BUILDING STANDARD CROSSWORD PUZZLES

Menu Functions
  • File Menu
    • Select a Dictionary
      When loading a new puzzle into the Build screen, you begin by selecting the dictionary which was used to build the CROSSWORD puzzle which you want to load.

    • Load a Puzzle
      Then you choose your puzzle from the pool of CROSSWORD puzzles currently available in the selected dictionary.

    • Save
      If you have done some manual editing of the puzzle, this option will save those changes under the existing file name. Note that this option will only be effective if the puzzle has already been saved on a previous occasion using the SaveAs option. For subsequent Saves as you continue your manual construction it will function as expected.

    • SaveAs
      This option allows you to make an exact copy of the current puzzle using a different file name. The copy will be saved in the folder of the dictionary that was used to construct it. Alternatively, if you don't enter a new name for the puzzle, you can change the Puzzle Description, or any of the other descriptive items without changing the puzzle name.

    • Convert CWE Puzzles
      This option is provided for users of the earlier Crossword Express program who would like to transfer the puzzles they made with that program onto their Magnum Opus system. When this option is selected, any CWE puzzle file (one having a .cwe extension) found in the current dictionary will be converted to the Magnum Opus format. It will retain the same puzzle name, but the extension will be changed to .crossword. It is recommended that you create a new empty dictionary (suggest you call it cwe) and transfer all of the files you want to convert into the folder of this dictionary. Use the Select a Dictionary option described above to select this as your current dictionary and then select the Convert CWE Puzzles option to complete the conversion.

    • Quit Construction
      Returns you to the Magnum Opus opening screen.

  • Build Menu
    • Construction Wizard
      The Wizard is intended for people who are new to Magnum Opus. It guides you, step by step, through the individual processes involved in the construction of a new puzzle. Experienced users will soon realize that some of the steps are not always required (selecting a dictionary for example) and will prefer to use only those of the following options which are required for their particular circumstances.

    • Select a Dictionary
      Use this option to select the dictionary which you want to use to build the new CROSSWORD puzzle.

    • Build Options
      Use this option to access a Build Options dialog where you can set some rules to be followed by the puzzle building function as it builds your puzzle.

    • Start a New Puzzle
      This option presents you with a dialog into which you can enter a file name for your new puzzle. You can also enter several other pieces of information such as a Puzzle Title, Author and Copyright information.

    • Select a Grid
      Crossword puzzles are built on a predefined grid, and you can select the one you want to use with this option.

    • Start / Stop Building
      Construction of the puzzle will commence when you select the Start / Stop Building option. If puzzle building is successful you will receive a message containing the name of the puzzle file, and the location where it was saved. If it becomes necessary, you can interrupt the building process by selecting this option a second time.

  • View Menu
    • Display Options
      This leads you to a dialog box in which you can change the colors of various elements within the puzzle, and control the fonts which will be used for the puzzle's text components. You can also decide if printing of the puzzle will be done in black and white or in color.

  • Print Menu
    • Print Crossword
      The current puzzle can be printed as a standard CROSSWORD.

    • Print French-Style Crossword
      The current puzzle can be printed in the French-Style preferred in some European countries. Note that in this case, the clues are printed in a single column which should probably extend to the same width as the puzzle itself. Among the Print Layouts available from the Print screen there is one called frenchstyle which you can use as is, or modify to suit your requirements.

    • Print Codeword
      The current puzzle can be printed as a CODEWORD puzzle.

    • Print Fillin
      The current puzzle can be printed as a FILLIN puzzle.

    • Print Arrowword
      The current puzzle can be printed in the ARROWWORD format.

  • Solve Menu
    • Solve as Crossword
      The current puzzle can be solved as a standard CROSSWORD.

    • Slove as Codeword
      The current puzzle can be solved as a CODEWORD puzzle.

    • Solve as Fillin
      The current puzzle can be solved as a FILLIN fillin.

  • Export Menu
    • Export as Crossword Applet
      The current puzzle will be exported as a standard CROSSWORD Applet.

    • Export as Codeword Applet
      The current puzzle will be exported as a CODEWORD Applet.

    • Export as Fillin Applet
      The current puzzle will be exported as a FILLIN Applet.

  • Tasks Menu
    • Delete this Puzzle
      Use this option to eliminate unwanted CROSSWORD puzzles from your file system.

    • Lockout Words
      Use this option to condition the current dictionary so that the words used in this puzzle will not be used in subsequent puzzles.

  • Help Menu
    • Crossword Help
      Displays the Help screen which you are now reading.


Manual puzzle construction allows you to click into a puzzle cell and type a character directly into that cell. You can build an entire puzzle in this way if you like, but the Suggest a Word and Add a Clue buttons described below will certainly make your job much easier. You can also insert just a few words (or even just a few letters) and then use the automatic build features to complete the puzzle. Be aware though that if you enter too many words and/or letters in this way, you may well create a situation in which it is quite impossible to build the puzzle. Some experimenting with the Suggest a Word button will demonstrate just how readily this can happen.
  • Suggest a Word: This button is used during manual puzzle construction. Its operation is described fully in the Help available from the  Suggest a Word  dialog.

  • Add a Clue: This button also is used during manual puzzle construction, and its operation is described fully in the Help available from the  Add a Clue  dialog.

  • Review Clues: When you click this button, the text area immediately below the button will contain the clue for the word which is currently selected in the displayed puzzle. Each time you make a change to the selected word, the clue displayed will change accordingly. There are three ways of changing the selected word:-
    • Use the arrow keys to move the red cursor cell to a new location. One of the words passing through the new cursor cell will become the selected word.

    • Use the mouse to point and click on a new cell within the puzzle.

    • If you wish to review all of the clues within a puzzle, the recommended method is to use the buttons immediately to the left and right of the Review Clues button. This will allow you to step through all of the clues within the puzzle in sequence.
    When you first clicked the Review Clues button, its label changed to End Review. This reminds you that you can terminate the review process by clicking the same button you used to start it.

  • Colorize Puzzle: At times it can be quite useful to introduce color into a crossword puzzle. For example, you can arrange your puzzle so that a message appears in a series of colored cells within the puzzle as it is solved. Clicking the Colorize Puzzle button puts the program into a colorize mode in which a single click of the mouse inside a puzzle cell will give that cell the color currently selected using the Choose Hilite Color Puzzle button. A second click will restore any colored cell back to white. The colorize mode is terminated by means of a second click of the button which will now be labelled End Colorizing.

  • Choose Hilite Color: Use this button to access a color selection dialog. Whatever color you choose will be used in the colorize mode mentioned above. You can change the hilite color as many times as you like while colorizing a puzzle.

  • Cell Type Selection: Magnum Opus supports a total of 15 different  Cell Types  as displayed on the set of 15 cell type buttons. Clicking any of these buttons will set the currently selected puzzle cell to be that type.