How to Batch Create Slitherlink Puzzles with Time Saver
Summary:
Time Saver allows you to batch create Slitherlink puzzles using multiple grid types, sizes, quantities, and difficulty settings from a single workflow. This tutorial explains how to use Time Saver to create larger puzzle collections more efficiently.
Overview
Creating a few puzzles manually is simple.
Creating dozens or hundreds of puzzles for a book, worksheet collection, or publishing project is a different challenge.
Instead of repeatedly changing settings and generating puzzles one batch at a time, Time Saver allows you to build a queue of puzzle configurations and generate them together.
This is especially useful for Slitherlink because different rows can use different:
- Grid sizes
- Difficulty levels
- Grid types
- Quantities
A single Time Saver run can produce a varied collection of puzzles while dramatically reducing repetitive setup work.
Required Modules
- Puzzle Maker Pro – Slitherlink Productivity Edition
https://www.bookpublishertools.com/product/puzzle-maker-pro-slitherlink/
Preparation
Before starting:
- Open Puzzle Maker Pro.
- Select the Slitherlink module.
- Open the Time Saver tab.
If you have not previously created Slitherlink presets, the default preset is sufficient for this tutorial.
Step-by-Step
1. Open the Time Saver Tab
Select the Time Saver tab.
The Time Saver screen displays a row-based generation system.
Each row represents a separate puzzle configuration.
A row can generate one puzzle or many puzzles depending on the quantity selected.
2. Add Your First Row
Click Add Row.
A new Slitherlink row is added to the grid.
Each row contains:
- Puzzle Type
- Preset
- Quantity
- Settings Summary
- Modified status
The Settings Summary provides a quick overview of the row configuration.
3. Edit Row Settings
Click the Settings Summary field for a row.
The Slitherlink settings editor opens.
Configure the row just as you would in the main Slitherlink module.
For example:
- 8×8
- Normal
- Rectangular
Save the settings when finished.
The row summary updates automatically.
4. Add Multiple Puzzle Profiles
Create additional rows for different puzzle styles.
For example:
| Grid Size | Difficulty | Grid Type |
|---|---|---|
| 8×8 | Normal | Rectangular |
| 8×8 | Normal | Cairo |
| 10×10 | Normal | Kagome |
| 12×12 | Hard | Hexagonal |
This creates visual variety while maintaining a consistent workflow.
5. Set Quantities
Adjust the Quantity column for each row.
Examples:
- 10 Rectangular puzzles
- 10 Cairo puzzles
- 20 Kagome puzzles
- 10 Hexagonal puzzles
The quantity controls how many puzzles each row produces during generation.
6. Use Presets for Faster Setup
If you frequently create similar puzzle types, save them as presets.
Then select those presets directly within Time Saver.
This makes it possible to build large generation queues in only a few minutes.
7. Review the Settings Summary Column
The Settings Summary column is one of the most useful parts of the workflow.
Examples:
- 8×8 · Normal · Rectangular
- 8×8 · Normal · Cairo
- 10×10 · Normal · Kagome
This allows you to quickly review the entire batch before generating.
When working with large projects, this summary helps prevent mistakes and duplicate configurations.
8. Rearrange Rows When Needed
Time Saver includes tools for managing row order.
You can:
- Move rows up
- Move rows down
- Copy rows
- Shuffle rows
These controls are useful when building larger collections.
9. Enable Time Saver Generation
Return to the main window.
Enable:
Use Time Saver
This tells Puzzle Maker Pro to generate puzzles using the Time Saver queue instead of the current module settings.
10. Generate the Batch
Click Create (TS).
Puzzle Maker Pro processes each row in sequence.
The resulting output may include multiple grid types, sizes, and difficulty levels generated in a single run.
Example Publishing Workflow
A simple Slitherlink collection might contain:
Beginner Section
- 8×8 Rectangular
- 8×8 Hexagonal
Intermediate Section
- 10×10 Cairo
- 10×10 Kagome
Advanced Section
- 12×12 Penrose
- 12×12 Hats
Using Time Saver, all of these configurations can be generated together.
This creates more varied puzzle books without requiring repeated manual setup.
Why Use Time Saver?
Time Saver is most valuable when:
- Creating puzzle books
- Producing large collections
- Testing multiple grid types
- Building mixed-difficulty projects
- Creating content regularly
Instead of repeating the same setup process dozens of times, you define the variations once and generate everything together.
Outcome
You now know how to use Time Saver to batch create Slitherlink puzzles using multiple grid types, quantities, and configurations.
By combining different puzzle profiles in a single generation queue, you can build larger and more varied puzzle collections while significantly reducing setup time.