NAME

     xmball - Masterball X widget


SYNOPSIS

     /usr/games/xmball    [-geometry     [{width}][x{height}][{+-
     }{xoff}[{+-}{yoff}]]] [-display [{host}]:[{vs}]] [-[no]mono]
     [-[no]{reverse|rv}]    [-{foreground|fg}     {color}]     [-
     {background|bg}    {color}]    [-{border|bd}   {color}]   [-
     wedge{0|1|2|3|4|5|6|7|8|9|10|11}  {color}]  [-wedges  {int}]
     [-rings  {int}]  [-[no]orient] [-[no]practice] [-base {int}]
     [-{font|fn}  {fontname}]  [-userName  {string}]  [-scoreFile
     {filename}] [-scores] [-version]


DESCRIPTION

     The original puzzle has 8 sectors on a sphere  (longitudinal
     cuts), with each sector divided into 4 segments (latitudinal
     cuts).  There  are  essentially  3  varieties:  Geomaster  8
     colors (beachball, default colors in this puzzle), Duomaster
     2 colors (black and white beachball), and a variety of  pic-
     ture  Masterballs.   For some reason, they say the Geomaster
     is easier than the Duomaster.  The picture  Masterballs  are
     the hardest since all the pieces have a set solved position.
     On the Duo and Geo Masterballs pieces could be swapped or in
     a different order and still be in a solved position.  Zurick
     University's  Mathematics  faculty   has   calculated   that
     Masterball's    32    segments    can    be    arranged   in
     355,682,548,566,633,480,192,000,000 different possible  com-
     binations.   Masterball was invented by Dr. Geza Gyovai Hun-
     garian Engineer, manufactured by Whole Systems Design, Inc..


FEATURES

     Press  "mouse-left"  button  to  move  a  sector.    Release
     "mouse-left"  button  on  another  piece and the pieces will
     turn towards where the mouse button is released.  Usually, a
     click  and  release  on  the same wedge is ambiguous and the
     puzzle will not turn.

     Click "mouse-center", or press "P" or "p" keys to toggle the
     practice mode (in practice mode the record should say "prac-
     tice").  This is good for learning moves and experimenting.

     Click "mouse-right", or press "R" or "r" keys  to  randomize
     the puzzle (this must be done first to set a new record).

     Press "I" or "i" keys to increase the number of rings.

     Press "D" or "d" keys to decrease the number of rings.

     Press "O" or "o" keys to toggle the orient mode.  One has to
     orient  the  wedges  in orient mode, besides getting all the
     wedges to be the same color.  To do this one has to get  the
     numbers  to  be  on  the  same side of the ball in clockwise
     order.

     Press "2", "4", "6", "8", "0", or "=" keys (not  the  keypad
     2,  4,  6,  8, 0) to change to 2, 4, 6, 8, 10, or 12 wedges,
     respectively.  Note: if there were  odd  number  of  wedges,
     there  would  be no 180 degree turn and therefore the puzzle
     would be inoperable.

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

     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 "Esc" key to hide program.

     Press "Q", "q", or "CTRL-C" keys to kill program.

     Use the key pad, "R" keys, or arrow  keys  to  move  without
     mouse clicks.
     Key pad is defined for Masterball as:
     N / *   Upper  Upper  Left,  Counterclockwise,  Upper  Upper
     Right

     7 8 9   Upper Left, Up, Upper Right
       ^
     4<5>6   Left, Clockwise, Right
       v
     1 2 3   Lower Left, Down, Lower Right

      0  .   Lower Lower Left, Lower Lower Right

     Use the control key and the left mouse  button,  keypad,  or
     arrow  keys  to  move  the  whole  Masterball.   This is not
     recorded as a turn.

     The title is in the following format (non-motif version):
          xmball.{2|4|6|8|10|12<wedges>}: <number of sectors  per
          wedge>  @  (<Number of moves>/{<Record number of moves>
          <user name>|"NEVER noaccess"|"practice"}) - <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 master-
             ball window (resource name "geometry").

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

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

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

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

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

     -{border|bd} color
             This option specifies the border color of  the  sec-
             tors  in  the masterball window (resource name "bor-
             derColor").

     -wedge{0|1|2|3|4|5|6|7|8|9|10|11} <color>
             This option allows you to  change  the  color  of  a
             wedge  (resource  name "wedgeColorN"). In mono-mode,
             color is represented as  the  first  letter  of  the
             color  name.  The  wedges are ordered clockwise.  If
             you have two colors that begin with the same  letter
             you  should  have one in uppercase and one in lower-
             case to  distinguish  them  in  mono-mode.  You  can
             change  the  colors  of  the wedges to make a stupid
             Masterball (i.e. all White or in mono-mode all "W").
             Unfortunately,  it  will not normally say its solved
             when its randomized.  Similarly, with the Duomaster-
             ball  (black and white), it may be solved color-wise
             but not by its internal representation.  This  would
             be cheating.

     -wedges <int>
             This option allows  you  to  change  the  number  of
             wedges (resource name "wedges").

     -rings <int>
             This option allows you to change the number of rings
             (resource name "rings").

     -[no]orient
             This option allows you to  access  the  orient  mode
             (resource name "orient").

     -[no]practice
             This option allows you to access the  practice  mode
             (resource name "practice").

     -base int
             This option specifies the base used (default is base
             16)  (resource  name  "base").   When  there  are 12
             wedges there is not much room, so base  10  was  not
             used as the default.

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

     -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  xmball  you
             have.


RECORDS

     You must randomize the puzzle before a record is set, other-
     wise 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.

     Masterball numbered clockwise, with default colors, not ran-
     domized:
         0            Y       Yellow
     10     2      D     B    Dark Green, Blue

     9       3    C       R   Cyan, Red

      8     4      O     M    Orange, Magenta
         6            G       Green

     Extra colors: Pink, Saddle Brown, Light Steel  Blue,  Indian
     Red

          wedges: 2-12 <number of wedges around ball (even only)>
          rings: 1-MAXINT <number of slices around ball>
          orient: 0-1 <0 false, 1 true; if true then  numbers  on
          puzzle to be oriented and ordered>
          practice: 0-1 <0 false, 1 true>
          moves: 0-MAXINT <total number of moves>

          startingPosition: <2 dimensional array of sector  wedge
          position,  if  orient mode then orientation number fol-
          lows each wedge number>

     This is then followed by the moves, starting from 1.
          move #: <wedge> <ring> <direction> <control>
     Each turn is with respect to a sector defined by  wedge  and
     ring.
     Direction is represented as 0 up, 1  upper  upper  right,  2
     upper  right, 3 right, 4 lower right, 5 lower lower right, 6
     down, 7 lower lower left, 8 lower left,  9  left,  10  upper
     left,  11  upper  upper  left, 13 clockwise, and 23 counter-
     clockwise.
     Control is represented as 0 or 1, 1 if  the  whole  ball  is
     moved  at once, 0 if not.  The xmball record keeper does not
     count a control move as a move, but here we do.


REFERENCES

     http://wsd.com/masterball


SEE ALSO

     X(1), xrubik(6), xskewb(6), xdino(6), xpyraminx(6), xoct(6),
     xmlink(6),   xpanex(6),   xcubes(6),  xtriangles(6),  xhexa-
     gons(6), xabacus(6)


COPYRIGHTS

     (Reg.) Copyright 1994-2005, David Albert Bagley


BUG REPORTS AND PROGRAM UPDATES

     Send bugs (or their reports, or fixes) to the author:
          David Albert Bagley, <bagleyd@tux.org>

     The latest version is currently at:
          ftp://ftp.tux.org/pub/tux/bagleyd/xpuzzles
          ftp://ibiblio.org/pub/Linux/games/strategy