# Puzzle

Puzzle creates a jigsaw puzzle effect over your image, using highlights and shading. You can knock out pieces of the puzzle, invert connecting nubs, and replace knocked out pieces with color or transparency.

## Using Puzzle

Note: Puzzle is easiest to use on entire images or rectangular selections. Round selections will cut off parts of the puzzle effect.

1. Run the Puzzle filter.
2. Play with the basic features of the filter—set up columns, knock out pieces, and futz with connecting nubs.
3. When you are satisfied, click OK.
4. Have a comforting beverage and pat yourself on the back for a job well-done.

## Control Descriptions

### In Preview Controls

Clicking the arrow cursor in the Puzzle interface activates the In Preview controls. Puzzle provides three context-sensitive In Preview controls, each with a distinctive cursor:

(A) Knockout Piece---When you mouse over a puzzle piece, this cursor appears. Click on the piece to delete it.

(B) Restore Piece---When you mouse over a deleted piece this cursor appears. Click the empty space to restore the piece.

(C) Invert Connector---If you think that a connecting nub would look better reversed, click on that nub when you see this cursor.

Note: Multiple In Preview control cursors will not be active simultaneously. The cursors have been magnified in the image below for better visibility.

### Basic Tab

### Columns

Controls the number of columns drawn over the selection. Higher values yield more columns and smaller pieces. The number of rows is automatically determined to create puzzle pieces that are as square as possible.

### Knockout 10% Remaining

Deletes approximately 10% of the remaining puzzle pieces each time you click the button.

### Restore All Pieces

Did you go a little crazy knocking out pieces? That’s OK. Just click this button to restore them all. Note: You also have unlimited undos in Xenofex 2; if you want to backtrack sequentially, use your old friend Control-Z (Windows) or Command-Z (Macintosh).

### Invert All Pieces

Click to restore any pieces that have been knocked out while simultaneously knocking out all active pieces.

### Randomize Connectors

Randomizes the directions in which puzzle piece connectors face. If you see too many repeating patterns in the connectors, give this bad boy a click.

### Connector Length

Increases the length of the connecting nubs that connect puzzle pieces. There’s no science to this; just go with what looks best.

### Groove Width

Specifies the width of the bevelled trench between puzzle pieces. Higher values increase the width.

### Knockout Fill

Fill with solid color

Fills the knocked out areas with the color chosen using the Fill Color picker.

Make knockouts transparent

Fills the knocked out areas with transparency. This option is disabled when the selection is in a background layer.

### Connector Shape Random Seed

Controls the random variations in connector shapes. Give Random Seed a couple of clicks; if you find an effect that you like, save it as a setting so you can reproduce the effect later.

### Lighting Tab

### Groove Darkness

Darkens the trenches between puzzle pieces. Higher values make the trenches darker.

### Light Direction

Controls the direction from which the light falls on your selection. Click and drag within the lighting control box to change the direction, or enter a numerical value between 0 and 360 degrees.

### Highlight Brightness

Controls the intensity of the shiny highlights appearing on the bevelled areas facing the light.

### Highlight Size

Controls the size of the shiny highlights on the bevelled areas facing the light; higher values yield larger highlights.