QuarkXPress XTension: PuzzleMaker

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PuzzleMaker

PuzzleMaker

for QuarkXPress

1. Introduction

PuzzleMaker is an extensions module for QuarkXPress™ enabling the user to create user-defined or standard puzzles. PuzzleMaker was designed to render the creation of puzzles faster, easier —and more accurate.

1.1 Icons PuzzleMaker XT

PuzzleMaker XT contains following icons:

Puzzle tool in the QuarkXPress tool bar, to draw puzzles
Mirror tool, to influence the (a)symmetry of a puzzle
Filling tool, to create a neutral area in the puzzle
Descriptive tool, to create cells with description(s)
Reverser tool, to change the position of cells
Letter tool, to insert text into cells
Directive tool, to modify the insert direction
Picture tool, to create room for a picture in the puzzle

1.2 Key features

Key features of PuzzleMaker are:

• Easy-to-use puzzle drawing tool
• Standard puzzle designs (footprints, trailblazer, wordsearcher and several types of crossword puzzles)
• User-definable puzzle design options
• Automatic numbering of identification cells and/or rows
• Swift import of images in puzzles

2. Installation

Please follow these steps to install your software:

a. Drag the PuzzleMaker icon to the QuarkXPress XTension folder to install PuzzleMaker.
b. You should then restart QuarkXPress. QuarkXPress will automatically recognize and activate the new software. A startup screen will appear.

2.1 Personal key code

Please contact your software dealer to obtain a personal key code, which consists of 18 characters:

Follow these steps to convert the demo into a fully working version:

a. Select Settings... from the PuzzleMaker menu.
b. Enter your personal key code.

You have now created a fully working version of the PuzzleMaker XTension.

Note:

• Since PuzzleMaker becomes a part of the QuarkXPress software, it is essential for the accurate performance of PuzzleMaker that QuarkXPress has itself been properly installed.

• Upon correct installation of PuzzleMaker XT, the QuarkXPress menu bar has the extra menu item PuzzleMaker and the tool bar will include Techno Design’s puzzle tool.

• You should make a backup of your complete version and keep this in a safe place.

Do not forget:

a. to hide your personal key code in a safe place and …
b. … to fill in and post enclosed registration card!

3. Menu PuzzleMaker XT

After selection of PuzzleMaker from the QuarkXPress menu bar, a submenu will appear on screen.

• Define puzzle : to create puzzles
• Puzzle mode : to influence the mode of the puzzle tool
• Settings : to influence your preferences of PuzzleMaker XT
• About : to display information on the software

3.1 Define Puzzles...

Use this menu item to display the Puzzle Definition window, containing a list of existing puzzles and several functional buttons.

New Use this button to create a new puzzle. When using this option, the Puzzle Editor dialog box will appear on screen (see 3.1.1).

Edit Use this button to modify the selected puzzle from the puzzle list. When using this option, the Puzzle Editor dialog box will appear on screen (see 3.1.1).

Duplicate Use this button to make a copy of the selected puzzle. PuzzleMaker will make an exact copy of it, which you will have to rename. When using this option, the Puzzle Editor dialog box will appear on screen (see 3.1.1).

Delete Use this option to erase the selected puzzle.

Cancel Use this option to discard all changes.

Save Use this option to save all modifications made to the selected puzzle from the list.

3.1.1 Puzzle Editor

When selecting New, Edit or Duplicate in the Puzzle Definition window, a dialog box will appear on screen.

Puzzle name Use this field to give the puzzle you are about to create a distinguishing name.

Puzzle size

• Cells across: this number must be between 1 and 50.
• Cells down: this number must be between 1 and 50.
• Retain square height of cell
Lock to width: Dimensions of all cells are based on the width of the puzzle box.
Lock to height: Dimensions of all cells are based on the height of the puzzle box.
Not activated: PuzzleMaker uses its own values to create a puzzle.

Puzzle attributes

• Number top row: Insert an identification character on top of the row.
• Number side row: Insert an identification character on the left side of the row.
• Number cells: Insert an identification number in appropriate cells.
• Descriptive cells: Insert the characters “Txt” in assigned cells (e.g. for Acrostic, Trailblazer, and Arrow-word puzzles)

3.1.2 Frame specification

Click with the cursor on the outer or middle line of the Puzzle attributes illustration, to display a dialog box with frame specifications.:

Use this option to modify all cell frames. The size of the frame can be specified in any of the unit measurements available to QuarkXPress, but it cannot exceed the maximum equivalent of twelve points in size. The frame size dictates the size of the frame for each individual cell in the puzzle. This means that the grid lines are twice the size of the defined value, because it requires a row of two cell frames side by side to make up your cells with a grid line.

3.1.3 Cell specification

Click with the cursor in the black cell within the Puzzle attributes illustration, to display a dialog box with cell specifications.

Use this option to modify the background colour and/or the shade of the cells. The shade ranges from 0% (no saturation) to 100% (full saturation), in increments of 1%.

3.1.4 Character specification

Click with the cursor in the internal part of the Puzzle attributes illustration containing a letter, to display a dialog box with character specifications.

Use this option to modify the character style within your puzzle. This window allows you to specify the font, size, colour, style, shade, horizontal scale and inset value from the cell boundary of all character or descriptive cells.

3.1.5 Automatic numbering

You can also define the type of numbering with the Format pop-up list within the Character specification dialog box.

The options are:

• numerical
• roman numerical
• roman
• upper case letter
• lower case letter

Placement identification character

The top three options from Puzzle attributes determine the automatic numbering of the puzzle’s identification cells or rows. PuzzleMaker will scan the puzzle pattern and add number boxes, with the appropriate identification characters, to the puzzle.

3.1.6 Options

Use this button to influence the outlook (pattern) and contents of your puzzle. When selecting this button, the Puzzle Options dialog box will appear on screen.

• Puzzle Options dialog box Tools to influence the outlook (pattern) of your puzzle:Mirror tool, to influence the (a)symmetry of a puzzleFilling tool, to create a neutral area in the puzzleWhen activating the option “Descriptive cells” under PuzzleAttributes in the Puzzle Definition window, the filling tool will automatically change into the descriptive tool: Descriptive tool, to create cells with description(s)Reverser tool, to change the position of cells

Tools to influence the contents of your puzzle:

Letter tool, to insert text into cells
Directive tool, to modify the insert direction
Picture tool, to create room for a picture in the puzzle
Use Cancel to ignore and OK to confirm the definition of your options.

3.2 Puzzle mode

When selecting this menu item, a list of existing puzzles will be displayed, some of which are standard items. Make a choice from the list to influence the mode of the puzzle tool in the tool bar when creating a puzzle within a QuarkXPress document.

Use the mode No puzzle to create a blank puzzle box with the puzzle tool from the QuarkXPress tool bar.

3.3 Settings...

When selecting this option (PuzzleMaker + Settings), a dialog box will appear where you can define the settings of PuzzleMaker.

Show startup screen on startup

When activating this option, the startup screen of PuzzleMaker will be displayed at each launch of QuarkXPress. This option is available only when you are using a registered version of PuzzleMaker.

PuzzleMaker shortkey

You can create your own shortkey combination to activate the Puzzle Definition window. Be careful to avoid keys already in use by QuarkXPress, or by utilities such as Quickeys.

Key code

Use this field to fill in your personal key code (enclosed in package) to personalise your software. If PuzzleMaker is to be used with a number of copies of QuarkXPress which share the same serial number — e.g. in the case of a site license — you will need to specify the number of copies you want to use. That number can be no higher than the number you have registered with Techno Design.

3.4 About...

Use this option to display the startup screen of PuzzleMaker XT, containing information on your version of the software plus the number of users.

4. How to create a puzzle

In this chapter we have created some examples to give you an idea on the creation of some of the puzzles.

4.1 Sample word search puzzle

• Select Define Puzzles from the PuzzleMaker menu. The Puzzle Definition window will appear on the screen.

• Select New to create a new puzzle. The Puzzle Editor dialog box will be displayed.

• Puzzle name: enter a name, e.g. “Wordsearcher Ex1”.

• Puzzle size: enter values for cells across, and for cells down.

The option retain square height of cell is activated, and locked to width; this implicates that when a puzzle is horizontally drawn with the puzzle tool, Puzzlemaker will automatically calculate the vertical size of the puzzle.

• Puzzle attributes: deselect all of them.

• Select Options to evoke the Options window

• Select the mirror tool ( ) and click with the mouse on this tool until the blank crossword has no dotted line (mirror line).

• Select the letter tool ( ) to enter the letters. The arrow indiates the type direction (horizontal). To change the type direction, just click with the mouse on the arrow. Type the characters. The cursor will automatically move to the next cell as defined by the arrow. Fill in the puzzle as shown.

• Select OK. The Puzzle Editor dialog box will reappear.

• Click on one of the cell frames within the Puzzle attributes illustration to evoke the Frame specification window.

• Set the frame size to zero points, so that no frames will show.

• Select OK twice. The Puzzle Definition window will reappear:

• Select the Save button to save the puzzle.

• Create or open a document in QuarkXPress.

• Select the puzzle tool (your just created puzzle design “Wordsearcher Ex1” should be activated in the Puzzle mode popup list).

• Create a puzzle box and PuzzleMaker will automatically create a version of a “Wordsearcher Ex1” puzzle in your document.

• Select the picture tool from the QuarkXPress tool bar and create a bounding box around the puzzle.

• Set the frame width of your picture box to 1 point.

• Use Shift-F5 or Send to Back from the Item menu, to send the picture box to the background, which will make the puzzle reappear on screen.

• Save the document as an EPS-file, for this consumes less memory than saving the puzzle within a document.

4.2 Sample crossword puzzle

• Select Define Puzzles from the PuzzleMaker menu. The Puzzle Definition window will appear on screen.

• Select New to create a new puzzle. The Puzzle Editor dialog box will be displayed.

• Puzzle name: enter a name, e.g. “Crossword Ex1”.

• Puzzle size: enter value for cells across, and for cells down. The option retain square height of cell is activated, and locked to width; this implicates that when a puzzle is horizontally drawn with the puzzle tool, Puzzlemaker will automatically calculate the vertical size of the puzzle.

• Puzzle attributes: activate Number cells.

• Select Options to evoke the Options window.

• Select the mirror tool ( ) and click with the mouse on this tool until the blank crossword is divided diagonally in two parts, to achieve the mirroring effect for this example. The dotted line represents the mirror line.

• Select the filling tool ( ) to create the neutral boxes required. PuzzleMaker automatically fills in the cells on the other side of the mirror line. This means that cells in, say the upper right corner, will be mirrored in the bottom left corner, and so on. Cells that are divided by the mirror line are mirrored only on themselves.

•. Select OK twice. The Puzzle Definition window will reappear:

• Select the Save button to save the puzzle.

• Create or open a document in QuarkXPress.

• Select the puzzle tool (your just created puzzle design “Crossword Ex1” should be activated in the Puzzle mode pop-up list).

• Create a puzzle box and PuzzleMaker will create a version of a “Wordsearcher Ex1” puzzle in your document, automatically generate required numbers and place them in the appropriate cells.

• Select the picture tool from the QuarkXPress tool bar and create a bounding box around the puzzle.

• Set the frame width of your picture box to 1 point.

• Use Shift-F5 or Send to Back from the Item menu, to send the picture box to the background, which will make the puzzle reappear on screen.

• Save the document as an EPS-file, for this consumes less memory than saving the puzzle within a document.

4.3 Sample trailblazer (arrow-word) puzzle

• Select Define Puzzles from the PuzzleMaker menu. The Puzzle Definition window will appear on screen.

• Select New to create a new puzzle. The Puzzle Editor dialog box will be displayed:

• Puzzle name: enter a name, e.g. “Trailblazer Ex1”.

• Puzzle size: enter a value for cells across, and for cells down. The option retain square height of cell is activated, and locked to width; this implicates that when a puzzle is horizontally drawn with the puzzle tool, Puzzlemaker will automatically calculate the vertical size of the puzzle.

• Puzzle attributes: Deactivate Number cells and activate Text box cells (the letter ‘T’ will automatically replace the black cell).

• Select Options to evoke the Options window.

• The second tool ( ) has automatically become the descriptive tool. Click with the mouse in the cells which should contain one or more descriptions. A letter ‘T’ appears in those cells.

• The given example has a picture in the upper left corner. Use the picture tool ( ) to create a picture box.

• Select OK to evoke the Puzzle Editor dialog box.

• Click on the letter ‘T’ in the Puzzle attributes area to evoke the Character specification window.

• Set the text Size to 5 pt and the Text Inset to 3 pt (i.e. the distance from the text to the cell boundary.

• Select OK.

• Select the frame within the Puzzle attributes illustration to evoke the Frame specification window.

• Set the frame Size for all cells (i.e. the grid lines of the puzzle) to 0.3 pt.

• Select OK twice and use the Save button in the last screen to save the puzzle you just created.

• Create or open a QuarkXPress document.

• Select the puzzle tool (your just created puzzle design “Trailblazer Ex1” should be activated in the Puzzle mode pop-up list).

• Create a puzzle box and PuzzleMaker will create a version of a “Trailblazer Ex1” puzzle in your document, automatically split all descriptive cells where needed and attach arrows to them whenever appropriate. The descriptive cells (i.e. cells containing the letters ‘Txt’) behave like normal text frames with the QuarkXPress style sheet Normal.

• Select the picture tool from the QuarkXPress tool bar, create a picture box as big as your designed area and import the desired picture using the ordinary QuarkXPress procedure.

• Fit your picture into the trailblazer puzzle and use F5 or Bring to front from the Item menu, to place the picture on top of the puzzle.

• Create a bounding box around the puzzle.

• Set the frame width of your picture box to 1 point.

• Use Shift-F5 or Send to Back from the Item menu, to send the picture box to the background, which will make the puzzle reappear on screen.

• Select the zoom tool from the QuarkXPress tool bar and enlarge the puzzle and the content tool to insert your descriptions in the descriptive cells (cells containing the letters “Txt”).

• Save the document as an EPS-file, for this consumes less memory than saving the puzzle within a document.

Software License

PLEASE READ THIS LICENSE CAREFULLY BEFORE USING THE SOFTWARE. BY USING THE SOFTWARE, YOU ARE AGREEING TO BE BOUND BY THE TERMS OF THIS LICENSE. IF YOU DO NOT AGREE TO THE TERMS OF THIS LICENSE, PROMPTLY RETURN THE UNUSED SOFTWARE TO THE PLACE WHERE YOU OBTAINED IT.

1. LICENSE. The application, demonstration and other software accompanying this License, whether on disk or on other media (the “Software") and related documentation are licensed to you by Techno Design. You own the disk on which the Software is recorded but Techno Design retains title to the Software and related documentation. You are allowed to make one copy of the Software, to be used as backup version and one copy to be placed on the hard disk. At any moment you are limited to own two copies of the software and you must reproduce on such copies the Techno Design copyright notice and any other proprietary legends that are on the original copy of the Software. Each computer should have its own software.

2. RESTRICTIONS. The Software contains copyrighted material, trade secrets, and other proprietary information and in order to protect them you may not decompile, reverse engineer, disassemble or otherwise reduce the Software to a human-perceivable form. You may not modify, rent, lease, loan, distribute or create derivative works based upon the Software in whole or in part.

3. TERMINATION. This License is effective until terminated. You may terminate this License at any time by destroying the Software and related documentation and all copies thereof. This License will terminate immediately without notice from Techno Design if you fail to comply with any provision of this License. Upon termination you must destroy the Software and related documentation and all copies thereof.

4. DISCLAIMER OF WARRANTY ON SOFTWARE. You expressly acknowledge and agree that use of the Software and related documentation are provided “AS IS" and without warranty of any kind Techno Design EXPRESSLY DISCLAIM ALL WARRANTIES, EXPRESS OR IMPLIED, INCLUDING, BUT NOT LIMITED TO, THE IMPLIED WARRANTIES OF MERCHANTABILITY AND FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE. TECHNO DESIGN DOES NOT WARRANT THAT THE FUNCTIONS CONTAINED IN THE SOFTWARE WILL MEET YOUR REQUIREMENTS, OR THAT THE OPERATION OF THE SOFTWARE WILL BE UNINTERRUPTED OR ERROR-FREE, OR THAT DEFECTS IN THE SOFTWARE AND/OR MATERIALS WILL BE CORRECTED. FURTHERMORE,TECHNO DESIGN DOES NOT WARRANT OR MAKE ANY REPRESENTATIONS REGARDING THE USE OR THE RESULTS OF THE USE OF THE SOFTWARE OR MATERIALS IN TERMS OF THEIR CORRECTNESS, ACCURACY, RELIABILITY, OR OTHERWISE. NO ORAL OR WRITTEN INFORMATION OR ADVICE GIVEN BY TECHNO DESIGN OR A TECHNO DESIGN AUTHORIZED REPRESENTATIVE SHALL CREATE A WARRANTY OR IN ANY WAY INCREASE THE SCOPE OF THIS WARRANTY. SHOULD THE SOFTWARE AND/OR MATERIALS PROVE DEFECTIVE, YOU (AND NOT TECHNO DESIGN OR A TECHNO DESIGN AUTHORIZED REPRESENTATIVE) ASSUME THE ENTIRE COST OF ALL NECESSARY SERVICING, REPAIR OR CORRECTION. SOME JURISDICTIONS DO NOT ALLOW THE EXCLUSION OF IMPLIED WARRANTIES, SO THE ABOVE EXCLUSION MAY NOT APPLY TO YOU.

5. COMPLETE AGREEMENT. This License constitutes the entire agreement between the parties with respect to the use of the Software and Materials, and supersedes all prior or contemporaneous understandings or agreements, written or oral, regarding such subject matter. No amendment to or modification of this License will be binding unless in writing and signed by a duly authorized representative of Techno Design.

QUARK DISCLAIMER

Quark Inc. requires the following disclaimer. It applies only to Quark software. All other software is covered by Quark's limited warranty. QUARK INC. MAKES NO WARRANTIES, EITHER EXPRESS OR IMPLIED, REGARDING THE ENCLOSED COMPUTER SOFTWARE PACKAGE, ITS MERCHANTABILITY, OR ITS FITNESS FOR ANY PARTICULAR PURPOSE. QUARK INC. DISCLAIMS ALL WARRANTIES INCLUDING, BUT NOT LIMITED TO THE WARRANTIES OF THE DISTRIBUTORS, RETAILERS AND DEVELOPERS OF THE ENCLOSED SOFTWARE. WITHOUT LIMITING THE FOREGOING, IN NO EVENT SHALL QUARK INC. BE LIABLE FOR ANY SPECIAL, INDIRECT, INCIDENTAL OR CONSEQUENTIAL DAMAGES IN ANY WAY RELATING TO THE USE OR ARISING OUT OF THE USE OF THE ENCLOSED SOFTWARE. QUARK, INC.'S LIABILITY SHALL IN NO EVENT EXCEED THE TOTAL AMOUNT OF THE PURCHASE PRICE/LICENSE FEE ACTUALLY PAID FOR THE USE OF THE ENCLOSED SOFTWARE. SOME STATES DO NOT ALLOW LIMITATIONS ON IMPLIED WARRANTIES AND/OR LIMITATION OF INCIDENTAL OR CONSEQUENTIAL DAMAGES, SO THESE EXCLUSIONS AND LIMITATIONS MAY NOT APPLY TO PARTICULAR DEVELOPERS.

Development : Frank Dros, L.M. Banki, Pieter Vette, Zainul Arifin, Jeffrey Gorissen

Manual : Marianne Wolfhagen (La Loupe)

Translation : Marianne Wolfhagen (La Loupe)

Layout : Techno Design

Copyright reserved. Subject to the exceptions provided for by law, no part of this publication may be reproduced and/or published in print, by photocopying, on microfilm or in any other way without the written consent of the copyright holder(s); the same applies to entire or partial adjustments. The publisher retains the sole right to collect from third parties fees payable in respect of copying and/or to take legal or other action for this purpose.

QuarkXPress and QuarkXTension are trademarks of Quark, Inc • Other brand names are trademarks of relevant proprietors.