How to define the eternity files
From GPU
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Disclaimer and Copyrights
This information is copyed from the eternityii.net site, which was shutdown at the end of 2007. We publish it as it is used to create the files needed for the Eternity 2 plugin included in GPU. These pages and the e2editor program are copyright by Dave Clark and were slightly modified to fit the GPU needs. Eternity II" and the Eternity II logo are registered trademarks of Tomy UK Limited. This site is not affiliated with Christopher Monckton or Tomy UK Limited.
Creating the Puzzle Definition Files
In order to participate in the free GPU Eternity 2 project, you must create two small text files. Use a simple text editor such as 'notepad' on Windows. This process, although not difficult, is rather tedious. However you need only do this once, and then you will be able to contribute your spare computer CPU cycles towards winning $2,000,000! (for initial testing, you can use the sample text files described below) Actually, now there is an easier way to create this text file - use the new e2editor program!
Puzzle Piece Definition File
- Check the booklet you received with your eternity puzzle. You will see that on the inside front cover there is a drawing of 22 shapes in a group of 8 down and 3 columns. These are the edge types of the puzzle. Mentally number them down the page, then left to right. eg orange with a blue plus is index 1 edge, yellow with a blue star is index 18. (This is an easy way to make a note of the edge types, but in fact you can number them in any order you want without affecting the operation of the Eternity2.net software.)
- Check you have all the numbered pieces (1..256).
- Lay them out face down, in order, with the numbers visible and oriented correctly for you to
read.
- Turn over piece 1 by flipping it over to the right. (the number 1 is now on the bottom face).
- Starting from the top edge of the piece, make a note of the pattern/colour combination. Match up this to one of the edge indexes (eg number 5 or whatever) This will be the very first number in the text file. Look next at the right edge of the piece. The index of this pattern/colour is the next number. Continue clockwise around the piece with the bottom edge, then the left edge. The only exception is the gray edges, which are always assigned index number 0.
- Now move to piece 2 and flip it over, and record which indexes it has when moving clockwise from the top edge.
- When you have finished all 256 pieces, you should have used index numbers from 1...22, plus 0 for the gray edge.
- Create a text file named e2pieces.txt with 256 lines of the following format: Each line contains 4 numbers - the top,right,bottom,left index numbers.
- Put the file in the C:\ directory. (eg 'c:\e2pieces.txt') (You'll have to install GPU first!)
- A sample e2pieces.txt file might look like this. (note this is not the 'real' puzzle definition and defines only 16 pieces instead of 256! This example is constructed with the online demo of Eternity).
Hint Pieces File
- You are provided with one hint piece initially, as part of the puzzle. This is piece 139. We know that this is to be located in position 8 across (x coordinate), and letter I down (y coordinate of 9). Place piece 139 with the number facing up, and flip it over to the right, so that the number is face down. Look at the piece, and consider how it might need to be rotated some multiples of 90 degrees clockwise in order to resemble its final orientation in the solution. (as shown in the solution sheet you received with the puzzle). For instance, if it needed to be rotated 90 degrees clockwise, then the rotation of that piece is given the value 1. If it needed to be rotated 270 degrees clockwise, then the rotation of that piece is given the value 3. (hence valid values are 0,1,2 or 3)
- If you solve the other hint puzzles, and learn those hint pieces, then similarly make note of their position and required rotation.
- Create a text file named e2hints.txt of the following format: The first line contains the number of hint pieces that you know, eg 3. Then follows a few lines, one for each known hint piece. Each line contains 4 numbers. Firstly the number of the piece (1..256), then the x coordinate (1..16), then the y coordinate (1..16) and lastly the required rotation (0..3)
- Put the file in the C:\ directory. (eg 'c:\e2hints.txt') (You'll have to install GPU first!)
- A sample e2hints.txt file might look like this. (note this is not the 'real' puzzle hints!)
Testing
In order to verify that you have created the e2pieces.txt file correctly, you can use the e2editor program. This will help you check that you have entered the 256 puzzle pieces correctly, and that the format of the file is correct. It can also calculate a checksum value for the pieces file, to help ensure you have not made a mistake when entering the numbers.
The checksum for the official Eternity II game is 722481764.
Run GPU
- Once you created the definition files, run GPU as described here.
