How to visualize forcing chains

foxglove · Posted: Sat Feb 18, 2006 12:15 am Post subject:

>They just are two different approces of giving the hint.

diversity brings the light! Smile

sorry, you have tell me where your chains are!

our programs have very different approaches.
You mean removing the 4 and the 6 @2/3?
That's a pretty one!!

Henk · Posted: Sat Feb 18, 2006 1:29 am Post subject:

My solver finds these cells. These chains are pretty hard to find for humans. There probably are easier ways to solve the puzzle, but this is what my solver suggests.....

The candidate 6 can be exlcuded from both puzzles at the yellow highlighted cells.

The first:

The second:

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foxglove · Posted: Sat Feb 18, 2006 2:26 pm Post subject: How to visualize forcing chains

It seems that for triple forcing chains the lines are needed. The "let the user have fun" does not apply anymore.

In your case the user still has the fun of discovering the even steps missing from the lines, and probably is a good idea: less clutter.

Anyway I would move the yellow color to the triples cell: you are highlighting a cell with interesting candidates. Show the victim as a candidate to remove, not a cell where something happens. My solution was the foggy grey, hoping to convey the meaning that they already floating, about to disappear in a puff of smoke. Wink

Even if it seems a very popular approach, highliting the cell where something happens instead of the candidate is like pointing to the floor where a guy is standing when you want to comment his hair color.
In this case, the user reads:

>The candidate 6 can be exlcuded from both puzzles at the yellow highlighted cells

looks at the board, finds the yellow and the 6. no problemo.

follows the lines "backwards" to the triple cell.

Now he/she can start to understand the chains and follow them forward.

By the time he gets to the victim he forgot who is the victim! It's one of these in this yellow cell.

Probably accepting this sugestion means you have to revise the whole interface to be coherent. Shocked

fermat · Posted: Sun Feb 19, 2006 4:41 am Post subject: