XWord Studio 2.7 review

Download
by rbytes.net on

XWord Studio is a comprehensive crossword design and production tool.

License: Shareware
OS: Mac OS X
File size: 615K
Developer: Studio Soft
Buy Now
Price: $30.00
Updated: 16 Jun 2006
0 stars award from rbytes.net


XWord Studio is a comprehensive crossword design and production tool. You can create crosswords from scratch, or quickly recreate them for inclusion in publications. It is not disabled at all: it's a fully working shareware program.

Here are some key features of "XWord Studio":
Make normal grids, barred grids or 'wordsearch' puzzles
Save grids in a variety of formats, including HTML
Automatic symmetrical filling, numbering, and text entry
Produces a special clues template window so that you can type in your clues easily
Fills typical 15 X 15 grid with words in less than a second
Accurate and adjustable placement of characters in grid.

Limitations:
Registration screen at startup.

What's New:
AutoPattern
The * key will automatically generate a random grid design from a prefill pattern. It is based on 'quality' cryptic designs, as found in The Times newspaper. There will usually be two words per each alternate row or column, with no words smaller than four letters, and uses rotational symmetry order 2, regardless of the current symmetry setting. Make sure 'prefill squares' is checked when you make the new grid, and that the 'Fill' toolbar button is selected. Making a XWord has never been so quick!
Fun Fill
If you press the Command key as you click on the Autofill button for a Fun Fill, the process will repeat until all the words in the current dictionary are used, or you cancel, whichever is the sooner.
Use this for small lists where you feel it should be possible to use all the words.
General Improvements
If you get the alert "Couldn't find word in selected dictionary", or "Word already in dictionary", the previous dialog remains open for further attempts.
There is now a folder called Grids, which is the default destination when you save a grid.
A new grid will use the last selected symmetry plan, if appropriate for the shape of the new grid. Similarly, it will use the last selected autofill method, except that 'Mixed' will revert to normal, because no user dictionary could yet have been selected for it.
There is now a command-key equivalent for 'Statistics' window (I - think of 'Info').
If the user typed words in to the grid, they used to only appear in the Clues or Solution window if they happened to exist in the dictionary. Now, they will be shown regardless (in CAPS).
The Main Dictionary has had about 300 phrases added. The user wordlists included in the 2.7 download have been checked and edited.

XWord Studio 2.7 search tags