With so many options and features, is the program as complicated to use as it
may appear?
Actually the program is very easy to use. There are only a few simple steps to follow to create a
great looking puzzle. Just type in the title, words and optional clues, select a puzzle shape and page layout and press a button
to generate the puzzle. Choose from the four best puzzle fits, save it and print. Of course you can spend more time if you want
to design your own puzzle shapes and page layouts, use the spell checker and thesaurus and other options. But the bottom line
is that you can realistically create a puzzle in a matter of minutes, provided you are not stumped trying to think up clues for
your words. We've added the thesaurus to help you in that regard.
I sent a puzzle page layout I created to a friend
who also uses the Word Search Construction Kit. When the layout was opened, the bitmap image was missing. Why?
Bitmap images are not imbedded into the puzzle layouts. If you export a page layout and the layout
contains a bitmap image then the recipient of the page layout will also have to have access to the bitmap image. The layout looks
for the location on your computer where the bitmap is stored. In essence you would have to send your co-worker both the layout
and the bitmap file. They would then have to link the bitmap to the layout.
I copied my HTML created web page to my web site and everything appeared except
for the puzzle itself. Why?
Both an HTML file (htm) and JPEG file (jpg) will be saved out with the name you selected. Both of
these files must be placed on your web site for the page to appear correctly.
How can I create a two page layout?
You would need to create two separate page layouts. For example you can place the puzzle and title
on one of the page layouts. Then create another layout that would contain the word list/clues along with any other text components
you may want to place on the page. After you have designed the two layouts, print each one separately. The puzzle will print
on page one and the word list/clues on the following page.
I would like to transparently place a puzzle over the top of a graphic image.
How do I do this?
When creating your page layout, you would need to ensure that the puzzle property is set to a "transparent
background". This will cause only the letters of the puzzle to be drawn. Here's the process for setting the transparent
mode. In the Page Creator Window, place the puzzle component onto the layout. Right click on the puzzle component box you dropped
in the layout. A menu will appear. Click on Properties and place an "X" in the box next to transparent background.
Where can I obtain additional puzzle shapes to add to the ones I already have?
From time to time we will add new shapes to our Puzzle Connection web site at
www.puzzleconnection.com
. The shapes can be downloaded from this site. If you have created a shape that you would like to
share with others, send it to us at - info@wintools.com. We'd be happy to post it on our web site so that others can download
and use the shape you created.
Where can I obtain puzzles already created?
Each week we place a new word search puzzle on our Puzzle Connection site at
www.puzzleconnection.com
. The puzzles can be downloaded from this site. If you have created a puzzle that you would like
to share with others, send it to us at - info@wintools.com. We'd be happy to post it on our web site so that others can download
and use the puzzle you created. However, we do reserve the right to not post a puzzle.
How can I make my fonts bigger for the clues, word lists or any part of the printout?
The following instructions, for the most part, can apply to most of the puzzle objects. There are
3 for 4 factors involved in this process and involve modifications or creation of a Page Layout. So let's use the "Word
List" as our example. The factors for the Word List will be the physical size of the object on the Page Layout, the actual
font size chosen, the "Make It Fit (Auto Shrink Font) option and number of columns used. While in the Page Layout Designer,
each of these factors can be modified by right clicking on the "Word List" object and selecting the appropriate menu
item. The size of the object can be changed using the "Size & Position" menu option. The font size can be changed
using the "Text Font" menu option. The "Make It Fit" and the "Number of Columns" can be changed
using the "Properties" menu option. Let's examine how these factors all interact. Let's first look at the Size factor.
The larger the area you provide for the word list, the larger potential font size you can have which should be fairly obvious.
However, the other factors make a definite impact so let's next look at the "Font Size" itself. Here you can specify
the size, color, style, etc of the font to be used. So you choose a font size of 20. But how do you know if that font is too
big or small to be used in the designated area? This is where the "Make It Fit" option comes into play which is a default
value. This option will ensure that your text will fit in the area you have designated. It does so by first using the font you
have selected and continually shrinking its size until it fits in the area specified. If you do not use this option, then the
font you chose will be used. However, you run the risk of the font being too large and if it is, some of the words will not appear
because they will not fit in the designated area. It is our recommendation that you use the "Make It Fit" option. The
last factor here is the number of columns. By default, this is set to three columns. So if the area (size) where you are placing
the word list is not a long vertical strip, but a horizontal one, you will want to increase the number of columns. In summary,
for the best results, you will want to do the following: 1. Choose an adequate size to hold all the words. 2. Choose an adequate
number of columns to use based on the size. 3. Choose a very large font size. 4. Choose the "Make It Fit (Auto-Shrink Font"
option.
How can I make my changes such as font size, colors, etc permanent?
Font sizes, colors, etc are all tied directly to the Page Layout and the values are saved permanently
with the Page Layout. So to make permanent changes, you need to modify or create a Page Layout. To associate your newly created
or modified page layout with an existing puzzle, you would highlight your puzzle of choice from the main program window and choose
"File | Modify Puzzle" from the main menu. On the resulting screen, click on the "Change Layout" button.
Next highlight your puzzle layout you just created or modified and click on the "Select" button. And finally click
on the "Save" button. If you modified a Page Layout that an existing puzzle already uses, you still need to associate
the new modified Page Layout with the puzzle as the puzzle will maintain the old information until you do. The Reports window
provides an area where you can "override" the Page Layout, Fonts, etc. These Puzzle Overrides are temporary and only
affect the puzzle for your current print job.
All about EXPORTING GRAPHICS.
We seem to get numerous types of questions regarding the exporting of graphic files and we will attempt
to answer many of them here from basic to more technical. First, the program currently allows 4 different types of graphic files
to be exported. These include Windows Meta Files (WMF), Enhanced Windows Meta Files (EMF), Bitmap (BMP) and JPEG (JPG). So let's
answer some questions about these.
How do these graphic files differ and are there any limitations or advantages?
Both the meta file formats are saved in a scalable format. This means that the puzzle images, text,
etc will normally grow and shrink within your graphic packages and still look quite normal. Bitmaps and JPEG images are exact
images. If you attempt to shrink these in a graphics package, you are going to loose part of the image. If you plan on using
bitmaps or JPEGs for use with other programs, it is best to set the size of the bitmap first in the Word Search Construction
Kit so that you will have a clean looking image. (More on this issue later) We feel that using a metafile (because of its easy
scalability) is the best option to use. However, there are a few reasons why you may not want to do so or it may not be possible.
Your program may not have the option to import a metafile, it may have a compatibility problem or you may be creating a puzzle
inside our program which contains bitmap images of its own. These bitmap images cannot be exported as part of a meta file.
How do I get the graphic image into my word processor?
Some people attempt to do a "File | Open" on the graphic file itself in an attempt to load
in the graphic image. This is incorrect. You will first need to create a new document and then use an "Insert Graphic"
option from a menu. For example, in Microsoft Word, you would choose "Insert | Picture" from the menu. This allows
you to choose the file that you have exported using our program. It will be placed in the document and you will be able to resize
it if desired.
My Bitmaps are not legible once I import them into my word processor or into my graphics package.
What can I do?
There could be two potential problems here. The first is that you could have saved out the bitmap
in a very small size. If this is done, then the puzzle and clues, etc will likely not be very legible. Attempts to enlarge the
image in your word processor or graphics package will fail because bitmaps do not scale well. The second problem could be that
you have saved the bitmap out in too large a size. Here the detail might be fine, but because you are attempting to shrink the
bitmap in your word processor or graphics package, you lose part of the image and once again the resulting image is not legible.
The key to this problem is to have Word Search Construction Kit create the bitmap in the correct size that you want. Then you
import the bitmap into your program and leave it at its original size. So how do you set the size? In version 3.0d or greater,
you are prompted for the number of pixels to use in the width of the bitmap (the height is automatically calculated based on
the width). You can also set the pixel width in the preview mode so you can see exactly what your resulting image will look like.
In versions 3.0 to 3.0c, the width of the bitmap was determined by whatever the size of the preview image was. So if you had
shrunk the image down to display the whole page (where it was not very legible) and then saved it as a bitmap, then you would
end up with a small illegible bitmap. With versions 3.0 to 3.0c, you would need to zoom the puzzle preview image to the desirable
size and then choose to export the bitmap.
I cannot seem to import the Windows Meta File created by the Word Search Construction Kit. Why
not?
Unfortunately it is not likely that you will be able to get it to work. Many standards for the meta
file format have cropped up since the release of Windows which has created an incompatibility between many programs and files.
The format we currently use is one that is built into the Borland Delphi/C++ programming language which we feel to be quire reliable.
We have tested this format with programs such as Paint Shop Pro, Microsoft Word, Microsoft Publisher and others which do not
seem to have any problems reading the files.
How do I scale my meta file inside my graphics package?
Some graphics programs will not scale a meta file after it has been loaded. Instead, it will be treated
as a bitmap with a loss of image if it is shrunk. If you desire to use the scalability available with a meta file with these
programs, you will need to locate the option in them to do so. This option is usually used at the time of image loading. For
example, to resize a meta file with its scalability intact using Paint Shop Pro, 4, you would choose "File | Preferences
| File Format Preferences" from the menu, click on the "WMF/Import" tab and choose "ask for size and options
each time a file is opened".
Can I export just the puzzle portion?
The only option we currently support is the export of the entire page. So to export just the puzzle,
you would need to create a page layout that consisted of just the puzzle object and size it so that it covers the entire page.
Using this page layout, you could then export just the puzzle.
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