[programs/Win32/Flow/Docs/common_head.htm]
Welcome to the Flow v1.1 manual! Flow is a simple game for Win32 based machines
based on a cellular automata algorithm which mimics the properties of a liquid.
It is not a game with an object or goal like most eg; like scoring points or
killing something, but it is rather more like a toy which exists merely to be
fiddled with. A good example of something similar is a game used by many
charities where coins inserted at the top fall through the game, hitting off
things as they go. Where Flow improves on this is that the obstacles can be
changed in real-time, with the liquid responding accordingly.
Real-life scenarios such as waterfalls, fountains and showers can be
represented - or indeed anything your imagination allows. User-triggered events
can be designed (eg; flushing a toilet) through a user-toggleable filter
material. Devices such as capillary action (where liquid in a vertical narrow
space tends to rise) and water pumps (up, left and right) move the liquid around
the game area in a more controlled fashion. There are two different kinds of
liquid, one lighter than the other if user-desired and two tools to filter one
type from the other.
New Features in v1.1! Flow v1.1 contains many user-suggested improvements, bug-fixes and
additional features:
There now can be two types of liquid molecule, normal & light. Light
molecules float above normal ones if liquid densities is turned on. You can
add as much of either type or mixed as you wish.
Molecules can now be of any user-defined colour and this setting is held
in between games
There are three new tools, Filter (gray), Normal Filter (light blue) and
Light Filter (light red). The last two filter out normal and light molecules
respectively. The first behaves as a normally drawn line but can be made to
effectively "disappear" by pressing the Space bar.
The freeware demonstration version is fully featured except for the lack of
the ability to save a game and that the game times out after ten minutes of use.
Please examine the list of help items in the navigation bar on the left hand
side for what you want.