Copyright: Six Pack (c) 1991-1996 P.B. Cook


Six Pack Index
Six Pack - Index

Help is available on the following topics

Introduction
Menu Commands
Rudiments of play
Rules
Creating your own Card Deck

Registration

The Six Pack Program and Help File is Copyright (c) 1994-96 Philip B Cook and is distributed as Shareware

The appearance of the symbol on a help screen indicates the availability of a visual display relating to the topic.  Click the mouse button on the symbol to reveal the display.

   Click on the book icon to display the full Product Catalog.


Introduction

Six Pack is a set of six traditional patience games.  Each game uses a single deck of fifty-two playing cards.  The games are of a type known to Patience Buffs as Simple Packers in which cards are built in ascending sequence in one part of the board while stacked in the reverse sequence in another.

The Solitaire game distributed by Microsoft with Windows is another example of this type of game.


Menu Commands

The Six Pack program has a menu bar comprising the following commands

Game	Help

Undo	Help Index
Options	Rules
Select Deck 	About
New
Exit

The menu has been modified in this version to move the Game/New command away from Game/Undo to avoid accidentally resetting the game when selecting Undo.  In addition there is added support for the keystrokes (F1, F2 and BkSp) to activate the menu functions Help/Help Index,  Game/New  and Game/Undo respectively


New command

Selecting the New command causes all the cards to be gathered from the playing area, the deck shuffled, and a new game to be dealt into the playing area according to the game variant chosen.

You may not Undo this command.

You may use the F2 key to select the Game/New command with a single key press.


Undo command

This menu command reverses the last move made by the player.

Only one level of undo is supported by this program (after all it is cheating!)

You may also use the BkSp (Backspace) key to undo a move with a single key press.


Options command

This menu command calls up a dialog box to define the finer actions of the game.

You may select each of six variants of the basic game, choose to use Hints, or to speed the dragging of cards in the game by requesting that only an outline need be drawn when dragging.

The options once defined may be stored as the defaults for the game by pressing the Save button, or used only for the current session by pressing OK.

If you choose to change the game variant while in mid game then the cards will be redealt in the new configuration and your previous game lost.


Exit command

Selecting the Exit command closes the application program.

Selecting Close from the application System Menu has the same effect.


Help command

This command calls up this online Windows Help File.

This command may also be selected by using the F1 key.


About command

Displays a dialog box containing information on the Copyright of the program. Version number and date of revision and the Registration Status of the program


Rules command

Displays a help screen showing the basic rules of the Six Pack patience games.

See also
Rules


Rudiments of the Game

The mechanics of play have been designed to mimic those with which you will be familiar from playing Solitaire.  The game requires a mouse.

A single deck of cards is supplied in the top left of the playing area, with a discard pile to its right.  Space for four build piles is supplied along the top of the playing area and a number of playing piles (called the tableau) is laid out below.

Click the top of the deck of cards to turn the next card from the deck.

Click and drag with the left mouse button to lift a set of cards from their position and move them to a new location.  You should ensure that the dragged cards overlap the destination before releasing the mouse button to complete the move.  If the move is valid then the cards will be placed smartly on their new location else they will be returned to their place of origin.  The program will only permit sets of cards to be lifted provided they are correctly stacked (as defined by the rules of each game).

Double click a single card with the left mouse button to transfer it to the build piles at the top of the playing area.

Click with the right mouse button on a card or the top of a sequence of cards to ask the computer if they can legally be moved to another location (see Hints).

The object of each of the games is to complete four piles of cards at the top of the playing area in ascending sequence and in suit.


Initialisation File

The default behaviour of the Six Pack game is defined by entries in the Initialisation file (6PACK.INI).  The following entries are documented for use by the player.  Most of these settings are recorded by the use of the Save button in the Options dialog or when using the Deck selection dialog.

[Six Pack]

DragMode=n	specifies the drawing mode for cards when being dragged
0 = draw full card.
1 = draw outline only

Hints=n	specifies the level of hints in use
0 = no hints
1 = right mouse clicks active
2 = automatic hints active

UserName=	the name of the user (when registered)

Reg.ID=	an encrypted code to confirm registration

CardDeckFileName=	fully qualified filename of the Card Deck image file.
eg C:\GAMES\4ACES\CARDDECK.BMP

EditorName=	fully qualified filename of the Bitmap Editing program to be used.
(if none supplied then PBRUSH.EXE is assumed).
eg C:\TPW\UTILS\WORKSHOP.EXE

Endgame=n	0 = no end game display.  The End Game display in Six Pack uses considerable Graphic Resources and may take considerable time to complete.  The player may switch off the display permanently by setting this option.

EndGameTime=n	Reduces the speed of the End Game display for those with fast graphics adaptors. The higher the number the slower the end-game display.  The value is calculated automatically when the Six Pack program is first successfully completed it is adjusted to achieve and End Game display time of between 30 and 60 seconds in total.
Those with slow adaptors should set this to 0 (which switches off the timing function and allows the display to be as fast as possible, given the hardware constraints.


Hints

To assist the player in solving the patience games Six Pack is supplied with two hint features.  These are selected by use of the Option menu command.

When activated, the player may use the right mouse button to determine if a set of cards may be moved to a new location.  Click the right mouse button on the uppermost card of any pile, if the card may be moved to another location then both the card and its possible destination will be displayed in inverse video for a moment.

You may right click on the top card of a stacked sequence to see if the entire sequence may legally be moved.

Right clicking on the top of any group of cards in a pile will cause the computer to identify any correctly stacked sequence in the pile that may be moved and any potential destination.

The program will locate only the first valid move.  This may not be the best strategic move.  The player must decide how to use this extra information.

In addition, a second level of hint automatically checks the uppermost card of the discard pile whenever a move is completed to prompt the player of a possible move from the discard pile.


Rules

Six Pack contains six games which are similar in play, but varying in the layout of each game.  The object of each game is to found the base of each build pile and then add to the build piles in ascending sequence and in suit.  All but one game (Whitehead) variant uses the Ace of each suit as the base card.

Cards are turned from the deck one at a time and placed on the discard pile.  The top card of the discard pile is always available for play.

Only one variant permits the deck to be turned.(Blind Alley)

Some of the games permit the filling of a vacant space in the playing area with any card, others restrict this to a King.

All the variants permit the movement of correctly stacked sequences of cards but each game has its distinctive stacking rule (two allow the placement of cards according to one stacking rule, but only permit movement of stacked sequences meeting a more rigorous rule - Six by Six and Whitehead).

The variants are called

Westcliff,  Blind Alley,  Whitehead,  Thirty-six,  Six by Six,  Thumb and Pouch


Options Dialog


Variants

The are six different patience games supplied in Six Pack.  Each is played in a similar way, but they each have different layout and packing rules.  The variants are called

Westcliff
Blind Alley
Whitehead
Thirty-six
Six by Six
Thumb and Pouch


Westcliff

This game is dealt as three rows of seven cards with the uppermost card in each of the seven columns turned face up.

The base piles are founded with the Aces of each suit as and when they appear and are built in ascending sequence and in suit to the King.

Cards in the playing area may be placed on one another provided they are of opposite colour and descending sequence.

An empty space in the playing area may only be filled with a King or correctly stacked sequence headed by a King.  (The original description I have of this game allows any card to fill a vacancy, but the game is then much too easy!)

You are permitted only one pass through the deck.

See also

Rules Overview


Blind Alley

This game is dealt as three rows of six cards with the uppermost card in each of the six resulting columns turned face up.

The base piles are founded with the Aces of each suit as and when they appear and are built in ascending sequence and in suit to the King.

Cards in the playing area may be placed on one another provided they are of opposite colour and descending sequence.

An empty space in the playing area may only be filled with a King or correctly stacked sequence headed by a King.

You are permitted two passes through the deck.

See also

Rules Overview


Whitehead

Whitehead is dealt as a triangular array of seven columns of cards varying from one to seven cards in each column.  (This is similar to Solitaire).  All the cards in the playing area are dealt faceup.  An extra card is dealt to the first build pile to define the base card for the game.

Since all the cards in the playing area are visible then this game requires planning skills.

Cards on the build piles are built in ascending sequence and in suit turning from King to Ace as necessary.

Cards may be stacked on one another in the playing area provided they are of the same suit and descending numerical sequence.

Cards may moved singly or as stacked sequences provided the sequence is all of the same suit.

A vacant column may be filled with any single card or correctly stacked sequence.

You are permitted only one pass through the deck.

See also

Rules Overview


Thirty-six

Thirty-six is dealt as six rows of six cards, all face up.  Any Aces which appear during the dealing process are placed on the build piles.

Since all the cards in the playing area are visible then some planning may be possible.

The remaining build piles are filled with Aces as and when they appear and built in ascending numerical sequence and in suit to the King.

Cards in the playing area may be stacked in descending numerical sequence without regard to colour or suit.

A vacant column in the playing area may be filled by any single card or properly stacked sequence.

You are permitted only one pass through the deck.

This game is easy and should be completed at virtually every attempt.  You should consider it practise for Six by Six which uses the same techniques for play but is much harder.

See also

Rules Overview


Six by Six

Six by Six is dealt as six rows of six cards, all face up.  Any Aces which appear during the dealing process are placed on the build piles.

When turning the deck if a card will not play it is placed on the left-most playing pile without regard to stacking sequence.

Since all the cards in the playing area are visible then some planning may be possible.

The remaining build piles are filled with Aces as and when they appear and built in ascending numerical sequence and in suit to the King.

Cards in the playing area may be played on one another in descending numerical sequence without regard to colour or suit.

Cards may be moved either singly or in packed sequences provided that all members of the sequence are the same suit.  This extra requirement  makes the game harder (but non the less possible)

A vacant column may be filled with any single card or stacked sequence.

See also

Rules Overview


Thumb and Pouch

This variant is dealt in the same way as Solitaire, a triangular array of seven rows of cards which are then viewed as seven columns.  The uppermost card of each column is turned face-up.

Aces are placed on the build piles as and when they appear and the piles built upward in numerical sequence and in suit to the King.

Cards may be played on one another in the playing area provided they are descending numerical sequence and not of the same suit.

Cards may be moved from one column to another either singly or in correctly stacked sequences.

When a face down card becomes topmost in a column it may be turned with a single click of the left mouse button.

A vacant column may be filled only by a King or sequence headed by a King.

You are permitted only one pass through the deck.

See also

Rules Overview


Order Form
Six Pack Order Form

Registration

[   ]	I wish to register my copy of Six Pack.
I enclose the registration fee of FIVE Pounds Sterling (UK £5.00)

Updates

[   ]	Please supply a  3.5 inch disk for latest version of Six Pack (and other Shareware software on a trial basis).  I enclose an extra £1.50 (£3.00 for non UK locations) to cover costs of disk, duplication, postage and packing.

else

[   ]	I enclose a blank formatted disk plus return packaging and postage for my location to receive the latest version of Six Pack (and other Shareware software on a trial basis).

Name	_________________________________

Address	_________________________________

_________________________________

_________________________________

Tel Number	_________________________________

Six Pack Version Number

as reported by Help/About	___________________   and

6PACK.EXE date/time stamp	___________________

Signed	____________________________

Please help my investigation into distribution channels by also supplying the following information.

I got my Shareware copy of Six Pack from (please delete as appropriate)

Vendor / Friend / Bulletin Board / Magazine Cover Disk / Me / Other (please specify)

Name of Source	__________________________________


Entering Registration Information

You may enter your registration information by selecting the Register command from the Shareware reminder dialog box.

Your registration is recorded in the initialisation file. Please do not interfere with the registration information in the Initialisation file. Should the file become corrupted you should delete the file and re-enter the information provided on your Registration Certificate.


Outline Dragging

The processor and graphic resources required to draw a stack of cards which are moving around the screen can overwhelm some early IBM compatible PCs.

If you find the performance of your system at moving the card images around the screen is frustrating you then I suggest you select this option.

Once activated, whenever you drag a card or set of cards the program will draw an outline to represent the cards.  This is much faster!.... since it can now be difficult to remember the content of the cards you are dragging, an extra feature comes into play.  If you drag the cards over a location where they may be played then that location will display in inverse video while the cards overlap.

Adequate performance can be achieved with a 386sx 16Mhz machine with standard VGA graphics.

The dimensions of a card deck in this application are 71 pixels wide by 96 pixels high.


Shareware

A marketing/distribution concept which permits the user to try a piece of software before making a purchase. The software may be used for a limited period of time for evaluation.

Use after the evaluation period requires Registration with the Author.

Registration rewards the author for his efforts and encourages further work.


Registration

This product is distributed as Shareware. You may try the software for a period of 30 days. If you wish to continue to use it after this period then you must register with the author.

Registration costs Five Pounds Sterling (or equivalent in readily convertible currency or money order).  Registration Payments should be made payable to P.B. Cook, written in pounds sterling and drawable on a United Kingdom bank.

Send your registration form and money to

Mr Philip B. Cook
( Insert Program Name here )
5 Carpenter Close
Yarm
Stockton-on-Tees
TS15 9UT
ENGLAND

see also

Order Form
US Registrations
Commonwealth Registrations
Entering Registration Information


Registration Payment

The following are the forms of payment acceptable in declining order of desirability

United Kingdom Bank Cheque
Eurocheques
US$ Bank Checks
Postal Money Order (written in UK Pounds Sterling)
International Money Order (written in UK Pounds Sterling)
UK Pounds Sterling Currency
US$ Currency

Payment in currency is not desirable since it is not secure from theft in the post.  I am unable to handle currency other than the above (it costs too much to convert in small quantities).

I am not able to accept payment by credit card.


US Registrations

If you would like to register this program, please do the following:

Go to your local Post Office and ask for an Authorization to issue an International Money Order in the amount equivalent to the requirement payment in UK Pounds Sterling.  You must put your own name and address on the front of the form. On the back of the form, put my name and address (including the program name) in the Payee's box as follows

Mr Philip B. Cook
( Insert Program Name here )
5 Carpenter Close
Yarm
Stockton-on-Tees
TS15 9UT
ENGLAND

The completed form must be mailed to:

International Money Orders,
Box 14964,
St. Louis, MO 63182-9421

In St. Louis, the money is converted into British pounds and mailed to me.  When I get it, I will send your registration code and certificate by return.  This may sound complicated but it works and it avoids the ridiculous over-the-top bank commission fees that I would have to pay over here.  My heartfelt thanks to Carolyn Z. Gillay of California for pioneering the system and Dave Jewel (author of TimeFrame) for telling me about it.


Commonwealth Registrations

Most parts of the Commonwealth have reciprocal arrangements with the UK for handling Postal Money Orders.  Please ensure the Money order is written in UK Pounds Sterling.

Most Banks in the Commonwealth have branches in London, they can often issue a cheque for you in UK Pounds Sterling drawable on the UK Branch.

Both of these arrangements are acceptable for payment of the registration and disk fees.


Printing Help Topics

To print a help topic (eg to Print the Order Form) select  File, Print Topic from the menu bar of the Help Program.


Creating your own Card Deck

The card game is supplied with a number of Card Decks.  You may select the Deck in use by using the Game/Select Deck ... command from the Main Menu.

The decks are supplied as external files using the Windows Bitmap format, rather than in-built, unchangeable resources.

You may modify or add to the set of Card Decks by using any Windows Bitmap painting program (eg Windows Paintbrush).  A deck is defined as a 16 colour bitmap stored in the Windows RGB encoded BMP format with standard dimensions.

You may launch your Card Deck editor program by selecting the Deck you wish to modify in the Select Deck dialog and pressing the Edit Card Deck button.  This will open the editor and load the Card Deck design ready for editing.  If, after editing, you wish to keep the changes then save the image (remembering to give the file a new name if this is to be an extra Card Deck).

The default editor is the Windows supplied Paintbrush program.  If you wish to substitute some other editor then add a line

EditorName=

in the Initialisation file

You may also use any Screen Grabber or Scanner software to create an image to use as a Card Deck design provided it can create files using the Standard 16 colour Windows RGB format.


Edit Card Deck button

Pressing this button, launches a user defined Bitmap Editing program, loading the currently selected Card Deck image for editing.

The default editing program is Paintbrush, supplied with Microsoft Windows.


Select Deck command

This command prompts the user to select from a set of possible card decks.

The dialog displays a scrolling listbox of Card Deck images (these are stored in .bmp files).

To select a new deck you may

>	Click with the left mouse button on the desired deck and press the OK button.

>	Double click with the left mouse button on the desired deck.

The Card Deck Filename is displayed above the Card Deck listbox.

Pressing the Cancel button returns you to the game without activating any change in deck you may have made.

You may also select from Card Decks stored on other drives or in other directories by using the Drives and Directories list boxes.

Pressing the Edit Card Deck button opens a predefined Bitmap editing program with the selected card deck to allow you to modify the appearance of the Deck.  The default editor is the Windows supplied Paintbrush program.  If you wish to substitute some other editor then modify the EditorName= line in the application INI file

The chosen Card Deck is stored for future games in the CardDeckFilename= line in the application INI file

Note - these functions are not available when using Windows 3.0 Real mode.  To change the Card Deck when you must use Real mode it is necessary to directly modify the application INI file by using a text editor (eg Notepad).

see also  Creating your own Card Deck


Deck Selection Dialog