Macros

Macros allow you to define a sequence of moves that can be applied all at once with a single click. They become a necessary feature when solving more complicated puzzles.  You can define a macro relative to one location with a click, then apply it anywhere on the puzzle by clicking elsewhere.  The control keys are as follows.

Define a Macro
Ctrl-Alt-Left Click: Start macro definition
Ctrl-m: End macro definition

Execute a Macro
Alt-Left Click: Apply selected macro
Alt-Right Click: Apply selected macro in reverse

TIP! It is important where you click when defining and executing the macro.  You'll achieve the best results if you click near tile vertices. Those are the "snap-to" points when repositioning macros during execution.


Sequence Shortcuts

MagicTile also provides setup move unwind and commutator shortcuts, using function keys. These can be quite powerful when used in combination with macros. The control keys are:

F1: Start Setup Moves
F2: End Setup Moves
F3: Unwind Setup Moves
F4: Commutator

For example, let's say you have two sequences of twists, A and B. Here's how you can use the function keys to execute a helpful unwind.

F1 A F2 B F3

The end result is the conjugate sequence:

ABA'

Note that the sequence B is often applied as a macro.  This functionality is very useful to do some setup moves, apply a macro, then automatically undo the setup moves.

The commutator function is a lot like the unwind functionality above but is used to produce a commutator sequence rather than a conjugate. If you instead do the following:

F1 A F2 B F4

The end result is the commutator sequence:

ABA'B'