20Coordinates.png (Jigsaw 027 - Hexagon Coordinates.png)

The first full row is "B". The row with half hexagons at the top border is "A". Each row will zigzag a little bit. The second hexagon is a bit lower, the third is a bit up, and so on.

The columns are easier to understand: Each column number points to the full hexagons or hexagon parts exactly below it.

Hexagons - Only Full Shapes

By filling the edges with hexagon parts adds a lot of additional puzzle pieces. There's an option to remove these, by selecting "Only Full Shapes". The result is shown in this screenshot:

https://malcolm-en-gb.s3.eu-west-1.amazonaws.com/instances/wuGqS3zSeN/resources/leMA199oCz/Jigsaw%20031%20-%20Hexagon%20Only%20Full%20Shapes.png (Jigsaw 031 - Hexagon Only Full Shapes.png)

An unfortunate side-effect of this options is that you lose the borders of the original image, but all shapes are the same, so if there's nothing important near the borders, this may actually be the preferable option.

Which Product do I need to Purchase for Geometric Mazes

How can I create Hexagon JigSaw puzzles?

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