Documentation

Rules

Game mechanics in PlayBilder are expressed as rules on the grid. Each rule is outlined with a dashed line:

The following rule would match any 2x2 empty group of cells on the grid:

Rules can contain 2 types of blocks:

Idea Blocks

Small blocks are idea blocks. Idea blocks represent the pattern of blocks that will be searched for when processing a rule. The following rule would match any 2x2 group of blue blocks on the grid:

Future Blocks

Hollow blocks are future blocks. Future blocks represent how a group of blocks will be transformed. The following rule would transform all blue blocks to red blocks:

Arrows

Arrows connect rules and determine which rules will be processed and when.

Black Arrows

Will always be followed. For example, if the rule on the left were processed, then the the rule on the right would be immediately processed afterwards:

In this case, that means all green blocks would become red, and then immediately all red blocks would become purple. These two rules together are therefore equivalent to the single following rule:

Green Arrows

Will only be followed if the previous rule was somewhere matched. For example, these rules would result in all red blocks moving 1 cell to the right, but only IF there is at least 1 blue cell on the grid:

Red Arrows

Will only be followed if the previous rule was not matched anywhere. For example, these rules would result in all red blocks moving 1 cell to the right, but only if there are NO blue cells on the grid:

Blue Arrows

One blue arrow will be randomly followed, whether or not the previous rule was matched. For example, these rules would turn pink blocks red and either turn purple blocks green or grey blocks black.:

Starting States

Keyboard Input States

Rules connected to input states will be processed whenever the corresponding keyboard keys are pressed (arrow keys/WASD). For example, the rule on the right will be processed whenever the UP arrow (or W) is pressed:

Periodic States

Rules connected to the computer icon will run periodically. You can change the periodicity at which this happens using the settings widget on the right:

Reachability

If a rule cannot be reached from any starting state, is will never be processed.

Reachable rules are outlined in black:

Unreachable rules are outlined in grey:

Other Tools

Select Tool

Rules can be selected by clicking them with the selection tool.

Real blocks can be selected by clicking and dragging with the selection tool.

Move Tool

Rules can be moved by dragging them with the move tool.

Selected blocks can be moved by dragging them with the move tool.