A couple of weeks ago I got an e-mail from Daniel Dreifus. Daniel has on several occasions taken the time to write and help with suggestions related to the column. This time however, he was passing on a recommendation that I try a new game. He probably won't do that again because I immediately assumed that he had created the game and proceeded to ask him all kinds of technical questions.

The game is called Double 2.0, it is freeware, and it was actually created by Claude Vezina of PCV enr. Double 2.0 is a version of Mah Jongg. Almost as popular as Solitaire, Mah Jongg games can be found on many computers. There are actually a number of versions available, some free and some shareware. What really sets this version apart is that it includes the ability to create your own tile sets. This is the first time I have seen this ability included in a free version. Better yet, it is "Carbonized." That means it can run on Apple's new Mac OS X as well as OS 9. Even though I am not using Mac OS X myself yet, all the X fans on the TMO staff tell me that "Carbonized" games are very cool.

I personally had never heard of this game before I discovered it on my computer. For those who might also not be familiar with Mah Jongg, here are a few basic facts. (Sorry, but that history minor just pops sometimes.) The game originated in ancient China and "true" Mah Jongg tiles contain specific Chinese symbols representing numbers, seasons, etc.

In it's authentic version, the game is played with four players. The versions we can play alone on our computers are, I suppose, bastardized versions of the original game. If you want to find out more about the origins and rules of the original game you can find lots of information at the Mah Jongg Worldwide Web Site.

Computer Mah Jongg is easy to play. All that's required is finding matching pairs of tiles from the selection placed face up on the playing surface. You must match and remove free tiles with the object of removing all the tiles. In some games that is accomplished by clicking once on each tile. In other versions you must drag one tile on top of the match and release the mouse button to have them eliminated. The trick is that a tile is only free if it can slide out from either side and victory can be elusive as not every tile can be played and you can run into dead ends. There are usually two sets of two of each tile design, totaling 36 tiles.

Double 2.0

Double 2.0 can be downloaded from PCV enr. The size is 752k and it is compatible with OS X as well as Mac OS 9.x. When you first get into the game you will see a window.

It is very easy to add icon sets. You just have to have a folder that contains at least 36 different icons. Your images have to be in the icon format. You can not create a new tile set with jpg or GIF images. All you have to do to make your own set from preexisting icons is to find some that you like, move at least 36 into a folder, put that folder in the Double 2.0 main folder and then click on "Add Icon Set". When the desk top window opens open the Double 2.0 folder, click on the new folder containing your tiles, and click on choose. Your new tile set will be available within the game. The game site recommends Chilly Day and Icon Factory as good sources for ready made, free icons.

The first thing I did was create a Mac theme set of tiles. Most of the icons I choose are from IconFactory. It took all of 10 minutes to do this and that time was spent searching for just the right icons.

What I really wanted to do was create a set of tiles that was made from photographs of members of my family. Mostly I wanted to do that so I could one-up all my relatives who use computers from The Dark Side. Not particularly noble, but much more fun.

Icon Machine was created by David Catmull of Uncommonplace. You can download a review copy at this site or at www.download.com. This is Shareware and the cost is US $20. There is an OS X version under development, but 2.0.1 with work with the other OS.

You can not create new tiles directly from photos - Icon Factory software isn't designed to work with straight downloaded images. You need to convert your images to a jpg or GIF format which means you will probably need that old standby Graphic Converter or some other graphics program. (Those not familiar with Graphic Converter can read about it in a previous column.)

The first step is to gather into one folder, at least 36 images. Your finished product is going to be small so I recommend that you work with head shots, bright colors, or old black and white snaps. Actually, the old snaps were the easiest to see while playing the game. Group shots did not work well at all.

Next, drag your images, one at a time, onto the open Icon Machine window.

A Black and White Photo,
Saved as a JPEG Document,
as It Appears in the Open Window of Icon Machine

At the top left is the icon as it will actually appear. Choose Save from the Fill Pull-down menu or hit the Apple Key + S. When the save window opens, save the new icon to your file folder. The saved icon will not have an identifier after the name. When I convert "brother.jpg" into an icon the new name will be "brother" or I could choose to call it "Icon 1", it doesn't matter. Just be sure you don't add any identifiers after the name. When you have all your chosen tiles converted to icons, just add the new folder as noted above. I hope you will try this. It is a fun skill for a new user to have.

If you have any questions, comments, or tips, let me know and I may include them in a future column.