I want help with creating puzzles

Playing Puzzles

If you haven't played Tsunami puzzles before this is where you can get help in learning to play. Tsunami puzzles are a form of logic puzzle, and therefore require logic to solve them. You will notice to the left and top of the puzzles there are numbers. These numbers denote blocks of colour. If two numbers of the same colour are next to each other then between the two blocks of colour at least one blank space is required this usually takes the form of a dot. If two numbers next to each other are different colours then the space is optional.

To help you play there are several help facilities available. Firstly there is the remove question mark button - which removes all question marks from the grid. There is also a hint button which will give you flashing question marks where parts can be filled in. The confirm button will also tell you if you have gone wrong up to now and show you an animation if the puzzle has one when the puzzle is complete. Lastly if you get really stuck you can use the Solve button to either have the solution shown directly before you or have the puzzle built up in front of you gradually.

How To Create Your Own Puzzle

Where to go: Create a Puzzle

Choosing Dimensions: The first thing to do is to choose dimensions for the puzzle you are trying to create.

Creating a Puzzle: Once you have chosen dimensions for the puzzle you will be taken to the creation page. You can choose different colours from the pallette to enable you to be able to build up a picture.

Pallette: There are eight colours to choose from and the arrow above indicates the current colour selected.

The Blank Boxes:

• Password: the password box is compulsary and allows you to obtain access to your puzzle later if you wish to edit the puzzle
• Puzzle Name: the puzzle name box is compulsary and indicates the name of the puzzle. The name you give to the puzzle will be shown in the puzzle list.
• Author Name: the author name is compulsary and will be shown under the puzzle whilst playing it.
• Email Address: the email address box is not compulsary, if you give your email address you will recieve an email when and if your puzzle is added (my puzzle wasn't added why), your email address will then not be kept.

Next Frame: If you check this box you can create a second frame of animation for your puzzle. The second frame cannot be solved by users and is not checked for solvability. If a user completes a puzzle containing an animation then when they click on the confirm button they shall see the animation (flicking from the solved screen to the second frame several times). When you check the box the next frame button and copy buttons will be enabled.

Buttons:

• Clear Puzzle: This will clear the current grid and return the squares to white.
• Show my Puzzle: This becomes enabled once you have clicked on the Check Solution and Save the Puzzle after you click on the Check Soltuion and Save the Puzzle button you can click the Show my Puzzle button which reverts the grid to how it was before you clicked on the Check Solution and Save the Puzzle button.
• Check Solution and Save the Puzzle: This button will check whether the puzzle can be solved (my puzzle won't solve) if and only if the puzzle is solvable can you then submit the puzzle.
• Next Frame/Previous Frame: This allows you to swap between the puzzle and its accompanying animation frame. The button will become enabled when the Next Frame checkbox is checked.
• Copy/Paste: You can copy the grid and then move into the animation frame and paste the same picture into it this hopefully helps you to modify the picture and thus create a smooth animation. The button will become enabled when the Next Frame checkbox is checked.

My Puzzle was Refused: If the puzzle was deemed to be unsuitable it was probably because the puzzle contained content which could be deemed unsuitable for younger users of the site.

My Puzzle is Unsolvable - tips and advice

• You can tell where the problem areas are as they will still contain white squares when the computer has finished solving as much as it can. Concentrate on changing these areas.
• Squares which are alone can sometimes cause problems. If you can, try to join such squares to others, move them or do without them completely.
• If you are trying to save the puzzle in both black and white and colour and it can only be solved in full colour, it may be a good idea to only save the puzzle in colour (by changing the option in the drop down menu).