SYNOPSIS

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


DESCRIPTION

       A  sliding  tile puzzle.  A hexagonal version of the 15 puzzle.  The 17
       puzzle was conceived of by Alwin Vietor and marketed in 1885 in Germany
       as  "Trilemma"  with  round  pieces.  Sam Cornwell rediscovered this in
       1989 with "Clockblocks" of  which  12  were  numbered  using  hexagonal
       pieces.   Also  he  produced a smaller 12 block puzzle with 9 that were
       numbered called "Ninefield".  Also Bernhard Wiezorke came up  with  the
       similar  17  puzzle,  "Hexafax,  the New Fifteen Puzzle", in 1991 and a
       smaller 11 piece "Counterfax" of which 8 were numbered.


FEATURES

       If in corners mode: Press "mouse-left" button  to  move  a  tile,  then
       release  "mouse-left"  button on a space.  It will not move if blocked.
       One can only move one tile at a time. The only tiles that can be  moved
       are the tile(s) next to both spaces.
       If  in  nocorners  mode: Click "mouse-left" button to move a tile.  One
       can move more than one tile at a time and one  is  not  constrained  by
       parity.

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

       Press "O" or "o" keys to toggle corners mode.  (Default is on).

       "S" or "s" keys reserved for the auto-solver (not implemented).

       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 slow down the movement of tiles.

       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 or arrow keys to move without the mouse.

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


OPTIONS

       -geometry {+|-}X{+|-}Y
               This option sets the initial position of  the  hexagons  window
               (resource name "geometry").

       -display host:dpy
               This option specifies the X server to contact.

       -[no]mono
               This  option  allows  you  to  display the hexagons window on a
               color screen as if it were monochrome (resource name "mono").

       -[no]{reverse|rv}
               This option allows you to see the hexagons  window  in  reverse
               video (resource name "reverse").

       -{foreground|fg} color
               This  option  specifies  the  foreground of the hexagons window
               (resource name "foreground").

       -{background|bg} color
               This option specifies the background  of  the  hexagons  window
               (resource name "background").

       -tile color
               This  option  specifies  the  tile  color  of  the tiles in the
               hexagons window (resource name "tileColor").

       -{border|bd} color
               This option specifies the border color  of  the  tiles  in  the
               hexagons  window  (resource  name "borderColor").  -delay msecs
               This option specifies the number of milliseconds  it  takes  to
               move a tile or a group of tiles one space (1-50) (resource name
               "delay").

       -[no]sound
               This option specifies if a sliding tile should make a sound  or
               not (resource name "sound").

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

       -{font|fn} ontname
               This option specifies the font that will be used (resource name

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

       -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 xhexagons you have.


RECORDS

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


SAVE FORMAT

       The format is not standard.  The reason for this is that this is simple
       and I do not know what the standard is.

              corners: 0-1 <0 false, 1 true; if 0 then hexagon corners are all
              snipped>
              sizeX: 1-10 <number of columns of tiles>
              sizeY: 1-10 <number of rows of tiles>
              moves: 0-MAXINT <total number of moves>

              startingPosition: <array of tile positions where 0 is the  empty
              space for the HIGH hexagon and -1 is the empty space for the LOW
              hexagon (if present)>

       This is then followed by the moves, starting from 1.
              move #: <direction>
       Direction is represented as 0 upper right, 1 right, 2  lower  right,  3
       lower left, 4 left, and 5 upper left.


REFERENCES

       Dieter  Gebhardt,  "From Trilemma to Counterfax", CFF 53, October 2000,
       pp 8-10.

       Sam Cornwell, "Ninefield: a Sliding Block Puzzle", CFF 57, March  2002,
       pp 4-5.

       Dieter Gebhardt, "Ninefield Revisited", CFF 58, July 2002, p 21.

       Bernhard Wiezorke, "Hexafax, the New Fifteen Puzzle" brochure


SEE ALSO



V7.2                              01 Apr 2006                      HEXAGONS(6)