Jigsaw Puzzle
Jigsaw Puzzle is a traditional jigsaw puzzle game. Use your own images and create unique puzzles each time. A java implementation with sound and save/load ability. You can use pictures with the extension ".jpg" and ".gif". The program had no problem to read my pictures from the DSLR camera, with the biggest pieces (60 pixel setting) it ended up into more then 3300 pieces! With the smallest piece setting (20 pixel setting) it ended up in more then 30.000 pieces, but then I had a problem with the Java Heap! The program can also rotate pieces to make it more difficult. I had a lot of fun with it and had to downsize my first attempt in order to make a picture for this page.

System requirements
  • Minimum JRE version is 1.6
  • With big pictures you need lots of memory, how much depends on the picture
  • A big screen with lots off pixels


Jigsaw Puzzle on an eComStation machine with Open JDK


Installing Jigsaw Puzzle
Download the file jigsawpuzzle.zip. Create a folder(directory) "jigsaw" or something similar which fits your needs. Unzip the zip file to the new created folder(directory). That's all! It is still a beta, so there might be problems, but I didn't see problems, with normal operation the bugfile stays empty.

The used jigsaw.cmd file
Jigsaw Puzzle works with Open JDK in OS/2-eCS. I have made a "jigsaw.cmd" file with the following contents; 
@echo off
set CLASSPATH=
set BEGINLIBPATH=[drive: java]\JAVA160ga5\bin
set path=[drive: java]\JAVA160ga5\bin
[drive: jigsaw]
cd [drive: jigsaw]\jigsaw
java -Duser.home=[drive: jigsaw]\jigsaw -Xmx640m -jar jigsawpuzzle.jar 2>jigsawbugs.txt
I use 2 separate folders (directories), one for Java and one for Jigsaw Puzzle with the files created by this program. The references used in the cmd file;

  • [drive: java] = drive with Java
  • [drive: jigsaw] = drive with Jigsaw Puzzle

should be replaced by real drive letters. Adjust the file from the distribution below, ie. different drive and directories. Save "jigsaw.cmd" and copy it to the "jigsaw" folder (directory).

Create a new program object. Specify the path and file name: "[drive: jigsaw]\jigsaw\jigsaw.cmd". In the tabpage Session check the boxes "OS/2 window", "Running as an icon" and "Close Window to end program". In the tabpage General you can enter the name "Jigsaw Puzzle". The download also has an OS/2 icon.

Parameters / options explained
  • The specification "-Duser.home=[drive: jigsaw]\jigsaw" will ensure that Jigsaw Puzzle will save all necessary files in own directory instead of saving them in the home directory.
  • With big pictures you need a specification like "-Xmx640m", a value found with try and error. With this setting I could load a picture with a dimension of 4032x3024 pixels and make a puzzle from it with 60 pixel pieces. The next higher setting of 50 pixel pieces needs more memory or Java heap space. Program ends friendly, you can close normal way, reset memory in the command file and start all over. Warning too, you get lost in the "forrest of pieces". Pictures with dimensions of 800x600 pixels don't need a memory setting and will give 1200 pieces with a 20 pixel setting!
  • The addition "2>jigsawbugs.txt" ensures that errors are saved in the file "jigsawbugs.txt". The 2 in "2>" is not a typo!

Download
In the file you can find the above command file (all drive letters are on set to C:) and an OS/2 Jigsaw Puzzle icon: jigsawpuzzle-ecs.zip.

revision August 21, 2016