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Instructions for PixelWhimsy™
What is it?
PixelWhimsy™ is a software toy. It is essentially a painting program with hundreds of unusual features to discover. It's simple enough for a baby to use (just pound the keyboard), but complex enough that an adult can have hours of fun too. It's good for kids because it emphasizes learning, exploration, creation, and collaborative play. It's good for the computer because little children cannot accidentally exit the program and delete this year's taxes. It's good for adults because it's fun and interesting for them as well.
How do I play with it?
PixelWhimsy™ doesn't really have any rules, so the instructions are pretty simple:
- Press Keys
- Move the Mouse
- Quit when you are done. (Press 'Qq')
What do the keys do?
Every key on the keyboard causes the program to do something. Actions include playing sounds, drawing graphics, starting animations, etc. Some of the favorites are the gravity rainbow, fireworks, bees, and the screen effects.
Some things to try:
- Press '3', then the 'Y' key. Use your mouse to attract the wandering lines.
- Hold down the spacebar.
- Press Ctrl-alt-shift-S
- Press 'C' to bring up the color picker and pick one of the moving colors. Draw with it.
- Press '2', then press F7 to select the "life pattern" brush. Use the up/down arrows or mouse wheel to select different patterns. Use 'esc' to clear the screen then click on the screen to add a life pattern and watch it grow!
- Use the number pad keys to play a little tune.
- Hold down the 'B' Key.
Most of the fun is exploring and discovering what the keys do, but for those who like to read instructions first, you can get a list of what the different keys do in by pressing [F1].