MaaTec Sudoku Version History

Here you find the version history of the MaaTec Sudoku program with the respective changes in each version.

MaaTec Sudoku 1.93

Enhancements and fixes for the Windows Vista and Windows 7 Game Explorer installation.

While editing Sudokus, you can now paste data from the clipboard into your newly created puzzle.
The creation algorithm for medium and easy difficulties was modified to create even more 'human' solvable Sudoku puzzles.

The new detailed Hint function displays now also the numbers that are the cause for a unique solution of a specific cell. It is of course still possible to use the simple hints of the previous versions. The display time for the hints can be adjusted.
The symmetrical pattern creation algorithm was enhanced again and will now avoid to create Sudoku patterns that contain rows, columns, or areas with less than two free cells.
The program can now highlight the row and column of the standard board that are currently under the mouse cursor.
On Windows Vista, MaaTec Sudoku is integrated into the Game Explorer.
The GUI was reworked and now also supports XP- and Vista-themes.
When printing Sudokus, you can add a footer to each page that may also contain page numbers and the chosen difficulty.
The boards package '7x7 to 9x9 - Wood, Metal & Glass' and a new 9x9 metal board graphic were added to the setup.

It is now always possible to save an edited Sudoku, even if now solution was found.
The symmetrical pattern algorithm will create especially difficult and small Sudokus with less initially visible values than before.
Graphic Sudoku boards are now also copied as device-independent bitmaps to the clipboard (in addition to the metafile and text format).

The visible cells of a newly created Sudoku puzzles can be arranged as symmetrical patterns. The Settings dialog can be used to restrict the kinds of patterns that are used for this purpose.

Fully reengineered algorithm: Easy Sudokus become even more consistent, difficult Sudokus are now more challenging, and 'counting solutions' for single cells may only be needed for very difficult Sudoku puzzles.
When editing your own Sudokus, it is now possible to manually activate the deep solver for larger Sudoku puzzles (for sizes up to 9x9 cells it is always used). Thus it should now be possible to find a possible solution for any Sudoku size. (The previous versions sometimes failed to find a solution for larger puzzles.)
Marks can now be set for Sudoku sizes up to 32x32. For larger Sudokus a marking grid is used instead of text/number markers.
When displaying all valid values in each cell, you can use filters to display only specific numbers in all or individual cells.
The settings for game control, game help, fonts, and colors can be exported and restored. This way you can quickly change your preferred settings for different kinds of Sudoku puzzles (e.g. use digits from 0 to 9 for 10x10 Sudokus and letters for 16x16 puzzles).

Small marker numbers can be set with the middle mouse button or via Ctrl + left click (with Sudoku sizes up to 16x16).
New help functions, e.g. display of all valid values in each cell.
Extensive customization options for the standard board (fonts and colors).
Sudoku graphics can be put on the clipboard either colored or in black and white.
The game clock will be paused if the window is minimized.
The help menu now contains the command 'Solve Sudoku' to display the solution of the current Sudoku.

Support for 36x36 Sudokus and Sudoku puzzles with non-square hemmed areas.
New board graphics
The last used board design for each Sudoku size is now saved and will be restored any time this size is selected.
The selected difficulty level is displayed in the status bar.

Enhanced Printing: You can print now up to 12 Sudokus per page, add continuous numbering to the Sudokus and their corresponding solutions, and the Sudoku difficulty is now regarded correctly.
Unicode support for the characters that are used in the Sudokus. This allows simpler output of numerals of foreign scripts that are not contained in the currently used code table (e.g. Arabic-Indic or Chinese numerals).
Slight changes to 'difficult' Sudokus: These will now have always throughout the game at least one cell with a unique solution (as the medium and easy Sudokus). To retain the previous behavior, the new 'very difficult' level was added.

Info