Point Of View Help
Topics:
How To Play
Point of View's puzzles consist of three diagrams and an optimal block number. Each diagram specifies the puzzle's construction from one point of view. You must construct your blocks on the checkered playing board so that your construction matches the puzzle's specification from each perspective. To fully solve the puzzle, you must not exceed the optimal block number.
Building
- To begin building, click on "Build Mode" and then left-click anywhere on the checkered platform to build a block there. You may also construct blocks off of other block's faces by clicking those faces.
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To remove blocks, click on "Remove Mode" and then left-click any existing block.
Profile Views
The three profile views give the current puzzle's specification from three perspectives, as well as your progress towards matching this specification.
Gray blocks indicate blocks that you have yet to build.
Green blocks indicate blocks that you have placed in locations that agree with the puzzle's specification.
Red blocks indicate blocks that you have placed that disagree with the puzzle's specification.
When your view is aligned to a profile view a blue box appears around that view to indicate this.
View Direction
To change your viewing direction, left-click and drag the cursor across the screen. You may also click any of the three profile views to align your view in that direction.
The direction of your view is represented on a cube in the lower right-hand corner of the screen. The sides of the cube marked +X, +Y, and +Z correspond to the three profile views.Block Usage
To complete a puzzle your construction must not use more blocks than is optimal. In the above screenshot the player has used four blocks out of eight - the optimal number for this puzzle. While building your construction you may exceed the optimal number of blocks, but you must then remove excess blocks in order to complete the puzzle.
Puzzles
POV consists of three difficulty levels, each with 10 puzzles. When your construction matches a puzzle's specification you will hear a beep noise. Once you have reduced your construction to the optimal number of blocks you will hear a gong noise, and the puzzle is solved. You do not have to solve the puzzles in order - if you are stuck or just want to skip the current puzzle you may try other puzzles and difficulty levels at any time.
Tips and Tricks
- Sometimes it's easier to think about a puzzle in reverse. Instead of building blocks up from a blank board, try clicking "Build All" to fill the board with blocks and then remove blocks which disagree with the puzzle's specification. After only blocks which agree with the puzzle's specification remain, remove blocks in a strategic way to arrive at the optimal number of blocks while still remaining consistent with the puzzle.
- While in "Build Mode" you may remove blocks by right-clicking or control-clicking existing blocks. Similarly, while in "Remove Mode" you may build blocks by right-clicking or control clicking the checkered platform or existing blocks.
Troubleshooting
If POV runs poorly try relaunching it with the following settings:
- Set Multi-Sampling to "Off" or to a fewer number of samples.
- Set Shadows to "Reduced" or "Off"
Credits
Programming:
Holmes Futrell
Menu Music:
Sergei Rachmaninoff's Etudes Tableaux, Op. 39 - V. Apassianto in E Flat Minor. Performed by Karine Gilanyan.
Game Music:
Edvard Greig's Piano Concerto in A Minor, Op. 16 - III. Performed by the Skidmore College Orchestra.
Special thanks to
Keith Bauer, David Frampton, Daniel Labriet, Brian Ramagli, Jean-Baptiste Karageuzian, and everyone else who has given their input towards this game.
POV is based on the wonderful Java Applet "Building Houses" by the Freudenthal Institute.
All music featured in POV is public domain.
Contact Info
If you are having technical problems with POV or have any other questions or remarks, you can contact Holmes directly at hfutrell@umail.ucsb.edu.
If you are reporting a technical problem, please give as much information about your computer's setup as possible, including what version of Mac OS X you are running and details about your hardware (if you know them). If you are reporting a crash, be sure to include the crash report in your email.