FigurePic

Introduction

FigurePic is a unique game that blends  logic and art into an addicting puzzle.  The game was invented by Non Ishida of Japan and was introduced in the United States by GAMES Magazine.  The object is to uncover the hidden picture in a grid based on the numbers at the side and top.   Most of these puzzles are not ones you will solve within five minutes so be prepared for hours of enjoyment.

How To Play

Use the left mouse button to color a square and the right to erase.  The object is to paint a picture based on the information given by the numbers at the top and side of the grid. The numbers indicate the number of consecutive colored squares in a group and the relative order of each group.  Groups of the same color have at least one space between them and there may be spaces at the ends.  If one color, say red, is next to a another color,  then there may or may not be empty spaces  between them.  In the worked example the columns were started first and the result is shown in the second picture.  For example, the 11th column over has to have the middle two squares colored black no matter whether we start at the top or bottom.  In the next part of the example the dots are placed in some of the squares that we know will not be colored.  This allows us to complete the second row and start filling in some more of the columns.  Then it was worked  back and forth between rows and columns to Figure the rest of  the picture.

Commands

Exclude Square -  When the box with an . is clicked with the mouse the cursor goes to a small cross.   Click on squares you know are not colored.  Click on one of the colored boxes to paint squares with that color.  The right mouse button will erase a square.  Use the space bar to cycle from Exclude Square to color mode.  The tab key will cycle between the colors.

Game

Next (F2) -  Displays the next puzzle to work.   Saves the current puzzle.

Restore -  Reads in a set of puzzles.   The top of the Get screen tells you the file name of set you are working with.  There are from 1 to 64 puzzles per set.

Save As - Saves the current set of puzzles under the name you supply (with extension fpc).

Save Current Puzzle As - This saves the current puzzle using the filename you supply.  This fpc file will contain just this one puzzle.

Exit - Exits FigurePic saving the work you've done.

Puzzle

Get - Brings up a view of the puzzle library.  Click the mouse on a puzzle to work.  Shows whether the puzzle has been solved and the entry is red if the puzzle is multi-colored.

Correct So Far? (F8) - Checks to see if your solution is correct up to this point.

Undo - (Ctrl -Z) - Backs up one grid at a time.  Only goes back to last time the puzzle was saved.

Hint -  Fills in a column correctly on the current puzzle.  Only three hints allowed per puzzle.

Modify -

New - Adds a puzzle to the end of the set by making a copy of the current puzzle.  Click on the number in the Row or Col box to change the size of the puzzle.  A maximum of 30 columns and rows is allowed.  When you have completed creating the puzzle press the Done button.  A maximum of 64 puzzles is allowed per set so if you want more use one of the Save As commands to start a new set.

Edit - Allows you to edit the current puzzle.  Press Done when you are finished.

Color (Ctrl - F7) -  For multi-colored puzzles.

Cheat (Shift F7) -  Lets you view the solution to the current puzzle.

Author - A comment field.

Set Difficulty - How hard is this puzzle to work. (1 is easy  and 4 is impossible).

Sound File - Enter the name of a .wav file to be played when the current puzzle is worked.

Animate - Animations occur when the user has worked the puzzle or selects the Play command.  They consist of from 1 to 4 frames which are just sets of colored or erased grid squares.  A frame can be moved and erased, etc.  There is a limit of 300 to the size of the animation.

Create - Starts  a new animation sequence wiping out any that were there.

Next - Displays the next frame.

New Frame -  Starts a new frame in the animation sequence.

Play - Displays the entire animation sequence.

Repeat All - Repeats the entire animation sequence n times when it is played.

Repeat Frame -  Repeats the current frame n  times when the sequence is played.  One can also translate the frame and supply a delay at this point.

Color (Ctrl - F7) -  For multi-colored animations.

Erase All - Erases all the puzzles that have been worked or partially worked.

Erase -  Erases the current puzzle.  (You now have three more hints.)

Options

Display Counts - These two numbers tell the puzzler how many consecutive squares are colored in the row and column of the mouse click.  If the right mouse button is pressed then the count is of the empty squares in that row and column.

Sounds - Turns the sound effects on or off.

Green Circles - These indicate when the proper number of squares are colored in a column or row.  The green circle does not necessarily mean the correct squares are colored unless all the circles are green.

Messages -  Some informative messages to help you get started.  Click to turn them off.

Hints and Notes

- The trick to getting started is to pick a row or column that has a group of squares that extend over half way.   The middle portion of the group can then be filled in.

- To view a worked puzzle after it has been colored or animated just click on an empty square.

- To help you avoid getting computer related ailments, make sure you have a high quality video monitor and take a break from working these puzzles every hour or so.  If the numbers are hard to read comfortably you might try a different display driver (use Main Setup).

Files - Files with extension fpc hold most of the puzzle data.  When exchanging puzzles keep these as small as possible by using the Save Current As command.  The Author and Sound File are kept in the file with wfn extension.

Duplicate Solutions -  There can be more than one solution to certain puzzles, i.e. more than one picture will satisfy the numbers at the side and top.  FigurePic will detect these alternate solutions if the Green Circles option is on.  See the example below.

Please report any problems or suggestions to:

Star Graphics Corp

1630-D Beavercreek Rd.

Oregon City  OR  97045

(503) 557-1428

To order FigurePic with 64 puzzles of varying difficulty, (some in color), fill out order.wri and send $34.95 + $3.00 shipping & handling, (in the U.S.), to the above address.   Or call toll free 1 800 831-7611.

Or: FAX your name, address, phone no., and signature along with credit card info to:  (503)  557-1607

See http://www.teleport.com/~sgc

email: sgc@teleport.com

Copyright 1993-95 by Star Graphics Corp.  All rights reserved.

Puzzles by Paula L. Vinecore

Software by Randy L. Vinecore