Megaminx last side star alignment problem

[Ryden28488]

Hey everyone,

I'm having a problem with my megaminx, I can solve nearly all of it usually but I ran into this problem, near the last steps, after you get the last "star" where you have to align the star, I have 3 colors that align, instead of 2. The only formulas I know don't seem to change the amount aligned. On every thread or youtube clip i've watched, no one has addressed this problem, they always seem to have 2 aligned (Which I usually do too, and it works fine) or what algorithm to use. If you guys can point me in the right direction I'd be grateful! (I hope you understand what I mean)

 

[dinosaurking]

Well, if I'm not wrong (i'm almost completely certain I'm right haha), it's impossible (mathematically) to solve such a case on a megaminx, so the only would be to pop the edge pieces and put it back in the correct order. I did it once on purpose, i swopped 2 edges and 2 corners (a bit like T permutation on the 3*3*3) but I couldn't solve it...

 

[Owen]

I generally try to stay away from megaminxes.

 

[michaellahti]

Have you ever had a pop? Try taking it apart, putting it back together correctly, then trying to solve it again and see if that helps.

 

[LewisJ]

Way to be helpful, Owen.

As others said, I don't think that the 3-edge case is solvable. Swap 2 edges and you should have a nice 3cycle to finish up.

 

[spdqbr]

If it's a 12 color megaminx, then the situation you describe is unsolvable. On a six color it should be possible if you have two identical pieces swapped.

 

[PHPJaguar]

Check to make sure more colors are not swapped... it is sometimes difficult to tell colors apart on a Megaminx. I received one just this Christmas and I was surprised how similar the two yellows and the two greens were to each other.

 

[Ryden28488]

Okay thanks guys, it's a bit strange though because I have taken it apart and put it back together, I solved it once fine, then the second time I tried to solve it this happened. I'll just pop it out and try again (I would have if I had thought it wasn't solvable lol). Thanks guys. (Maybe someone is playing a nasty trick on me)

 

[dinosaurking]

Ah glad to hear =)

And, I couldn't resist...

I generally try to stay away from megaminxes.

Why the hell did you even post this for? It's completely useless, just shut up...

 

[Ryden28488]

Hey guys I'm back again. this time, I am 100% sure it's just me not doing it right. Every time I try to solve this thing, something weird happens and I can't solve it. It's always on the last few steps.

Either: The cube, when doing the star alignment ends up like this

http://img199.imageshack.us/i/img0232bp.jpg/
As you can see these line up fine. (Ignore the missing colors, they popped out but I know what color is what)

http://img689.imageshack.us/i/img0233c.jpg/
Then these 2 are swapped around the wrong way. No matter how hard I try I can never get all 5 to line up properly. (Or If I'm lucky enough to have only 2 that line up, I can get passed this step)

Or, when fixing the last corners, using RI DI R D, the corners will fix, but the rest of the cube becomes muddled. If I repeat RI DI R D the cube will fix itself, but then the corner will be flipped around the wrong way.

What the hell is wrong with me?

 

[bwatkins]

hey im not sure i understand you problem, but i just recently taught my self to solve the megaminx. This is what i do (as you are already can solve all but the last layer i'll start there):

1) Correctly solve all but the last layer.
2) i then orient my star using F R U R' U' F' or F U R U' R' F'.
- very similar to solving the cross on a 3x3x3
- you should have either 1 or 3 or 5 "edges" flipped incorrectly
3) Then i permute my star edges by finding the two that are placed relative to each other correctly
- if this doesn't exist i pick a single edge and perform essentially the sune.
- R U R' U R U2' R'
- I can repeat this until the "centers" or the star is permuted correctly
4) I now solve the corners.
- i find an incorrect corner and i use R' D R then bring its corresponding two edges to the front and right and then use R' D' R and repeat this "commutator" until all the edges are solved.

*Anyway, thats how i solve my last layer. It's basic and I'm pretty sure a beginners method but it works. Hope it helps!

 

[Ryden28488]

3) Then i permute my star edges by finding the two that are placed relative to each other correctly
- if this doesn't exist i pick a single edge and perform essentially the sune.
- R U R' U R U2' R'
- I can repeat this until the "centers" or the star is permuted correctly

This is the part that's not working for me. Instead of having 2 relative to each other, I have 3. I can never change that amount.

 

[TMOY]

Sorry but your megaminx is currently unsolvable. Since a face turn performs a 5-cycle of edges, which is an even permutation, you can only reach even permutations, and swapping 2 edges is an odd permutation, hence impossible (this is true for corners too). You have to disassemble and reassemble the two swapped edges to fix that.

 

[Ryden28488]

I don't understand how this can happen? About 3 times already I've taken it apart, made sure it was correct, tried to solve it, and this ALWAYS happens. How is that logically possible?

 

[Kickflip1993]

if you get a pop and put pieces back in the wrong way, then it is unsolveable, i am sorry^^

maybe some orange pieces are swapped with pink or so, they look almost the same in dark light

 

[dinosaurking]

What kind of megaminx do you use? the 6-colour version or the 12-colour version? I have a very wild suspicion it's...

 

[TMOY]

From the pictures, he's using a chinamiinx, which AFAIK exists only in a 12-color version. You can definitely see more than 6 different colors anyway.

 

[Ryden28488]

if you get a pop and put pieces back in the wrong way, then it is unsolveable, i am sorry^^

maybe some orange pieces are swapped with pink or so, they look almost the same in dark light

I'm like, 99% sure I put them all in the right position. And, the cube I got for christmas, I'm not sure what brand it is, the only things i've noticed is there is 2 identical greens and yellows. Otherwise the colors are all different.

I might just buy a proper one, maybe there's something wrong with this one. Any suggestions?

*edit* I found out where she got it from. : http://www.thinkgeek.com/geektoys/games/bcff/

 

[Kickflip1993]

Duodecahedron xD
switch the 2 identical pieces (without taking the puzzle apart) and try to solve it again

 

[Ryden28488]

I just picked another random color to start from, (Instead of white, every time) solved without any problems. Sigh, this cube is strange

*Edit* Oh, my god. Guys I am so sorry to have wasted your time. Upon (REAL) close inspection, the "identical" yellows and greens aren't so identical. (I'm semi color blind, it was my dad who pointed this out) When I've put it back together, I've swapped one of the greens and yellows around. To me, I can't tell the difference. But my dad can. This must be what has caused all the problems so far.

I appreciate all the help you guys have given, and I'm real sorry to have a conclusion like this. At least I know I'm not going nuts.