xcubes - Cubes X widget

/usr/games/xcubes [-geometry [{width}][x{height}][{+-}{xoff}[{+-}{yoff}]]] [-display [{host}]:[{vs}]] [-[no]mono] [-[no]{reverse|rv}] [-{foreground|fg} {color}] [-{background|bg} {color}] [-{border|bd} {color}] [-block {color}] [-size{x|y|z} {int}] [-[no]install] [-picture {filename}] [-delay msecs] [-[no]sound] [-bumpSound {filename}] [-dripSound {filename}] [-base {int}] [-{font|fn} {fontname}] [-userName {string}] [-scoreFile {filename}] [-scores] [-version]

A 3D sliding block puzzle. The cubes represented are flattened out on the plane. If the Blocks Z slider is greater than 1, then each group of boxes is a layer of the puzzle. If the Blocks Z slider = 1, then this is a simple 15 tile puzzle. The 15 puzzle was originally made around 1879 (the 14-15 puzzle of Sam Loyd was made soon after). Similar 3D puzzles include BloxBox; Qrazy Qube (2x2x2) by P. Hein of Denmark and Varikon Box 'L (3x3x3) (Hungary) and Mad Marbles (3x3x3) by Toys & Games International USA.

Click "mouse-left" button to move a block. Clicks on a space, or clicks on blocks that are not in line with a space, will not move blocks. Notice, one can move more than one block at a time by clicking on the block farthest from the space but still in line with the space. Since you only have a 2-D screen the next level down is either the box to the right of the current box or the bottom of the current box.

Click "mouse-right" button, or press "R" or "r" keys, to randomize the puzzle.

Press "I" or "i" keys to move a block in.

Press "O" or "o" keys to move a block out.

Press "S" or "s" keys to start the auto-solver. Only works on lxmx1 where l > 3 and m > 3.

Press "U" or "u" keys to undo a move.

Press "G" or "g" keys to get a saved puzzle.

Press "W" or "w" keys to write or save a puzzle.

Press "C" or "c" keys to clear a puzzle.

Press ">" or "." keys to speed up the movement of blocks.

Press "<" or "," keys to slow down the movement of blocks.

Press "@" key to toggle the sound.

Press "Esc" key to hide program.

Press "Q", "q", or "CTRL-C" keys to kill program.

Use the key pad, "R" keys, or arrow keys to move without the mouse.

Key pad is defined for Cubes as:

/ Out 8 Up

^

4<5>6 Left, In, Right

v

2 Down

The control key allows you to change the complexity of xcubes. Hold down control key and use the keypad or arrow keys to reduce or enlarge puzzle complexity.

The title is in the following format (non-motif version): xcubes: <Number of columns>x<Number of rows>x<Number of stacks> @ (<Number of moves>/{<Record number of moves> <user name>|"NEVER noaccess"}) - <Comment> If there is no record of the current puzzle, it displays "NEVER noaccess".

-geometry {+|-}X{+|-}Y

This option sets the initial position of the cubes window (resource name "geometry").

-display host:dpy

This option specifies the X server to contact.

-[no]mono

This option allows you to display on a color screen as if monochrome (resource name "mono").

-[no]{reverse|rv}

This option allows you to see the cubes window in reverse video (resource name "reverse").

-{foreground|fg} color

This option specifies the foreground of the cubes window (resource name "foreground").

-{background|bg} color

This option specifies the background of the cubes window (resource name "background").

-{border|bd} color

This option specifies the border color of the blocks in the cubes window (resource name "borderColor").

-block color

This option specifies the block color of the blocks in the cubes window (resource name "blockColor").

-size{x|y|z} <int>

This option allows you to change the number of cubes in a row, column, or stack (resource name "sizeX", "sizeY", "sizeZ").

-[no]install

This option specifies if the colormap should be installed or not (resource name "install").

-picture filename

This option specifies the file for the picture (resource name "picture").

-delay msecs

This option specifies the number of milliseconds it takes to move a block or a group of blocks one space (1-50) (resource name "delay").

-[no]sound

This option specifies if a sliding block should make a sound or not (resource name "sound").

-bumpSound filename

This option specifies the file for the bump sound (resource name "bumpSound").

-dripSound filename

This option specifies the file for the drip sound (resource name "dripSound").

-base int

This option specifies the base used (default is base 10) (resource name "base").

-{font|fn} ontname

This option specifies the font that will be used (resource name "font").

-userName string

This option specifies the user name for any records made or else it will get your login name (resource name "userName").

-scoreFile filename

Specify an alternative score file (resource name "scoreFile").

-scores

This option lists all the recorded scores and then exits.

-version

This option tells you what version of xcubes you have.

You must randomize the puzzle before a record is set, otherwise an assumption of cheating is made if it is solved after a get or an auto-solve.

The format is not standard. The reason for this is that this is simple and I do not know what the standard is. sizeX: 1-8 <number of columns of blocks>

sizeY: 1-8 <number of rows of blocks>

sizeZ: 1-8 <number of blocks in a stack>

moves: 0-MAXINT <total number of moves> startingPosition: <array of block positions where 0 is the empty space> This is then followed by the moves, starting from 1. move #: <direction> Direction is represented as 0 up, 1 right, 2 down, 3 left, 4 in, and 5 out.

L. E. Horden, Sliding Piece Puzzles (Recreations in Mathematics Series), Oxford University Press 1986, pp 1, 157-159. Jerry Slocum & Jack Botermans, Puzzles Old & New (How to Make and Solve Them), University of Washington Press, Seattle, 1987, pp 126, 127.

X(1), xrubik(6), xskewb(6), xdino(6), xpyraminx(6), xoct(6), xmball(6), xmlink(6), xpanex(6), xtriangles(6), xhexagons(6), xabacus(6)

® Copyright 1994-2005, David Albert Bagley

Send bugs (or their reports, or fixes) to the author: David Albert Bagley, <bagleyd@tux.org> The latest version is currently at: ftp://ftp.tux.org/pub/tux/bagleyd/xpuzzles

ftp://ibiblio.org/pub/Linux/games/strategy