Windows Word Search Rampage Index

General Topics

  Playing Puzzles

     Options

  Printing Puzzles

Window Screens

  Main Window

    Menu Commands

    Puzzle Selection Box

    Open Button

    Random Button

    Close Button

  Play Window

     Play Options


Play Window

The play window consists of the puzzle, list of words, menu options, close button and an optional timer.

Puzzle

The puzzle appears on the left side of the screen.  You may visually scan the puzzle for words.  Once you have located a word, simply click and hold the left mouse button down on the first letter of the word.  Drag the mouse to the last letter of the word.  You will notice a line being drawn throught the letters as you drag the mouse.  Once on the last letter of the word, release the left mouse button.  If you have found a word, you will know!  The word will be temporarily highlighted and a congratulatory audo clip will be heard.  The word in the puzzle will be turned to gray as to indicate that the word has been found.

List of Words

A list of words appears on the right side of the screen.  These are the words to be found in the puzzle.  As words are found, the color of the word changes as to indicate which words have been found and which ones still need to be found.

Menu Options

A list of menu options are available to allow you to print the puzzle or to select different puzzle playing options.  These options include turning the sound off or on, using a timer, using a puzzle highlight mode and using a hint mode.

Close Button

This allows you to exit the puzzle playing at any time desired.

Optional Timer

If the optional timer is active, then a timer appears on the screen that indicates how long it takes you to complete the puzzle.  You may wish to use this to see how fast you can complete puzzles or to compete against a friend or family member.


Printing Puzzles

You are given the option to print out any puzzle.  The puzzle print option can be found in the File Menu Command of the Play Window.  Selecting the print option from the menu will display a new window entitled Print Options.   Several Options are given for the printing of puzzles.  These options are listed below.  Once all the options have been selected, pressing the View/Print button will allow you to view the puzzle with all of your selected options.   You may then optionally print or abandon the puzzle.  You may also choose your printer settings at this time via the Setup option.

Options

Entire Page

This instructs the Word Search Puzzle and words to fill the entire printed page.

1/2 Page Left Side

This instructs the Word Search Puzzle and words to fill half a page.  The half of page will be on the left side of the page running top to bottom.

1/2 Page Top Side

This instructs the Word Search Puzzle and words to fill half a page.  The half of page will be teh top of the page and will run form left to right.

2 Copies Side by Side

This instructs the Word Search Puzzle and words to be printed twice on the same page side by side (left and right).  The words will be under each puzzle.  This allows you to produce twice as many puzzles with the same sheet of paper.

2 Copies Up and Down

This instructs the Word Search Puzzle and words to be printed twice on the same page one right below the other.  The words will be to the right of each puzzle.  This allows you to produce twice as many puzzles with the same sheet of paper.

Lower case letters

This instructs the the letters in the Word Search Puzzle to be in lower case.

Draw Grid

This instructs the puzzle to be drawn with a grid around all the letters.  This may be helpful in giving better clarity in the lining up of letters.


Play Options

There are six different playing options that can be toggled off and on in the Options Menu Command in the Play Window plus one option to configure window colors.  They are as follows:

Sound

When a word is found, a congratulatory audio clip is heard.  Likewise, when the puzzle is completed an audio clip is heard.  If you do not wish to hear these, then you may toggle the sound off.

Timer

You may optionally have a timer displayed on the puzzle playing screen.  It shows the minutes and seconds that have elapsed since starting play.  You may want to use the timer for your own satisfaction of seeing how quick you can do a puzzle or to compete against a friend or family member.

Highlight Mode

This allows you to see which letters in the puzzle have been already used by a word.  This can be helpful in trying to spot new words as many times they will be located where the letters have not been used yet.

Hint Mode

If you are sure that a word does not exist in a puzzle, then you will want to activate the hint mode.  With hint mode on, simply double click with the left mouse button on one of the words in the word list and the word will be briefly highlighted in the puzzle.

Upper Case

You may have the puzzle displayed in upper or lower case letters by using this option.  This also affects the case of the letters when a puzzle is printed out.

Grid On

You may enable a grid that appears around each of the letters in the puzzle.  This can be helpful for knowing where you can tag letters and for seeing in diagonal directions.

Colors

You may configure the colors of the game playing window.  You may change the colors for the following elements of the screen:

1. Background -- Background color for the whole window.

2. Unfound Words -- Words that have not yet been found in the Word List.

3. Found Words -- Words which have been found in the Word List.

4. Puzzle Letters - The letters in the puzzle when in their normal state.

5. Highlight Letters -- The letters in the puzzle which are located in a word which has been found.  (only applies if the highlight mode is active).

6. Hint Mode Letters -- The letters in the puzzle which are contained in the word that the "hint" is being given for.

7. Titles -- Text titles on the window.

8. Timer -- Color used for the timer.


Main Window

The Main Window consists of a Puzzle Selection List Box, Menu Commands, and the following buttons: Open, Random and Close.  It is here that you may select a puzzle to play or go and create your own puzzle.


Puzzle Selection Box

This is where all the puzzles are listed that are available for play.  Double clicking with the left mouse button on a particular puzzle will invoke the puzzle play mode on the particular puzzle.  Other action to be taken on a puzzle (such as the open button) will take place on the puzzle which is currently highlighted in the list box.


Open Button

Pressing the open button will take you to the Play Window and allow you to play the puzzle that is currently highlighted in the puzzle selection list box.


Close Button

The close button is simply an easy access exit button.  It exits the Word Search program.


Random Button

Pressing the random button will take you to the Play Window where you can play a puzzle.  The puzzle to play will be chosen at random from all the available puzzles.


Menu Commands

There are three main menu commands available.  This are File, Options and Help.

File

The File command consists of of an exit option which allows you to exit the program.

Options

You may change the puzzle playing options from the main menu.  These same options are available on the Play Screen.

Help

This consists of two options--Contents and About.  Contents invokes the Help System and brings up the Index.  About simply displays program information.


Versions

Windows Word Search Rampage comes in 3 versions.  They are the Standard Version, Plus Version and Gold Version.  The differences are explained below.

Standard

The standard version is identical to this version you are evaluating.  It consists of over 75 puzzles.  The registered version removes all registration notices and "unregistered" marks.

Plus

The plus version is identical to the standard version except that it comes with over 300 puzzles ready to play!

Gold

The gold version has everything the plus version has AND it provides the power to create your own word search puzzles.  The following features apply:

1.  Create your own puzzles simply and easily!

     a.  Simply enter a topic, title, list of words and dimensions and push a button!

     b.  Puzzles may be 15 chars wide by 15 chars high

     c.  Up to 40 words may be entered with a maximum length of 15 characters

     d.  Vary the complexity of the created puzzle

     e.  Create puzzle with no diagonals, less diagonals, average diagonals or more diagonals

     f.   Save your created puzzle to disk--newly created puzzles appear in the puzzle list box.

     g.  Import a list of words from a text file--create your word lists with your favorite text editor.

     h.  Randomly select a group of words from a 3500+ dictionary.

2.  Edit or Delete your created puzzles

3.  Play or Print your created puzzles

4.  Send puzzles to an ascii file for inclusion in your favorite word processor.  Includes 3 different puzzle formats.


Support

Registration

Registration of Windows Word Search Rampage will bring you the latest version of the programl and removal of shareware screens and watermarks.

Support

Insight Software Solutions offers a three month period during which any reported major problems with the software will be updated for free.  If a major problem cannot be resolved, then a refund of money will be made.  Support is offered throught the following channels:

Mail:

       Insight Software Solutions

       P.O. Box 354

       Bountiful, UT  84011-0354

Phone:  801 295-1890

Fax:  801 299-1781

CIS:  [71672,3464]  (Compuserve)

BBS: 801 963-8721 (Join Conference 4)

Note: CIS & BBS are usually monitored daily.