Message #1612

From: Andrey <andreyastrelin@yahoo.com>
Subject: New multydimensional puzzle
Date: Sun, 24 Apr 2011 15:42:45 -0000

http://games.groups.yahoo.com/group/4D_Cubing/files/MC7D/MPUlt.zip

Finally – version 0.1 of "Magic Puzzle Ultimate" is ready. It has no macros and
search features, and it is not tested at all. But it supports puzzles with
symmetric bodies of arbitrary dimensions, with cell-, ridge-, edge- and
vertex-centered cutting planes (for 4D) and cell- and vertex-centered cutting
planes for greater dimensions (and this limitation is caused only by twist
selection interface).
For every puzzle its description is in the text file. Now there are files for
the following puzzles:
3d4.txt – 3^4
5d.txt – 3^5
4d_rts.txt – Ridge-twisting 4D cube
4d_ets.txt – Edge-twisting 4D cube
4d_diag.txt – Corner-twisting 4D cube (cutting planes go through the center)
5dd.txt – Shallow-cut corner-twisting 5D cube
16cell-fts.txt – Cell-twisting 16cell
24cell-fts.txt – Cell-twisting 24cell
2tetr.txt – Cell-twisting duotetrahedron (6D puzzle).

"Puzzle" item in the main menu asks for the description file and generates the
puzzle from it (or creates 3^4 if the description is not valid).
Navigation:
Left button – rotation of 3D projection
Right button – XY rotation and 4D sliding
Shift-Left button – 4D rotation
Ctrl-Left button – Zoom in/out
"Switch dim" button on the control pane – switch direction of the "depth"
coordinate (it works for 5D and more). It doesn’t change 2D projection, but
depth order of objects is changing, so rotation in 3D will be different.

Twists:
Cell-twisting in 4D is the same as in MC4D. But rotation axis is defined not by
sticker under the cursor, but by the point on the cell surface (it is outlined
by thin lines). If the puzzle has other kinds of twisting, click both buttons
(left+right) somewhere on the face. Program finds the closest axis of 4D
rotation and outlines stickers in the outer layer of this twist direction. Then
you click some outlined sticker, then sticker where is should go, and so on.
Sometimes program may suggest starting another stickers’ sequence. When there is
enough information for the twist, program performs it. Left+right click in the
empty space repeats last twist (it’s good when you rotate face to more than
1/N).
Click (left of right) in the face without twisting axis works in the same way
as left+right click.
In 5D and more only cell twists and vertex-centered twists are possible. You
start with some corner sticker. Left click will start stickers’ sequence for
cell twist, and right click defines vertex-centered twist. Again, you see
possible destinations for the selected sticker, click one of them, then next and
so on.

To change color of the face, ctrl-right-click any sticker of the "old" color and select "Edit Color" item in the menu.

There was almost no testing of the program – only one solve of 3^4. So all bug
reports are welcome!
If you have some puzzle that you want to try, just ask about it – I’ll try to
code it’s description ))

Good luck!
Andrey