Zoombinis in the New Year
5th and 6th Grade

Welcome back!

General Instructions:

  1. As usual, you may not talk until I have given you permission to do so.
  2. Read all of these instructions before doing anything else.

Background information:

The Logical Journey of the Zoombinis was a game you played in the last week of school. Project 1 was to familiarize you with the game. Refresh my memory about project 1.

Remember in last class, you didn't save your game. The main reason for this is that you would have to be sitting at the computer you played the game at the first time in order to pull up your game again. Working on a network and in a public area does not make for practical use to save your game. However you are going to learn today how to work with data files, copying to and from your network folder, and how to play the game with your saved data from any computer, so you can save your game and not lose all the data you lost.

Installation Folders

Some older games (like Zoombinis) save their data files for your game in their installation folder (the folder where the game was installed).

The Zoombini installation folder can be found in the following location on your Macintosh computer.

Data Files

When a software package saves your game it saves the information in a data file(s). A data file is a file that stores the information like what level you were at, how many zoombinis you had, etc. The data file is generally saved in the installation folder. The name of the file is very important while it is in the Macintosh HD: Applications (Mac OS 9): Zoombinis folder on the Desktop. The name needs to be what the Zoominis software called it when it created it.

There are TWO datafiles for the Zoombinis game:

The first data file is a table that matches up the name on the list and the name of the actual data file that stores your game information. The data file for the list of players in The Logical Journey of the Zoombinies is called Zoombini.who.

The actual data file for your game appears in the format, Zoom000?.txt. The ? is the number that matches up to your position on the list. If you are the third name on the list the you will be the third numerically listed file. Notice the first file begins with Zoom0000.txt, which matches up to the first person.
Position on List Data file
First player on list Zoom0000.txt
Second player on list Zoom0001.txt
Third player on list Zoom0002.txt
etc... etc...

Newer games (or games designed to be played on a network) allow you to save the date file whereever you tell the game to do so. For Zoombinis, you will need to follow the steps listed later, if you want to save your game and later play the game you saved.

Copying Zoombini Data Files to the Network

  1. Open the installation folder
  2. Open your folder on the network
    Make sure you can SEE both your network folder and the Zoombini installation folder
  3. Click and hold the mouse button on a data file you want to copy from the installation folder
    Drag that data file to your folder on the network
  4. If it asks you to replace, say "OK" ("Yes", etc.)
  5. Repeat 3 & 4 for each data file you need to copy
  6. Presto, you've saved your data files in your network folder

Copying Your Zoombini Data Files to Play Your Saved Game

Preserve the files that are already on the computer

  1. Since someone else has been playing the game you want don't want to destroy their files
  2. If any file you want to copy from your network folder exists in the Zoombini installation folder, drag that file to another location like the Desktop or Documents. (So you can later retrieve it.)
  3. Now copy your data files to the computer.

Now copy your data files to the computer

Note: When you overwrite the data file(s), the other games stored on that computer won't be able to be accessed. So before you copy your data files to the computer, preserve the datafiles that are already there.

  1. Open your folder on the network
  2. Open the Zoombini installation folder
    Make sure you can SEE both your network folder and the Zoombini installation folder
  3. Click and hold the mouse button on a data file you want to copy from your network folder
    Drag that data file to the Zoombini installation folder
  4. If it asks you to replace, say "OK" ("Yes", etc.)
  5. Repeat 3 & 4 for each data file you need to copy
  6. Presto you've copied your data files to the computer so you can play your game of Zoombinis

Restore the files that were on the computer that you preserved

  1. Once you are done playing Zoombinis, copy your data files to the network
  2. Drag the data files that were originally on the computer (those that you draged out of the installation folder in step 2 of preserving the files on the computer) BACK into the Zoombini installation folder
  3. You've restored the computer to its state before you got there

Here's our agenda for today:

Start Here

You are going to start playing the game. Remember you need to change the monitor settings. Refresh my memory on how to do that.

You will have some time to play the game

When I command, follow these steps

You will save your game through the Zoombini software

You will log on to the network

Copy your data files from the installation folder to your folder on the network. Steps to do this.

Log off the network

Switch computers

Log back on to the network

Copy your data files from your network folder to the installation folder, first PRESERVING the files already on the computer. Steps to do this.

Play the game for the rest of the class.

On my last command, follow these steps

Save the data file into your folder on the network.

Restore the files you moved

Ending insructions:

Raise your RIGHT hand when you have read the instructions to this point.

When I tell you, you may begin following our agenda for today's class.

Have Fun!