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The Griddlers Solving Window

The Clues The Background Color The Info Bar The Menu The Toolbar The Palette Panel The Thumbnail The Puzzle Area

(Click on a red number to go directly to information about that item.)

The Clues

Each clue indicates a group of contiguous squares of like color.

The Background Color

Between each group of like color there is at least one empty square (background color).

The Puzzle Area

Left/Right-Click on a clue selects colors to the Left/Right mouse button.

Left/Right-Click in the grid places the selected color.

Click or drag the Middle Mouse Button to remove clues or background squares you placed on the grid.

Ctrl-Z or Backspace - undo 1 to 1000 steps back.

Ctrl-Y - redo the removed steps.

Shift+Left-Click - places an "X" on the clues and/or the grid area.

Ctrl+Left-Click - removes the "X".

Drag+Shift/Ctrl Left-Click - places/removes several "X"s.

Shift+Right-Click - places an "O" on the clues and/or the grid area.

Ctrl+Right-Click - removes the "O".

Drag+Shift/Ctrl Right-Click - places/removes several "O"s.

You can place "X" and "O" together in one square and get a 3rd option to mark your clues or areas on the grid.

Square Counter: Place the mouse over a cell, press and hold down Ctrl. Move the mouse cell-by-cell (or many cells at once) to count numbers for you.

The Square Counter is located at the top-right side of the window,

The Info Bar

This shows the Puzzle ID, its Description and Size, and the Time of your solving.
If you are in "Hide Description" mode, the Description of the puzzle will not be viewable.

The Menu

Save (Ctrl-S) - Use to save your work on the puzzle online.
Save Locally (Ctrl+Shift-S) - Use to save your work on your computer (offline).
Print - Use to print the puzzle directly from the applet to your printer.
You can print a partially solved puzzle or select Clear All to print the puzzle with a clear grid.
Clear All - Use to clear the puzzle area completely. It'll remove all the squares you drew on the grid or other marks you placed and will reset the time to zero.
Exit - Use to close the puzzle window.

Undo (Ctrl-Z or Backspace) - Use to undo 1 to 1000 steps back.
Redo (Ctrl-Y) - Redo (Ctrl-Y)
Pause (Ctrl-P) - Use to stop solving temporarily. The time in the Info Bar stops and clues disappear until you press Ctrl-P again.

Zoom In (Plus) - Use to make the puzzle bigger.
Zoom Out (Minus) - Use to make the puzzle smaller.
Zoom In/Out with the Middle Mouse Button: Press Ctrl and scroll up/down.

Locked Clues (Ctrl-L) - Use to lock the clues at the top and on the left. When you scroll up/down or left/right the clues travel with the grid and never disappear

Magnifying Clues Ruler (MCR):

Place the mouse over a cell on the grid to view the clues of the horizontal line at the top of the screen, and the clues of the vertical line at the left, as seen in the image above.

Each time you move the mouse, the ruler follows the move and shows the new horizontal/vertical clues. Reducing the size of the puzzle doesn't affect the size of the Ruler's numbers.

The Magnifying Clues Ruler is optional. You can check Hide MCR (Ctrl-H) if you don't want to use it.

Show Pattern (Ctrl-Q) - Use to add a pattern of question marks ("?") on the grid area.
Show Guides - There are two ways to show the Guides: All across the grid or only on the clue area.
Check Show Guides to have them extended into the grid.
Uncheck Show Guides to have them only over the clues.
The system saves the selection as your default setting.
Show Tooltip - Check to show the Counter Tooltip in Line and Area Mode.

Select the colors that suit you best for the Grid line and the Grid5 line.
Select your own color for the Guides - the bold outlines around the clues that show you on which line your mouse is.

The system sets these colors to be your preferences for all the puzzles. Use the Reset Colors to go back to the system's default colors.

The Toolbar

The Drag Area allows you to move the Bar on the screen by pressing and holding down the mouse button while moving the mouse.
You can drag the Bar out of the frame and make it a floating window. If you close the window (click on the X) the floating window goes back to its place.
You can also move it to another location on the screen (left, right, bottom).
The Markers indicate the colors of your Left and Right Mouse Buttons.

If you Left-Click on a clue - the Left Marker will change to the color that you clicked on. The same happens with the Right Marker if you Right-Click on a clue.

In 2-color puzzles the Left Button designates the Clues and the Right Button designates the Background as the default.
Use to Save your work on the puzzle.
Use the Zoom In/Out buttons to enlarge or reduce the size of the puzzle.
If you resize the puzzle the system set this scale to be your default for all puzzles.
Use Reset All (the last item on the left menu) to go back to the system's default setting.
Drawing Mode:
There are three ways to draw on the grid:

Free: Use to draw clues, background color, X's and O's freely.

Ctrl-Z/Backspace or Ctrl-Y - undo or redo your moves one step at a time.

Line: Use to draw straight horizontal and vertical lines. Line has a built-in counter.

Ctrl-Z/Backspace or Ctrl-Y - undo or redo the whole line.

Area: Use to draw rectangular areas.

Ctrl-Z/Backspace or Ctrl-Y - undo or redo the whole area.

If you want to remove all X's or O's you placed on the grid - use the AREA mode with Ctrl+Left or Ctrl+Right-Click.

Toggle between the Drawing Modes:
Use the Space Bar to alter from one drawing mode to another.

The Palette Panel

This is a list of all the colors in use in the puzzle.
Each square is clickable and places colors in the Left/Right Mouse Button.

You can also select colors by using a keyboard key (1-9, a-z):
Keyboard key - Places colors in the Left mouse button.
Shift+Keyboard key - Places colors in the Right mouse button.

is the color of the solving area. Use it to remove clues or background squares you placed on the grid.

The Palette Panel has a Drag Area. You can drag it out of the frame and make it a floating window, or place it on the top, bottom or right side of the screen.

Triangles:
Some puzzles contain triangular clues as seen in the image.

Triangle clues are keyboard key (1-9, a-z) selective as well.

The icon tells you that the puzzle has triangles.

Change Colors:

Clue Color:
If you want to change the color of a clue - Double Click on the clue or on a number ( [ 2 ] and above) in the Palette Panel. This opens a small window as seen in the picture. Select the color you want and click OK (or Cancel) to close the Change Color window.

Background Color:
If you want to change the color of the background - Double Click in the background area or on the number [ 1 ] in the Palette Panel.
When the puzzle is solved the colors restore automatically to the author's original selection.

Solving Area Color:
If you want to change the color of the solving area - Double Click on the number [ 0 ] in the Palette Panel.
The system sets this color to be your preference for all the puzzles. Use the Reset Colors (under the View menu) to go back to the system's default color.

The Thumbnail

This is a preview of the puzzle that you solve, while solving.

The small image is updated automatically and shows the exact image of the portion you have solved.