Manual

The Game
Manual

Gameplay in Trinagon has been designed around you !

You can choose to play in a variety of ways, and you can tune these controls just right, so that you can focus on solving the puzzles.

The Polyhedra all have rotators, which move all the triangles adjacent to them either clockwise or counterclockwise. 

Clockwise turn :

  • tap once on the rotator, or
  • drag right from the rotator

Counter - clockwise turn :

  • hold one finger somewhere els & tap on the rotator, or
  • drag left from the rotator
  • or : double tap on the rotator, if that option is turned on in the controls menu.

To change the orientation of the gameboard in space :

  • Drag on the background will roll the gameboard, just like you would roll a tennis ball on the floor moving your hand over it.
  • Hold somwhere and drag will turn the gameboard circularly around the center.  (2 fingers)
  • Tap once and then touch & drag will also turn the board, but you only need one finger.

To make the board smaller or bigger you can pinch-zoom in or out.


 

A remark about double tap play : 

It is possible to use double taps for counter-clockwise moves, when that option is enabled in the controls menu.

This has a necessary side-effect : until a single tap can be executed, there will always be a small pause until the time for a possible double tap has passed.
Therefore this option is disabled by default.  If you want to play leisurely, you may want to enable double-tap-moves.
The controls menu is in Menu -> Saves & Settings (lower left) -> gameplay tuning - controls. 

The time the game uses to recognize a double tap can also be set in the controls-menu.
It will be used for double taps one the GameUI items as well. They are always enabled.

 

 

The Game
Manual

The user interface tries to stay out of the way and still give you all the options you need when solving your puzzles.

Have a look at the UI - cheatsheet :

This cheatsheet is in the game ! Just go to the menu -> storage & setting -> UI Cheatsheet.

As you can see there is a lot of functionality in your touch gestures !

One is actually missing : touch&hold on the solution will open the puzzle menu, just like a double tap.
Also if you happen to tap the rotator number on the lower right, you'll get a bit of an insight into that rotation type.

The Game
Manual

The new menu layout is also using the four corners of the screen.

The Puzzle Submenu allows you to immediately see the chosen puzzle, and either keep it or choose another.
Likewise changes to settings can be seen and adjusted easier with the effect visually apparent.

The Game
Manual

Trinagon allows for different preferences of gameplay and handling.
 
You may like to have faster or slower animations or even switch them off ?
You prefer to have the playground fixed.
You are a fast player and want to use the mouse for double and triple moves quickly.
 
All these you can set in the 'Controls' menu  :
  • Animationspeed :
    Depending on your hardware the speed will vary. To learn the game it's often better to start slower. Then you will get a better grasp of the different rotationtypes.

  • Drag Distance for Moves :
    Drag moves are done by dragging left or right from a rotator. With a small distance setting more moves will happen within a shorter drag. Your input device and screen size will influence how the drag moves work for you. 

  • Board Drag Sensitivity :
    Here you can change the turning speed of the playground. The 3D puzzles can only be played when turning the puzzle in 3D for different views.
    Also very hardware dependent, and also a setting that everyone likes different. 

  • Local Axis Roll : (phased out i n the latest release. If you want it back, tell us)
    There are two ways of turning the puzzle in space.
    The default rolls it always as if you'd swipe over the puzzle with your flat hand.
    The local axis roll will rotate the puzzle around its z-axis when swiping left-right and will roll it around your transverse axis when swiping up-down. Depending on your (mouse / finger) position above or below the center and also depending on the direction of the puzzles z-axis towards or away from you this behaviour will adapt.

  • Static Board : The 2D puzzle remains in place. A double tap / right click will still center it.
    This has been also phased out in the latest release. It can be reactivated on the single sided puzzles if you ask for it :)

  • Double Click :
    Mouse only. with two mouse buttons the left can be the clockwise, and the right the counterclockwise rotation.
    For faster mouse gameplay switch this to 'Off'.

  • Double Tap Time :
    Faster gameplay with a touch device can be set here. Or you choose to use the drag moves.
    If you're used to touch playing you can achieve the same feel with the mouse, using these two settings.
    Also read up on these last two in the gameplay controls.

  • Competition :
    The competition mode changes a few behaviours (of the game and yours too :))
    You cannot take back moves, and moves that would be the reverse of the last also count as normal moves.
    Also shuffling is only allowed for randomized puzzles and if you shuffle the board actually resets to a specific shuffled position. This setting is left in the free version as well, purely for pratice purposes. It does help to become better at any game, when you cannot undo moves, just like it does in chess.

These options will be used very differently from person to person. Find your best settings and enjoy the game !
 
 
The Game
Manual

Change the look and feel of the game. Your game environment needs only the elements you want to use ..
 
Triangle Type :
There are 4 triangle versions
  • Ed : Edgy. very old style triangle with sharper edges. The markers are shaped with 12 edges.
  • RoF : Round and Flat. The triangle is thin and flat as if it were cut from a cardboard. The markers are painted on with a black rim.
  • Roe : Round and Edgy. A mariiage between the last two. Flat triangle and cornered markers.
  • & Std : Soft and flatish and all rounded. The Standard triangle.
The reason behind these choices is simply 'taste' & the very different GPU processing power necessary for the animated graphics. The Standard triangle needs about 20 times more than the other ones.
 
The Symmetry lines, which determine triangle movements can be ..
  • Off : .. switched off completely 
  • Ghst : .. ghosted. That is, they have a shadow, but are otherwise invisible.
  • Trsp : .. transparent. They are visible themselves without shadows.
  • Full : .. fully visible with shadows.
The Skeoboard option gives the playground a fidget of reality, a base like you would have in a normal real boardgame. Look up the term 'skeomorphism', if you find the name a bit strange.
 
Shadows : can be switched on or off. They are more pronounced from a closer viewpoint.
If your system has little graphics power you might want to switch shadows off. They do give a clearer 3-dimensional impression though.
 
RType Indicator : Each rotationtype (see Game Basics) is assigned a different color in a mixed-rotations puzzle. The indicator shows which color is which type. 
In a 'uniform rotation' type puzzle the rotators are colored to suit the appearance of the puzzle. 
 
Competition Mode needs to be switched on for competition play. It has a variety of consequences and will only be needed later, when the registered edition is released.
 
And finally the Music Player : 
The music delivered with the free edition is composed by Alan Spiljak and released for free on the free music archive. There is a rare clarity and peace in this music, which is why it was chosen for trinagon.
Unfortunately Alan is not reachable to purchase a copy for the (paid) Base edition.
Only three titles are shipped with the game, because of the size (half the download).
The Game
Manual

Unlocking new puzzles :

You earn points (triangles, obviously:) ) when solving puzzles, depending on how many moves it took you to solve them.

These points accumulate and unlock the harder puzzles, which ensures that you are ready to try them.
Trinagon can be rather difficult, and our aim is to avoid frustration, as well as reward ingenious solutions.
The point system should keep you below the level that you are ready for. 

When a puzzle is made it has to be solved by its designer. How many moves he / she needed is stored and used for comparison.
You get 

  • 1 Skill point, if your solution needs less than 170% of the creators moves,
  • 2 Sklii points, if you're below 126,7%
  • 3 Skill points below around 111 %
  • 1 Genius point for beating the creators solution,
  • 2 Genius points, if your solution beats the creators by about a quarter.

Your skill level then is the skillpoints divided by 4, plus the genuis points.
You can play all puzzles up to your level, but only 5 further than the last one solved.

In the Game-Menu under 'Your Statistics' you can see how many puzzles of each polyhedron you have solved and how many points you earned there.

The Game
Manual

All puzzle solutions can be send as text files !

Remark : Accidentially this feature is off i the free version.Watch out for the next update.

To send a solution :

  • Open the Main Menu -> then 'Utilities' -> Copy Moves.
    This copies the current state of your moves to the clipboard as a simple text. 
  • You can paste this text into any email or message or social media channel simple as you would any other text.
  • The receiver can then copy this text and paste it right back into the game.
    Pasting back only works on the correct puzzle
PS : In case you are sending in your solution for validation to be entered in the Hall of Fame : 
  • Send to : This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
  • Please do add your Playername to the message !
    This will be the name that is displayed in the 'Hall of Fame' in game as well as here (soon).
    If no name is given it will be : "Anonymous !"
  • Remark : The Copy & Paste Moves - functionality is part of any bought version. 
    Currently (April 2024) the 'Full Game Voucher' can reduce the full game cost TO 25%  (around the 2$ mark)
    In case you found a new best solution you likely will already have earned this voucher.

Why by email ?   - instead of directly in - game.

While a direct server upload from the game would be quite easy the infrasturcture to then validate the uploaded solution is anything but easy.
For the amount of solutions to be expected, the resources for an automated process would greatly outweigh the necessity. There are only so many solutions possible until they simply are unbeatable !

To ensure that each solution is valid they are loaded into the game and checked. The entry in the hall of fame is then done by hand.
Also, any mistake by the player when uploading a solution, like misspelling their name, could not be corrected.
A simple everyday email and personal communication can do the trick :)
Therefore : Email it is !

The Game
Manual

There are three tutorials.

  • Beginners Tutorial :
    This is essential ! The first baby steps when you are new to trinagon. If you show the game to a friend, let them play this first.
    Part 1 - Basic Moves & Playground Controls: Shown on the Octahedron. Basic moves clockwise and counterclockwise. Rolling & Turning the Playground in 3D. 
    Part 2 - Game Menu Controls : Here you'll learn the meaning & use of the Game UI. 
    There is indeed more : The tutorial is not exhaustive, but just enough to understand how to play the game. The added functionality is explained here in the online manual.

  • Spin Tutorial :
    6 easy to medium difficult puzzles, all along the same principles with only 6 triangles to better see what each rotationtype is doing.
    Finish / play at your leisure : You can just click through the puzzles to get to the rotation type you want to practice.

  • Mixed Spins - Turorial :
    When mixing rotationtypes previously unforseen things start to happen. The shortcomings of one type can be remedied by another.
    Read more abouit this in 'Triangle Groups'

The last two are part of any purchase. 

The Game
Manual


Puzzle filtering :

In the the Free editions the puzzle filter has been taken out. There are 10 puzzles only per polyhedron.

Since puzzles have no fixed sorting order (see Mathematics & difficulty rating) or can't even be clearly categorised, the tool that will help you find a puzzle that suits your interest is the 'Puzzle Filter'.

  • All Puzzles use triangles & rotators.
  • The triangles have colors, facemarkers and directions. (see Game Basics if you're not clear on this)
  • The rotators use a rotationtype. There can be more than one in a puzzle.
  • Both spots usually taken by a triangle or rotator can be left empty. These are called 'Holes'.

Filtering options can be switched on or ignored / switched off. When you switch them on, (the background is green) the filter is applied. 

Triangles in use are distinguished by  :

  • Number of different Colors
  • Faces
  • Directions

Number of colors : I.e. 'How many colors are used in the puzzle ?'. There is an extra option of 'Holes', which means that there are empty spots in use.
It may be noted that holes cannot have faces or directions, but can be moved around by everything else being actually moved. (Imagine 'holes' in semiconductors - hence the name).

Faces : 
The 'face' is the up / down side of each triangle. Without facemarkers they are indistinguishable. To distinguish between them, a colored circle (dot, smartie, ..) in the center if the triangle is added. Obviously the colors have to be different :).
The filter options are All, Some, Any & None.

  • All' & 'None' are pretty self explanatory.
  • 'Some' means that simply not all triangles have facemarkers, but well, ... at least 'Some' do.. 
  • 'Any' stands for facemarkers being generally there, but it can be anythings between 1 and All. (logically speaking it's All or Some).

Directions :  Exactly the same system as in 'Faces' above. 
In the image, the filter is set to no faces & no directions.

Rotations used in a puzzle are distinguished by :

  • Amount / Nr. of Rotationtypes goes from 1 to 3, or then 4 or more.
    I.e. How many different rotationtypes in a puzzle.
  • Include Rotationtype : marking a specific type, the filter will only show those puzzles where those rotations are used. If you allow for 'Holes', then there may be empty spots around which you have to solve the patterns.

The 'Randomized' filter distinguishes between just that, and the opposite. Randomized puzzles have no ending pattern, so they need to be shuffled, and played back to the bstart-pattern. The Base and Free Edition Puzzles are all non-randomized. that is 'directional' puzzles.

The other two filters just exclude / include puzzles you already may have solved or where you have saved your progress.

The button for every puzzle contains markers showing if the puzzle has a savegame and your skill and genius -points earned on it, once it has been solved.

 

Future filter suggestions are welcome. A future (planned) update shall also include sorting options ! The need for sorting will arise with more and more puzzles being created.

The Game
Manual

 The Puzzle editor :

editor base

The puzzle editor (included only in the pro edition) allows you to design any possible puzzle.
To design the basic puzzle you 

  • choose / change the playground size (big or small)
  • choose to have only one rotation type or many,
    and assign the types to each in the latter case.
  • assign colors to the triangles (individually or all), the rotators, the direction and facemarkers, and also the borders.
  • & assign face and direction markers for all or each of the triangles, and change their orientation on the board.

Then you can from there solve the puzzle yourself to its solved (end) position and thereby make the puzzle directional or you can leave it randomized.
A few guidlines and remarks to help you with that :

  • The colors of the direction and facemarkers are valid for all triangles.
  • The face colors have to be different, otherwise they would not really distinguish the two faces.
  • The 'Direction only' marker gives you the option (which you may have just before thought about) to have both faces marked in the same color with the direction of the triangle being the important distingusihing feature.
    I.e. triangles with 'faces off' and 'directions on' will display that marker.
  • In a 'Uniform Rotations' puzzle all rotators are of the same type. Since this is clear in the puzzle the rotators are allowed to have different colors. You can mark them in any pattern you like. Maybe make the colors somehow relevant :).
    Choose the rotation type for the game by simple clicking on one of the numbered buttons around the board.
    • 1-6 are the rotations as you knwo them from playing. Number 7 is face conserving
    • Nr. 7 is conserving face i.e. what is up stays up, that is : random rotation 1,2 or 3.
    • Nr 8 flips the triangles always. I.e randomly chooses rotation 4,5, or 6.
    • Nr 9 randomly rotates from all possibilities.
    • There would also be 'forward', 'inward' and 'backwards' preserving as options, but they are not implemented (yet :) ).
      Use the random types only when applicable !! Puzzles could be created that rely on luck. Do not share those ! Your account may be suspended if you do.
    • As you click on the button, the 6 triangles on the upper left miniboard will show the associated rotation.
  • The 'Mixed Rotation' puzzles have clearly assigned colors for each rotation type. So every rotationtype can be distinguished as the puzzle is played !
    When in 'Mixed Rotations' mode every button has a different color.
  • To assign a color to a rotationtype, you choose the color first and then right click /double tap on the button of rotation-type. All rotators of that type will change color immediately.
  • the same process as assigning a color to a triangle or rotator can be used to leave an empty spot or deactivate a rotator. Simply choose the transparent (non-) color marked with an X in the color-choices.
    Then assign this to any triangle or rotator. it will still be visible in the editor as a transpparent triangle / ball, but in playmode it will be gone.
    The editor has a background because of this feature. Without it you would see the transparent triangles as grey.

Remarks :

  • A directional puzzle has to be played to its end by yourself !
    This ensures that it is solvable and also helps as a guideline of difficulty. The number of moves to get there is saved.
    Usually it does take more moves to creat a puzzle than to solve it.
  • It is possible to save the puzzle and reopen it for changes until you decide to finalize it. 
    Finalizing the puzzle protects it from further changes.
® Trinagon © Lucas Pradlwarter. Austria. All Rights Reserved. Impressum 2019

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