KCG Maze User Guide

Overview

When the application opens, it automatically creates a maze and displays it in the main canvas area. The controls across the top of the window let you generate a new maze, print it, export it, select a maze size, select a generation algorithm, and toggle the solution overlay.

The maze entrance is marked in green and the exit is marked in blue. If solution display is enabled, the correct path is shown with red dots.

Quick Start

Launch the app and wait for the first maze to appear.
Select a size from the Maze Size list if you want something different.
Select an algorithm from the Algorithm list if desired.
Click Generate New Maze to create a new maze with the current settings.
Turn on Show Solution if you want to see the correct route.
Use Save as PDF, Save as PNG, Save as JPG, or Print Maze to output the result.

Main Window

Maze Display

The large central canvas shows the current maze and optional solution overlay.

Status Line

The status text at the bottom reports generation results and save/export success or failure.

Top Controls

The top area provides the main workflow buttons and option selectors used for everyday operation.

Maze Size

The application supports several predefined sizes and one custom size option.

Option	Description
`Small (20x20)`	Good for quick generation and easier mazes.
`Medium (40x40)`	The default balance between complexity and readability.
`Large (60x60)`	More detailed and more challenging.
`Extra Large (80x80)`	Best for advanced puzzles and large-format output.
`Custom...`	Opens a dialog where you can enter your own width and height.

After you choose a size from the menu or the popup menu, the application regenerates the maze using that size.

Algorithms

You can create mazes with any of the following algorithms:

Algorithm	What to Expect
`Recursive Backtracking`	Produces long passages and a classic hand-drawn maze feel.
`Prim's Algorithm`	Creates a more branching layout with a balanced structure.
`Kruskal's Algorithm`	Builds the maze by joining regions, often leading to evenly distributed complexity.
`Aldous-Broder`	Generates an unbiased maze pattern using a random walk approach.

Changing the algorithm and generating again gives you a different style of maze even when the size stays the same.

Solution View

Use Show Solution to display or hide the solution path. The solution is drawn as red dots through the maze from the green entrance to the blue exit.

The solution overlay is a viewing aid inside the application window. Saved and exported files do not include the on-screen solution path.

Save and Export

The application supports three save/export formats.

Action	Use Case
`Save as PDF`	Best for printing, sharing, and preserving page layout. You can also customize the title before saving.
`Save as PNG`	Best for lossless image quality, websites, digital archives, and further editing.
`Save as JPG`	Best when you need a smaller file size for general image sharing.

To save the maze

Generate the maze you want.
Use Show Solution only for on-screen reference while reviewing the maze.
Click the matching save button or use the File menu.
Choose the destination folder and file name.
Confirm the save operation.

The status line reports whether the save was successful. The exported file contains the maze itself, but not the solution overlay shown in the application window.

Printing

Click Print Maze or use File > Print... to send the current maze to a printer. Before the maze is printed, the application asks you for a title. The title appears at the top of the printed page.

The maze is scaled to fit the printable page area while keeping the full maze visible.

Menus

File Menu

New Maze generates a fresh maze using the current size and algorithm.
Save as PDF..., Save as PNG..., and Save as JPG... export the current maze.
Print... prints the current maze.
Quit closes the application.

Maze Menu

Generate New Maze creates a new maze immediately.
Show Solution toggles the solution overlay.
Size items select predefined maze dimensions or open the custom size dialog.
Algorithm items switch the current maze generation method.

Help Menu

User Guide opens this document.
About opens the program information window.
License Agreement opens the license window.

Tips

Use Medium (40x40) for the best general-purpose balance between readability and challenge.
Use PNG if image quality matters more than file size.
Use JPG if you want a smaller image file for email or quick sharing.
Turn off Show Solution before exporting if the saved maze should remain unsolved.
Try the same size with different algorithms to produce noticeably different maze layouts.

Troubleshooting

The save buttons are disabled

Generate a maze first. The export and print actions become available after a maze exists.

The saved file does not show the solution

This is expected behavior. Select Show Solution then save and you get a solution in your maze when you save.

The printed maze title is not what I want

Enter a custom title when the title dialog appears during the print or PDF save workflow.

The user guide does not open

Make sure User.html is present in the same folder as the application executable.