Need An Idea to solve This

[Ross Miller]

Write a program in Java that randomly generates two-dimensional mazes and prints
them to the console. For example, a possible output might look like:
XXXXXXXXXXX
X X X
XXX X X X X
X X X X
X XXX X XXX
X X X
XXXXXXXXX X

The width of this maze is 11, and its height is 7. Your program should generate and
display 20 such mazes whose widths and heights are random odd numbers between 5 and
79, inclusive.

Each maze must be 2 entrances that are reachable from each other.

The following mazes do not meet the constraint:
XXXXXXX
X
XXXXX X
X X X There is only 1 entrance.
X XXX X
X X
XXXXXXX

X XXXXX
X X
X XXX X
X X X There are 3 entrances.
X XXX X
X X
XXX XXX

XXXXX X
X X X
X XX X X
X X X No path exists between both entrances.
X XXX X
X X X
XXX XXX
Feel free to use standard APIs in your solution.

Can any one help me in getting a logic to build a single maze atleast..! Constructing such a maze is been bugging me since two days !!!

PS: Attached is the proper image. Please download it to have better view of the mazes !

[Campbell Ritchie]

And what have you done so far? What problems have you encountered? And your thread title is not at all helpful.

[Seetharaman Venkatasamy]

and Welcome to JavaRanch

[David Newton]

You can use code tags or HTML <pre> tags to make formatted text look right.

[Ross Miller]

@Seetha : Yeah my first post in the Ranch ! :p

well, hmm.. my progress till now is to create a random odd number X odd number matrix using a two dimensional array filled with "X"s.

And i could get a random entry point and an exit point.

and i am stuck up at a point where i should actually create a path from entry to exit and which i mean the whole array should actually look like a maze !


any ideas to progress with this ? or rather generating a maze creating a path from entry to exit ??!!

[Ross Miller]

public class MazeGenerator {
	int rows=0;
    int columns=0;
    int r=gridSizeProvider();
    int c=gridSizeProvider();
    int entryIndex=(int)(Math.random()*c);
	int exitIndex= (int)(Math.random()*c);

	public static void main(String args[])
{
    MazeGenerator mg=new MazeGenerator();
    mg.go();
}

	public void go(){
		printMaze();
}

	public int gridSizeProvider(){
        int size;
        size= (int) (Math.random()*80);
        if (size%2==0)
        	size=size+1;
        return size;
}
	
	public String[][] mazeInitializer(){
		
	    
	     if(r>=5&&c>=5){
	     rows=r;
	     columns=c;
	     }
	    
	     String[][] maze=new String[rows][columns];
	    for(int i=0;i<rows;i++)//Print the Maze initially
	    {
	       
	        
	        for(int j=0;j<columns;j++){
	        	maze[i][j]="X";
	                      
	        }
	        
	    }
	    return maze;
	}
	
	public void printMaze()
	{
		String [][] temp=mazeInitializer();
		temp[0][entryIndex]=" ";
		temp[r-1][exitIndex]=" ";
		for(int k=0;k<rows;k++)//Print the Maze initially
	    {
	       
	        
	        for(int l=0;l<columns;l++){
	        	
	            System.out.print(temp[k][l]);            
	        }
	        System.out.println("");
	        
	       
	    }
		
		
	}
	


}    

>

[Ross Miller]

XXXX XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX
XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX
XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX
XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX
XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX
XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX
XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX
XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX
XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX
XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX
XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX
XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX
XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX
XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX
XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX
XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX
XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX
XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX
XXXXXXXXXXXXX XXXXXXXXX


A sample output of my above code :-|.

[David Newton]

Isn't part of the assignment to figure out how to generate a maze?

[Ross Miller]

ofcourse objective is to generate a maze !

[David Newton]

So, what do you have so far for the maze generation part?

[Rob Spoor]

Froggy, please read your private messages.

[Ross Miller]

@David: Nothing as of now, except to create a 2D array filled with all X's and get a random entry and exit point for it.

and i am wondering how would i progress from here to generate a maze !

[Carey Brown]

1. Initialize 2D array of ints to 0x0F where each of the 4 bits represents its four walls (north,south,east, and west).


2. Initialize an empty array of 'neighbors' holding the X,Y position of potential neighbors.


3. Select a random cell and add its four neighbors to the neighbor list.


4. while neighbor list is not empty:




1. Select a random neighbor.


2. Knock down a random wall between neighbor and established cell.


3. Add to neighbor list any available neighbors to the selected cell.




5. Remove any two exterior walls.


6. Draw.