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XCUBES(6)			  Games Manual			       XCUBES(6)

NAME
     xcubes - Cubes X widget

SYNOPSIS
     /usr/games/xcubes	[-geometry [{width}][x{height}][{+-}{xoff}[{+-}{yoff}]]]
     [-display	 [{host}]:[{vs}]]   [-[no]mono]   [-[no]{reverse|rv}]	[-{fore-
     ground|fg}  {color}]  [-{background|bg}  {color}]	[-block  {color}] [-text
     {color}]  [-frame	{color}]  [-[no]stippleFrame]  [-[no]install]  [-picture
     {filename}] [-delay msecs] [-[no]sound] [-bumpSound {filename}] [-dripSound
     {filename}]  [-{font|fn}  {fontname}]  [-size{X|Y|Z}  {int}]  [-base {int}]
     [-userName {string}] [-scoreFile {filename}] [-scores] [-version]

DESCRIPTION
     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  sim-
     ple 15 tile puzzle.  The 15 puzzle was originally made around 1880 by Noyes
     Chapman  (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.

FEATURES
     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  the  blocks.   No-
     tice,  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 "C" or "c" keys, to clear the puzzle.

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

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

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

     Press "R" or "r" keys to redo a move.

     Press "Z" or "z" keys to randomize the puzzle.  New records can only be set
     from a cleared state.

     Press "S" or "s" keys to start the auto-solver.  Only works  where  x=1  or
     y=1 or z=1.

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

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

     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 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".

OPTIONS
     -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  the cubes window on a color
	     screen as if it were monochrome (resource name "mono").

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

     -{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").

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

     -text color
	     This option specifies the text color of the  blocks  in  the  cubes
	     window (resource name "textColor").

     -frame color
	     This option specifies the color of the frame (resource name "frame-
	     Color").

     -[no]stippleFrame
	     This option allows you to toggle the frame stippling (resource name
	     "stippleFrame").

     -[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 "pic-
	     ture").

     -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  "de-
	     lay").

     -[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 for the sliding
	     of the tiles (resource name "bumpSound").

     -dripSound filename
	     This option specifies the file for the drip sound for the	dropping
	     or raising of the tiles (resource name "dripSound").

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

     -size{X|Y|Z} <int>
	     This option allows you to change the number of cubes in a row, col-
	     umn, or stack (resource name "sizeX", "sizeY", "sizeZ").

     -base int
	     This option specifies the base used in cubes (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 xcubes you have.

RECORDS
     You must randomize or clear 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.

SAVE FORMAT
     Here is the format for the xcubes configuration, starting position, and the
     movement of its pieces.

	    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.

REFERENCES
     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.

SEE ALSO
     X(1),  xtriangles(6),  xhexagons(6),  xmlink(6), xbarrel(6), xpanex(6), xm-
     ball(6), xpyraminx(6), xoct(6), xrubik(6), xskewb(6), xdino(6),  xbevel(6),
     xabacus(6)

COPYRIGHTS
     (R) Copyright 1994-2024, David A. Bagley

BUG REPORTS AND PROGRAM UPDATES
     Send bugs (or their reports, or fixes) to the author:
	    David A. Bagley, <bagleyd AT verizon.net>

     The latest version is currently at:
	    https://www.sillycycle.com/puzzles.html
	    http://www.ibiblio.org/pub/Linux/games/strategy/

V8.8.4				   15 Aug 2024			       XCUBES(6)

Want to link to this manual page? Use this URL:
<https://man.freebsd.org/cgi/man.cgi?query=xcubes&sektion=6&manpath=FreeBSD+Ports+15.1.quarterly>

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