This software creates mazes of different sizes and configurable appearance. It is designed for teachers and makers. It can save the output as printable sheets or bitmap images.

[updated terms]

• This software is provided free to use for all commercial / non-commercial / educational, puzzle publication purposes.
• The code is licensed under the MIT licence
• see https://github.com/busyDuckman/MazeMaker

[how to show appreciation]

• I super appreciate getting some credit for the work, especially if you are printing a book of puzzles. Something like “puzzles created using Maze Maker software, by Dr Warren Creemers”.
• If you make something cool with it, I would love to see a photo/link.
• If you make a kids book or something like that, I’d really get a kick out of getting a free copy. Gestures like that make my day

Screenshot

Examples of different types of output

Can it do large mazes, like really large mazes?… YES.

Download

Install from the latest release on github

• • Download zip file.
  • Unzip file
  • run setup.exe

First created:  2016-9-29
First published to github: 2019-09-13

Limitations:

• Beta software (minor bugs to iron out, but quite usable)
• Smooth edges when wall width is set to 1 are buggy.
• Even line widths produce a better output.

What is done:

• Generates a valid maze.
• Appearance is configurable.
• Maze size is configurable.
• Printing is enabled (adjust blockSize to alter print output size)
• Zooming in, moving etc (few minor bugs still).
• Support for DPI / block size.

Next Release

• Bug fixes
• Support for graphical inserts
• Ascii output

Road Map

• Will probably combine this with other software I have written to create a puzzle creation suite.

Update:

I have tentatively started working (April 2019) on a online version of this software, to be open sourced.

Contact / Feedback

Please leave feedback and bug reports via: https://github.com/busyDuckman/MazeMaker/issues

Easy to use software to generate crossword puzzles.

This is still very much alpha software (totally unfinished).  This crossword puzzle generator is provided here for those who would like to kick the tyres and get a preview of some upcoming software.

Screenshot

Download

Install file here

Limitations:

• Apha software (very incomplete)
• Unimplemented menu items are greyed out..
• No way to save a crossword yet.

What is done:

• Generates a valid cross word, generally quickly, but may stall for 20 seconds during generation.
  • Not a bug, my algorithm is not finished. If it works itself into a corner, it tries to think its way out instead of backing up a step.
• Supports several generation rules.
• “View Solution” toggle enabled
• Gives basic clues (just a word definition at the moment)
• Zooming in moving etc (few minor bugs still).

Next Release

• Mark squares that must/must not be used.
• Dictionary management
•  Find spot for given word
• Find word(s) for given spot.
• Restrict to words of a certain readership / usage frequency.
• Bitmap backgrounds.
• High DPI screen support.

Road Map

• Proper clues
• Subject areas option for word selection
• Support for visually impaired output
• App(ify) / Touch screen support
• Support for half-toning and newsprint optimisation
• Awesome-sauce graphics options
• Artistic options
• Use one dictionary across a series of crosswords.
• Multiple languages.

Contact / Feedback

[contact-form subject=’Crossword software (via website)’][contact-field label=’Name’ type=’name’ required=’1’/][contact-field label=’Email’ type=’email’ required=’1’/][contact-field label=’Type of comment’ type=’select’ options=’Support,Bug Report,Feature Request,Sales Enquiry,Other’/][contact-field label=’Comment’ type=’textarea’ required=’1’/][/contact-form]

Testing this out on screen with a big colour palate would be kinda boring, so I made some software to take a large image and convert it to use one of every colour.
I am using  4096 * 4096  = 16,777,216 (or 2²⁴) images to do this.

I played around with a few algorithms, but found the best results came from a very simple idea:

1. Start with a image containing all colours.
2. Inspect two pixels
3. Swap the two pixels, if that would make If the image more like the target.
4. Repeat steps 2 – 4, until the image looks good.

Immediately I was stunned by the results.

• The Images actually worked, they looked like the source image.
• Parts of the image which where pulled toward a different colour and showed a very interesting (and accurate) image segmentation,
• The algorithm handled both photographs and solid colour cartoons well.

Example Images:

Firstly these files, produced by this method are are 50mb, and don’t compress well. I scaled them down for the website. If you want the verbatim image; you will have to download the software and make your own. (BTW: Did you notice the unusual beverage flavor in the vending machine pic, when you see it…).

Download the software:

Install file:  here
Oneclick: here

Screen Shot

Software usage note(s):

• Application works on high DPI screens.
• Some images prefer that I choose one of the pixels in a structured sequential fashion, others prefer both to be picked at random.
  • I solved this by doing n iterative rounds, followed by x minutes of random swapping.
  • The software lets you set these options.
  • Iterative rounds produce good results very quickly, but will leave some lines on cartoons.
  • Random rounds are slow to improve the image. A minute is a good buffer to clean up an image, but consider 40+ minutes for cleaner results.
• Uses many threads, and hogs the system bus. Will give the CPU a quick workout.
• Can be used in a command line mode, Suit batch processing.
  • To do this, provide one optional parameter (directory with images).
  • Finds all pictures in directory that don’t have “_done” or “_ignore” in the name.
  • Saves a new image with _done added to the file name.
  • Overrides that image without prompting!
• Save as bitmap If you don’t want the jpeg compression to alter the validity of the “every single colour” image.

On images heavily biased to one colour, the iterative pass may exhaust that colour to the top of its run.
eg..

In this case, set “Iteration Runs” to 0. This will disable the iterative passes and go strait to random passes.

Contact / Feedback

[contact-form subject=’All Colour Software (via website)’][contact-field label=’Name’ type=’name’ required=’1’/][contact-field label=’Email’ type=’email’ required=’1’/][contact-field label=’Type of comment’ type=’select’ options=’Support,Bug Report,Feature Request,Sales Enquiry,Other’/][contact-field label=’Comment’ type=’textarea’ required=’1’/][/contact-form]