 CROSS PIX :Help Contents

Menu Commands

Playing CROSS PIX

Using Controls

Setting the Difficulty Levels

Setting Game Options


 CROSS PIX: Menu Commands

File Menu

Options Menu

Help Menu


 CROSS PIX: Playing the Game

CROSS PIX is a crossword simulation that uses pictures as clues. The clues are displayed at the upper-right of the playing screen. Over each clue, the corresponding word number is shown (for example 3-DOWN, or 1-ACROSS).

Words are entered by typing them from the keyboard. If the player correctly completes a word, the completed word changes to blue-gray, and the active tile is advanced to the first available letter of the next incomplete word.

Once a word is completed, its letters are "frozen" and may not be changed. This means that, when spelling words with some letters already frozen, the active tile will automatically skip those letters. Be careful not to type the already completed letters, as this will decrease your score.

After a puzzle has been completed, the score will be computed, and the next puzzle will be displayed.


CROSS PIX: Using Controls
 CROSS PIX: Controls- Navigation

Moving Around the Tiles

To move one tile at a time, use the mouse to click the desired direction button. You may also move to any tile of the puzzle by clicking on the tile. Note that moving in this way will not work if the player clicks on completed words or letters belonging to completed words. The player may also move around the puzzle by pressing the direction arrows on the keyboard.

Changing Words

To move to the next or previous incomplete word, use the mouse to click on the Next>> or <<Back buttons. Alternately, the player may press the <Page Up> or  <Page Down> keys to move from word to word.

Changing Directions

To Change from ACROSS to DOWN, use the mouse to click on the +/- button.

NOTE:	The active tile must be at a word intersection for this feature to work.

Erasing a Word

To erase all the letters that have been entered for the current word being worked, use the mouse to click the Erase button. Completed, or frozen letters will not be erased.


 CROSS PIX: Setting the Difficulty Level

Setting the Difficulty Level

Use the spin button on the LEVEL Control to set the level of difficulty. When the level is changed, the last puzzle worked on for that level is brought into the playing area in the same state it was the last time it was worked on.

Selecting the Game

Any of the one hundred CROSS PIX puzzles may be worked at any time while playing CROSS PIX. To select a puzzle, use the spin button on the PUZZLE control. When the puzzle number is the one you want to work on, click on the Go button and the puzzle will be loaded into the playing area.


 CROSS PIX: Setting Game Options

Hint Options

This Command Causes the Hint Options dialog box to be displayed. The user may set the various hint options from here. Two kinds of hints are provided, Hint Highlight and Hint Display

Clue Options

This command allows the user to customize the way in which clues are displayed. Selecting this option causes the Clue Options dialog box to be displayed.

Both the number of times displayed and the duration the clues are displayed can be adjusted.


 CROSS PIX: Setting HintOptions

Hint Highlight

Checking the Highlight Incorrect Letters checkbox causes a red highlight to be drawn aound letters the player enters incorrectly. This alerts the player that the letter entered was incorrect.

Hint Display

Checking the Hints Enabled Checkbox causes hints to be momentarily displayed on the tiles where incorrect letters have been entered.

Hints are given as small pictures displayed on the puzzle tiles. The first letter of the word that describes the displayed picture is the correct letter for that tile.

The way in which the hints are displayed can be adjusted  to settings appropriate for the level of the player. The number of times hints are displayed, how long they are displayed, and incorrect tries allowed before hints are displayed can be adjusted by using the corresponding spin buttons.

Hints may also be displayed for the current tile by clicking on the Hint button in the CONTROLS area of the screen.


 CROSS PIX: Setting Clue Options

Clue Duration

Use the spin button to adjust the amount of time each clue is displayed. The time may be adjusted between one and five seconds. Displaying clues for more than two or three seconds is only appropriate for very young children just learning to read.

Clue Times

Use the spin button to adjust the number of times each clue is displayed. The most challenging settings are to display each clue only once, and set the clue duration as short as possible. The default setting is to display each clue every time.

NOTE: 	When a clue is not displayed, the CROSS PIX logo will appear in the clue box.


  CROSS PIX: File Menu

Old Game

This command loads a previously saved game from disk. CROSS PIX is shipped with four initial game setups - one for each Level of Play.

Save Game

This command is used to save the current status of all one-hundred CROSS PIX puzzles to a disk file.  This feature also retains the current puzzle being worked, and returns to this puzzle when the Old Games command is used

The user may select a file name from those already saved, or enter a new file name. Saved files must have the file extension .gam.If an existing file is selected from the file list box, then all previously saved data in that file will be lost.

Exit

This command Quits the CROSS PIX game. It has the same effect as clicking on the Quit button in the Controls Area of the gamescreen, except the TOP TEN SCORES dialog box is not displayed.


 CROSS PIX: Help Menu

 Contents

This command accesses the CROSS PIX help system.