Contents
Excel-FND ©1995 Andrew Malek of Excel Progs - All Rights Reserved.

Thank you for playing Excel-FND, the latest logic game from Excel Progs, makers of fine programs such as Excel-PWD, the easy way to improve your security on information services and bulletin boards alike.

Excel-FND is a version of the classic "find-the-word" game but with a few twists.  You don't have all day to search, but have to frantically jump around the puzzle within a time limit (customizable).  Letters continue to bop off the screen as you work, and found words disappear, revealing a colorful photograph or picture.  With an easy-to-use interface, a surplus of puzzles being made all of the time, and sounds and graphics accompaniment, you're sure to find playing Excel-FND almost as much fun as we had making it!

Basics of playing Excel-FND

The Menu Bar

The Windows

Do I have to register this program?

4 puzzles are not enough!  Where do I get more?

Other Excel Progs Products


Menu Bar
The Menu Bar

The Menu Bar consists of the following pull-down menus.

File

Options

Windows

Help


Options Menu
The Menu Bar

The Menu Bar consists of the following pull-down menus.

File

Options

Desktop...

Preferences...

Windows

Help


File Menu
The Menu Bar

The Menu Bar consists of the following pull-down menus.

File

Load Puzzle...

Exit Excel-FND

Options

Windows

Help


Window Menu
The Menu Bar

The Menu Bar consists of the following pull-down menus.

File

Options

Windows

Tile Horizontal

Tile Vertical

Cascade

Arrange Icons

Help


Help Menu
The Menu Bar

The Menu Bar consists of the following pull-down menus.

File

Options

Windows

Help

Contents

Menu Bar Specific Help

Window Specific Help

Search For Help On...

How to Use Help


Tile Horizontal
Windows

Tile Horizontal

This option allows you to tile the windows horizontally on your desktop.  All open windows will be visible.


Tile Vertical
Windows

Tile Vertical

This option allows you to tile the windows vertically on your desktop.  All open windows will be visible.


Cascade Windows
Windows

Cascade

This option allows you to cascade  the windows horizontally on your desktop.  All title bars of the window will be visible, and the entire front window should be visible.


Arrange Icons
Windows

Arrange Icons

This option allows you to arrange all minimized icons on the bottom part of the main (container) window.


Contents
Help

Contents

This option allows you to view the contents (main page) of this help system.


Menu-Bar Help
Help

Menu Bar Specific Help

This option allows you to view specific help on any option that can be accessed from the pull-down menu.  Simply click on the buttons in this help system like you would click on the options in a help menu, and the help for that option shall be displayed.


Search for Help
Help

Search For Help On...

This option allows you to search this help system on a topic of your choosing.  After you find an appropriate topic name you can double click it to view help.


How to Use
Help

How to Use Help

If you do not know how to use this help system, simply double-click the box on the upper-left-hand side of this window.  Then, click on HELP in the menu and click on HOW TO USE HELP.  You will then be shown information regarding how to navigate this help system effectively.


Load Puzzle
File

Load Puzzle...

This option shows you a new window allowing you to select a new puzzle for loading.

Show the Load Puzzle Window


Exit Excel-FND
File

Exit Excel-FND

This option allows you to exit Excel-FND.


Desktop preferences
Options

Desktop...

This option allows you to set various preference options regarding the look of the Excel-FND desktop.

Show the Desktop Preferences Window


Preferences
Options

Preferences...

This option allows you to set various general preference options regarding Excel-FND.

Show the General Preference Window


Preferences

This window allows you to set generel preferences options for Excel-FND.

Time-Limit

This option allows you to set the clock which you have to beat in order to solve the puzzle!  The less time you put on the clock, the more frantic the game gets, so be smart when setting this option.  You can set it from <NONE> for no time limit to a limit of 11 minutes.  This operation will take effect IMMEDIATELY.

Auto-Remove Letters

This options seems to be helpful, but can also aid to make the game a lot more frantic!  Setting this option to "YES" will cause Excel-FND to automatically remove letters every 5-10 seconds which are not part of any of the words in the word list.  While this can be helpful in some ways, it also can break your concentration when searching for those final few words - so it's your choice!  This operation will take effect IMMEDIATELY.

Allow Backwards Placement

This option is reserved for the extremeley brave (or those with a TON of time to kill!)  Setting this option to "YES" will allow Excel-FND to place its words on the puzzle backwards as well as forwards, giving it the options:  horizontal forwards, horizontal backwards, vertical forwards, vertical backwards, diagonal shift left forwards, diagonal shift left backwards, diagonal shift right forwards, and diagonal shift right backwards.  Only adventurous need alter this setting.  This operation will take effect upon loading a new puzzle.

Play Sound Effects

If you have a soundboard which has support for the MCI interface (just about all do), then selecting this option will allow you to hear random sound effects every time you correctly find a word in the puzzle.  Excel-FND comes with several default sound effects, but any sound you place in the SOUNDS directory under the EXCELFND hierarchy should work ok.

Note that you do need to have a sound card in order to use this option, as it has not been tested on the PC speaker and may not work.  If you cause multimedia errors, be sure to select the next time you load Excel-FND to disable sounds after such errors are displayed.


Desktop Preferences

This window allows you to set desktop preferences options for Excel-FND.  These allow you to set some of the features regarding the visuals.

Auto-Maximize Game Desktop

This option allows you to automatically maximize Excel-FND's game-playing window (make it as large as possible).  Besides giving you maximum room to move your windows, it also can reduce the annoying pallete rotation (color flickering and changing) which can occur when loading new puzzles with 256 color drivers (inherent to the way Windows handles video).  This option will take effect when you re-load Excel-FND; if you want to maximize Excel-FND immediately simply click on the small arrow pointing up at the top-right corner of the Excel-FND window.

Show Pictures in Puzzle List

This option will allow you to view snapshots (smaller images) of the puzzles when you displays catalogs of them while searching of a puzzle to load.  On slower computers or ones with slow graphics adapters you might wish to disable this option in order to make puzzle searching quicker.  This option will take effect the next time you search for puzzles to load.

Outline Puzzle Letters

This option will outline the letters of the current puzzle you are playing in Excel-FND.  Some people find serching through the letters easier when they are outlined, and some would not find it easier at all.

Show ? on Windows

This option will show a question mark on the bottom of all of Excel-FND's windows.  Clicking on this question mark will bring up context-sensitive help regarding the window.  If you are new to Excel-FND it is suggested you have this option checked; likewise, if you understand the program correctly, you may wish to disable this feature.


Load Puzzle
Load Puzzle...

This window allows you to search through all of the puzzles Excel-FND has, and it allows you to play a new puzzle.  This window will show the puzzle titles, a quick description of the puzzle contents, a scrollbar allowing you to search through the entire list of puzzles, and buttons allowing you to load puzzles.

Scrollbar

Clicking on the scrollbar is the same as other Windows applications; in Excel-FND it allows you to search through the puzzle lists so you can choose a new puzzle to load.

Button

Clicking on the button next to a puzzle (it may or may not have a picture - check desktop preferences) will allow you to load a new puzzle.  Depending on the puzzle's complexity, it may take a few seconds for Excel-FND to generate the puzzle from the specified word-list.


Puzzle

The puzzle window contains all of the letters of the puzzle.  Somewhere, deeply hidden, are the words in the word-list.  Your job is to click on each letter of every word until you eliminate all of the words in the word-list.

Controls

In order to remove words, you must use your mouse and click on each letter of a word, and ONLY click on letters of one word at a time!  If you click on all of the correct letters, the word shall disappear.  Note that you can not just haphazardly click on letters... if you have too many letters highlighted (clicked) at one time, all of the highlights will disappear and you shall have to start all over again!

Surprises...

Depending on how you have the desktop preferences set, some of the letters may start disappearing.  These letters are NOT part of any of the words, so try to ignore them and concentrate on finding the words in the word-list.


Word-List

This window shows all of the words that you have to find in the puzzle.  All of the words to find are in white; the words which have already been found are shown in blue.

Clock

Depending on how you have the general preferences set, a clock may or may not be ticking above the word list.  If it is...you better move fast, as when that clock reaches zero, your playtime on the current puzzle is over!


Windows
Window Specific Help

Select the window in Excel-FND that you need help with.

Word-List.

Puzzle Display.

Loading Puzzles.

General Preferences

Desktop Preferences


Window Specific Help
Help

Window Specific Help

This option allows you to view specific help on any window that exists in this game.  Simply click on the buttons in this help system which correspond to the window which you need help with, and the help for that option shall be displayed.


What Else has Excel Progs Made?
What else has been made by Excel Progs?

Midi Machine/Icon Packs:

Midi Machine V1.21

Icon Packs #001-003

Icon Packs #004-006

MIDI Songs:

Malek1.Mid

Malek2.Mid

Other Windows Software:

Excel-PWD V1.0

DOS Software:

CANIPrompts (Colorized ANImated PROMPTS).


Malek1.Mid

 This is the introductory section to my first midi, a four-part movement aptly titled "Malek."

 INSTRUMENTATION:

 General Midi patch set-up with standard drums.

 This movement is quite an alternative to the normal classical style.  Auxillary percussion (timpani, vibes, and bells) start the file in a very jarring motion, leading to a string and choir introduction and a temporary calming of the bass.  The bells return along with short bursts of the timpani. Vibes signal the introduction of a softer mode, and the piccolo takes a brief stint as soloist. Once again, auxillary percussion commences as the string dies down and the sound returns to its original state.  At last, the timpani beats a few dying notes and decays.

 One thing to notice is that by the time a thematic style is established, the music shifts direction, such as cinema/movie score music.  This is common in this work, as can be heard in the other movements.

Time:	~2:00

File on BBS's and Internet:  MALEK1.ZIP


Malek2.Mid

 This is the second section to my first midi, a four-part movement aptly titled "Malek."

 INSTRUMENTATION:

 General Midi patch set-up with standard drums.

 This movement begins with a slight auxillary percussion base, with the New Age/Flute and Vibes alternating melody.  The melody begins to get higher and higher; a peak is reached and the base lowers.  Soon a running part is established by the clarinet/flute duet as the piece reflects beginning melodies.  This reflection leads to the first climax as the SoundTrack FX rumbles in  the bottom underneath the string melody.  The Choir takes the lead as the sound mellows. After its turn at solo, the flute running part begins again; the song reaches its final climax and toms are beaten in the background.  The New Age penetrates the lower voices reaching higher and higher, breaks free, and decrescendoes to the end.

 One thing to notice is that by the time a thematic style is established, the music shifts direction, such as cinema/movie score music.  This is common in this work, as can be heard in the other movements.

 Time:	~4:00

Filename on BBS's and Internet:  MALEK2.ZIP


Midi Machine Icons #001-#003
Midi Machine Icon Packs #001-#003

 Icon Packs #001-#003 give Midi Machine new animated icons which "dance" while your sounds play!

MMIC0001 	- 	Christmas #1

CANDCANE	FRACT2
MENORAH	MERRYXM
RUDOLPH	 	SANTA1
TREESNOW	WREATH
XMCOOKIE	XMSTAR

MMIC0002	-	Christmas #2

CANDLE	DANCTREE
FRACT3	GINGBMAN
ORNAMENT 	SANTA2
SNOWMAN	STOCKING
TOYSOLDR	XMASBELL

MMIC0003	-	Notes and Staves

16NOTEDN	DANCFLAT
FRACT4	NOTEBOUN
NOTEJMBL 	NOTELIGT
NOTEMRPH	RNDMNOTE
TIMESIG	WINKNOTE

 Filename on FTP sites and BBS's:  MI001003.ZIP


Midi Machine Icons #001-#003
Midi Machine Icon Packs #004-#006

 Icon Packs #004-#006 give Midi Machine new animated icons which "dance" while your sounds play!

MMIC0004 	- 	Fractals 5-14

FRACT5	FRACT6
FRACT7	FRACT8
FRACT9	FRACT10
FRACT11	FRACT12
FRACT13	FRACT14

MMIC0005	-	Fireworks

BOTTLRCK	FWBRIDG1
FWBRIDG2	FWHEART
FWMASSIV	FWRWB
FWSPIRAL	FWSTAR
FWTRIANG	REDBURST

MMIC0006	-	Potpourri #1

3DBOX	CIRCLES
COFFECUP	DONTCLIK
FRACT15	PAPRCLIP
PLANET	PRISM
RADAR	TILEDEAR

 Filename on FTP sites and BBS's:  MI004006.ZIP


Midi Machine V1.1
Midi Machine V1.21

 Midi Machine V1.21 is a .MID/.WAV jukebox/file manager for Win 3.1+ (requires the file VBRUN300.DLL).  Midi Machine plays songs in many different ways:  random, shuffle, backwards, continuous, or combinations of the previous.  Album Load/Save is supported, allowing you to listen to your favorite sounds all at once.  Auto-play after drag&drop sound selections from programs such as File Manager is supported.  Icon animations "dance" to the sound of your favorite tunes - over a dozen are included with support for externals.  Command-line options allow you to run your favorite albums and play modes at start-up.  There is mouse-sensitive help as well as an external text documentation file.

The shareware version may be found on bulletin boards and FTP sites as MIDIM121.ZIP, or on Compuserve in the WinFun+ forum as MM121.ZIP.


Excel-PWD V1.0

Excel-PWD is a Windows application allowing you to create difficult passwords "on-the-fly" for usage on bulletin boards, Internet, or computer services.  You can create passwords of multiple types, depending on how long you wish the passwords to be and what characters the host system supports in the password.  Also included is an E-Text discussing why passwords are so extremely important in this day and age and why longer, more complicated passwords are so much harder to crack.


Basics
Basics of Playing Excel-FND.

Excel-FND is a breeze to set up..although the game itself may not be a breeze to win!

If you wish, set the game up the way you wish or use the default settings (check the OPTIONS menu in the game for the two setup menus).  Then, go under File and then "Load Puzzle."  Choose a puzzle that interests you and click the button next to the puzzle name.

Time to play!  Arrange the windows however you wish and start searching the puzzle for the words on the word-list.  When you find a word, click on all of the letters of the word until they are all highlighted.  If you are correct, the word shall disappear in the puzzle and in the word-list.  Find all of the words and you win the game!

This is a rather simple introduction just to get you started.  Be sure to check out the menu and window help systems.

Also, be sure to check out registration information, as by purchasing puzzle packs you are automatically registered!  Not bad, eh?.


Registration

Registration?  Why should you register?  Good question.. you have the game, you have a few puzzles, and..oh yeah, you only have four puzzles.  Hmm... would you like to get a few more?  Excel Progs has a couple of puzzle packs (75 puzzles) and is making more constantly.  They're cheap, and when you buy your first puzzle pack, your copy of the Excel-FND game engine is automatically registered.  Now that's fair AND cheap!

There are currently two puzzle packs containing 75 puzzles each.  Samples of the puzzles include:

Puzzle Pack 1:  NYC Sights, Countries III, O.J. Simpson, Current Congressmen, Animal Groups II, Space Talk, On the Beach, and more!

Puzzle Pack 2:  Sea Vacation, U.S. Citiies II, Night Life, Americana, Buildings I, It's Tropical, At the Pet Store, and more!

Registration information:

o	US Mail

Each puzzle pack costs $15.00.	Mail the check or money order (NO CASH), your preferred disk format (3.5 or 5.25 HIGH density), the numbers of the puzzle pack(s) you wish to purchase, and your name or company name TO Andrew Malek.  The full address is:

Excel Progs
re:  Excel-FND Puzzle Pack(s)
c/o Andrew Malek
434 Gallaher View Rd Apt. 60
Knoxville, TN  37919

(Note: Make sure the check/money order is made to Andrew Malek and NOT Excel Progs).

o	CompuServe SWREG Registration

Puzzle packs are available via the CompuServe SWREG (Shareware Registration Database).  Each puzzle costs $15 (International registrants may have to pay slightly more for shipping & handling...all information is provided in this service before you make your order).  Simply type GO SWREG or choose "Shareware Registration" if you are using a graphical interface to the service.

Puzzle Pack 1's SWREG	ID #:  5244.
Puzzle Pack 2's SWREG	ID #:  5245.

o	International Registration

Each puzzle pack costs $15.00.  In the spirit of NAFTA, the extra S&H for Mexico and Canada has been waived.  However, overseas registration will cost a slight $0.75 extra, for a total of $15.75.  Transfer the money to US funds, made out to Andrew Malek.  Send the registration fee, your preferred disk format (3.5 or 5.25 HIGH density), the numbers of the puzzle pack(s) you wish to purchase, and your name/company name to:

Excel Progs
re:  Excel-FND Puzzle Pack(s)
c/o Andrew Malek
434 Gallaher View Rd Apt. 60
Knoxville, TN  37919

(Note: Make sure the money is made to Andrew Malek and NOT Excel Progs).


CANIPrompts
CANIPROMPTS (Colorized ANImated PROMPTS)

A trumpet player doing wild dancing... a beautiful sunrise behind a range of mountains... no, it's not another .FLI file...but your DOS prompt.. HUH?!  Yes, your DOS prompt has now sprung a life of its own and has now become animated.  CANIPROMPTS is the interface behind the moving prompts, and gives your DOS prompt new life with colorful animations that are sure to brighten your day and make your kids smile and make your boss give you a raise (ok, MAYBE not that...but your boss sure would like an animated prompt with the name of the company, and Excel Progs is willing to work with businesses on that).  Grab a copy and check out CANIPROMPTS today!