Quote from: GregB on May 24, 2024, 08:18:55 PM

Hi there, this may be a silly question but very new to Crossfire. rice purity score meaning

Im trying to compile a themed crossword (cryptic) for a group of people with a common interest. A lot of the answers are likely to be very specialised or words only used by the group (its a medical examination board so lots of references to textbook names etc which are unlikely to appear in a dictionary data base)

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Is there a way of getting the crossfire app to use exclusively all the words I have generated clues for to start a grid, and THEN filling in any remaining gaps with other clues? In other words Id like to find a way of getting as many of my pre written clues into the grid, and then filling in after with more generic words if that makes sense?

Apologies if this is a repeated or stupid question, but would appreciate any advice.

Thanks!

Greg

Crossword Compiler is out of date, and I need to get a new one. According to The NYT: "CrossFire is the most popular choice among professional constructors ...." According to Cruciverb: "Crossword Compiler is considered by most constructors to be one of the best puzzle-making software package available." Do you have any recommendations from people who have used both? Although Crossfire is more affordable, I am more used to the way Crossword Compiler works.

Each has its own advantages. If you are familiar with the Crossword Compiler interface, you will probably feel more comfortable continuing to use it. However, Crossfire also has a friendly and easy-to-use interface, especially if you are just starting out.
Crossfire is often more affordable, but if you need a powerful tool with many features, investing in Crossword Compiler may be a good choice.
Consider the features you need. If you need a highly customizable software with good support for creating themed crosswords, try both. Some users say that Crossfire has a better autocomplete feature for specialized words.

Yes, the protocol is to submit to one publisher and wait for a response before submitting it to another. Most constructors keep a log of what they've submitted so they can track the activity accurately. Frankly, I no longer submit to publishers who do not respond for months. The link below shows the expected response time for most of them. As you can see, most profess to reply within a month or so. Newsday does not mention response time, but I can tell you that a response to a theme query is fairly prompt (don't send completed puzzle).

https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/12HGynb2VpJR2akQPT7iCMUBXxqcwzmk3kJjic8F24Kk/edit?fbclid=IwAR0lO_E_1S37atCLmpTJUhtn5EZ6iBPmlnrglwOMxqhLr8LkgRlY_5W1cVE&gid=0#gid=0

My suggestion would be to attempt auto-generating words in the direction you want the stack to go and then integrating it with the remaining grid elements.   stone retaining wall

While there's no official theme database, resources like XWord Info and Cruciverb track NYT crosswords and other published puzzles. You can search there to see if similar themes have been used before finalizing yours.

To import the Daily American Crossword into the Alphacross app (which supports .puz format), there are a couple of steps you can follow, depending on the source availability:

• Check if the Daily American Crossword provides a .puz file: Many crossword providers allow you to download their puzzles in .puz format. Look at the Daily American Crossword website or wherever it's published to see if they have this option. If they do, you can directly download and import the file into Alphacross.
• Third-party websites: There are several websites that host .puz format files of various crosswords, often updated daily. Some good sources include:
  
  • XWord Info
  • Puzzle Pointers
  • The New York Times Puzzle Syndicate (though you may need a subscription) These sites might host the puzzle you're looking for, or you can find instructions to convert the crossword into a .puz format.
  3. Convert the puzzle: If you have access to the Daily American Crossword in another digital format (like PDF or HTML), there are tools such as PuzzleMe or Crossword Compiler that allow you to convert crosswords into .puz files manually.

Once you have the .puz file, importing it into Alphacross is simple:

• Open the app.
  
• Go to the "Manage puzzles" section.
• Select "Import" and choose the .puz file from your device.
If the Daily American Crossword doesn’t offer a .puz option, you'll need to convert or find it on a third-party site. Let me know if you need help with any specific step!

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