Yet another Cube Timer :)

[dillonbladez]

oh noes! that will be a problem.

i have not made this my main timer yet, it's still CCT.

i think that a minimizing screen thing would be helpful... it kind of sucks to have somebody talk on msn, then i have to ALT+TAB out of the program, then go back...

 

[josmil1]

As of version 1.1, I fixed the issue with the scrambler.

While this scrambler is a very elegant solution (8 lines of code), I need to generalize it so that it can do other cube puzzles (2x2...10x10).

Also, the timer now displays the best 10 of 12 average on the main window.

I'm using 1.1, and I just got a scramble with "U2 D2 U2 D2" in it.

download version 1.1.1

 

[dillonbladez]

i have 1.1.1

i got a scramble with

D2 U2 D2 in it.

 

[Stefan]

While this scrambler is a very elegant solution (8 lines of code)

I did it in fewer lines (see source code of this page) but they're quite crammed. I love elegance, would you show us that scrambler code of yours?

 

[negative_earth]

*deleted*

 

[negative_earth]

i use this timer on 1024x768

this is what happen

 

[TheDreamMaster]

i have 1.1.1

i got a scramble with

D2 U2 D2 in it.

Hmmmm, that would not be possible given the algorithm, so I must have a bug in the code. Thanks for the heads up. I will fix it.

 

[TheDreamMaster]

i use this timer on 1024x768

this is what happen

I am not quite convinced that it is the resolution alone that is causing the problem.

The issue is that the lit LED font is being variably spaced, instead of fixed spaced. The first person to report this issue tried it on the same system with a higher resolution and still got the problem.

Did you just reduce the resolution to 1024x768 and got the problem? Or is this a different system?

 

[TheDreamMaster]

While this scrambler is a very elegant solution (8 lines of code)

I did it in fewer lines (see source code of this page) but they're quite crammed. I love elegance, would you show us that scrambler code of yours?

I am not competing, but I see you are a topcoder

I just looked at your code, it is quite similar to mine. We are both employing modulus operations. My string is comprised of all moves, while yours is just the faces. You are doing the primes and 2's as another random number, while I am just plucking the move from the string. It is very interesting to see we did it with the same spirit in mind.

If I cram my lines like yours I get 3-4 lines depending on how you count, and then we get into language idiosyncrasies (as I am not using JavaScript).

BTW, I think you can simplify your code. Since you are just getting 1 of the 6 faces at random, you don't need to do a modulus operation. By just checking that the new random number is neither the last or previous to last, you are ensuring that you will have a change in axis for any group of 3 moves. Ensuring the change in axis using the modulus is superfluous. Or am I reading it wrong?

 

[TheDreamMaster]

oh noes! that will be a problem.

i have not made this my main timer yet, it's still CCT.

i think that a minimizing screen thing would be helpful... it kind of sucks to have somebody talk on msn, then i have to ALT+TAB out of the program, then go back...

Don't worry the problem will be fixed.

Regarding minimizing:

Right now you can just press ESC and it goes away. Of course you need to re-open it (but it opens fast). Technically speaking, if I add a key to minimize you still have to click on the task bar to bring the timer back. And the way it is right now, if you have an icon shortcut on your desktop, you need to do a double-click to open it after closing it with ESC, so adding the minimizing key just saves you a click. I will add the minimization key anyway, as it won't affect operation or simplicity. Should I use F12 perhaps?

 

[Stefan]

BTW, I think you can simplify your code. Since you are just getting 1 of the 6 faces at random, you don't need to do a modulus operation. By just checking that the new random number is neither the last or previous to last, you are ensuring that you will have a change in axis for any group of 3 moves.

Yes, but that would also prevent R U R, which it really shouldn't.

 

[TheDreamMaster]

Yes, but that would also prevent R U R, which it really shouldn't.

True. We don't want to limit the state space.

 

[negative_earth]

I am not quite convinced that it is the resolution alone that is causing the problem.

The issue is that the lit LED font is being variably spaced, instead of fixed spaced. The first person to report this issue tried it on the same system with a higher resolution and still got the problem.

Did you just reduce the resolution to 1024x768 and got the problem? Or is this a different system?

when i first tried your timer, i was on the latest HP Pavilion, it has a high resolution

but the bug seems to appear on "old" notebooks... mine is 2005's toshiba portege... and the same bug appears on my old ibm thinkpad

but when i tried the timer on my acer aspire netbook, it works well

does it have something to do with the 4:3 screen ratio?

because i noticed that my old notebook has it

but my HP Pavilion and acer netbook has a 16:9 screen ratio

 

[TheDreamMaster]

Both the 1024x768 display and the scramble issues have been solved. You can download the updated version from my website.

I will be working on new features (including new puzzles) as soon as I have some free time.

 

[Lucas Garron]

Quick note: convention has become that "avg12" (not avg10) means "12 solves, discarding high and low."

"avg-of-X" and "mean-of-X" both are X solves; one of them discards.

 

[fundash]

one suggestion for the program would be the ability to make it windowed, other than that, pretty nice timer!

 

[dillonbladez]

oh noes! that will be a problem.

i have not made this my main timer yet, it's still CCT.

i think that a minimizing screen thing would be helpful... it kind of sucks to have somebody talk on msn, then i have to ALT+TAB out of the program, then go back...

Don't worry the problem will be fixed.

Regarding minimizing:

Right now you can just press ESC and it goes away. Of course you need to re-open it (but it opens fast). Technically speaking, if I add a key to minimize you still have to click on the task bar to bring the timer back. And the way it is right now, if you have an icon shortcut on your desktop, you need to do a double-click to open it after closing it with ESC, so adding the minimizing key just saves you a click. I will add the minimization key anyway, as it won't affect operation or simplicity. Should I use F12 perhaps?

sorry, i meant adjusting the screen size of the program. (as in how much space it takes on the monitor) i like being able to know whats going on on my computer while solving. so for example, to change the size of the program, i click on the border of the program and drag it accordingly.

i think it's just me though, so i dont think it's necessary.


EDIT:

thats the word i'm looking for! windowed!

 

[GojiraFan13]

I like your timer. Thanks for giving those of us who don't have stackmats ('cause we're too busy spending free money on cubes we don't need but are too obsessive compulsive to not buy them,) another option. Good job.

 

[TheDreamMaster]

Note taken on the avg12 vs avg10 (curiously enough I had already changed it yesterday, just have not released a new version yet).

Ok I'll see what I can do about the windowed version (the problem with it is the current layout depends on ample space, so if I go windowed I will have to scale everything down, and that may be problematic, both in clarity and aesthetically).

Thank you for your comments everyone!

 

[mazei]

I'll use it when it can log my times nicely like cct