Customizable A-Maze-ing Maze

thingiverse

Most mazes on Thingiverse are either the same every time, or require you to download other programs. Not this one. It truly is aMAZEing. (Sorry, I couldn't resist) Why is this maze generator different from all other maze generators? Fully Customizable Randomly Generated (Different Every Time) Multiple Algorithms and Maze Types Tons of parameters (sizes, algorithms, biases, and more) Written Completely in OpenSCAD Larger mazes only take about 5 minutes to process. Smaller mazes should take even less. If any errors come up, see the instructions, as that should solve almost all errors. The instructions additionally provide further detail on the maze types and options. Inspired by http://www.thingiverse.com/thing:24604 However, no code was borrowed Additionally, the algorithms were learned from http://weblog.jamisbuck.org/2011/2/7/maze-generation-algorithm-recap.html Edit: It seems I accidentally uploaded duplicates. That has been solved. Instructions FAQ Help! It says "Script timed out"! This may happen if the "Maze Width" and "Maze Height" are set very high. However, when you click "Create Thing", the thing is generated exactly as you set it. Alternatively, it should work fine if it is below 25x25. The maze in the preview doesn't show up. If it says "Script timed out" in the bottom left, see above. If it shows an old version of the maze, simply change an option slightly, and then change it back. What's the different Maze Types? See the description of the options, below. What's this "Random Seed" stuff? If you want to generate the same maze, with slightly different options (such as wall thicknesses, path width, etc.), type in a number into the random seed option. If you type in the same number into a maze with the same maze width, height, and type, it will be the same path layout. The maze is too easy! The mazes are much easier to solve in one direction than the other. Think of it like wood: it's easy to cut wood with the grain, but much harder against the grain. Why are there empty rows or columns? That's just the way the mazes work. It is extremely hard to generate mazes that don't need the empty rows (at least in OpenSCAD). I want [Insert feature here] Describe the feature in the comments. I'll see if it is possible to implement, and if it requires sacrificing other features. =========================== Maze Options (Parameters) Maze Width/Maze Height This is how many rows and columns wide and tall the maze will be.Note: Unicursal mazes will round these up to an even number. Maze Type There are 2 main types of mazes (most other types couldn't be implemented in OpenSCAD without it taking a huge amount of time to generate the maze): Sidewinder These mazes are generated by randomly placing walls within each row, and deciding where to add a path to the row above each path. It is much harder to solve north to south than south to north. Binary Tree These mazes are generated by deciding for each part of the maze whether to add a path up, or to the right. It is much easier to solve to the northeast than to the southwest. Additionally, there are Unicursal Mazes, also called Labyrinths. These mazes are created by splitting each path of a previously generated maze. The difference between binary tree and sidewinder unicursal mazes is mostly personal preference on which looks better. Direction Bias This allows the maze to have more/longer horizontal paths or vertical paths. However, some combinations of biases and algorithms make the maze much easier (or harder!) Width of Paths This is the distance between one wall and another. Wall Height Distance between the top of a wall and the base. Wall Thickness This can be set differently for the inside walls (separating each path) and the outside walls (the box around the maze) Include An Entrance The entrance is in the northeast corner, and the exit is a randomly generated location on the south wall.Note:Unicursal Mazes have both the entrance and exit in the top right. Base Thickness The thicker it is, the more filament it uses, but it is stronger. Random Seed This is described in the FAQ above.