Older cubers discussions

[Goosly]

I have downloaded the timer but it only runs on my Win XP computer and not on my main cube computer which is Win 7.

Tried reinstalling java? There's no reason for it not to work

 

[ThomasJE]

Tried reinstalling java? There's no reason for it not to work

That's what I was thinking. It works fine on Win7 for me.

 

[MarcelP]

No, nothing wrong with my Java (me being a Java developer). It's just that the jar seems to want to access a db which does not exist or it is in a folder where the jar has no rights

c:\windows\system32\puzzletimer.lock.db

 

[MarcelP]

Ahh I got it to work on Win 7. Instead of running the program with java.exe I now run it with javaw.exe. That helped.

 

[uniacto]

hey quick question. what list of PLL's did you use to learn the algs for full PLL?

 

[MarcelP]

hey quick question. what list of PLL's did you use to learn the algs for full PLL?

I printed out this one: http://mordred.awardspace.us/PLLCheatSheet.pdf For each new PLL that I learned I tried the first few in the list that stands with that PLL. I hardly ever find the first one in line the best. I try to avoid algs with B and F. These are not my thing.

 

[MarcelP]

Also, if you post some more solves, I don't mind reconstructing them. The stats from reconstructions can tell you a lot about your solves and where you need to improve. Remember to post the scramble as well! (that's easy with PPT)

Ok, I think it has more meaning if I post an average solve. Today I had a lot of 43 and 44 second solves. This one was for me with an awefull cross:

B2 U' B2 D R2 B2 U' B2 D' F2 U2 L' F' R' D B D' B R2 U' L2 U2

[video=youtube_share;NekUXEcVXo0]http://youtu.be/NekUXEcVXo0[/video]

 

[Schmidt]

A little cross help for /\ that scramble:
Scramble white U green F.
Turn the cube so that you hold white D and orange F.
U2 - GW on G center
L' D' - red is in place
now the 3 remaining cross pieces are just one move away from solved - choose wisely
R' - blue solved
F' - orange solved
L' - green solved

EDIT: I just saw the video again. Why don't you scramble white U - green F ?? It is much easier for people to reconstruct.

 

[moralsh]

another way to improve crosses is to try to be bi-color neutral or color neutral, I've been trying it all afternoon and is not as hard as it seems just a little more attention while building the pairs and that´s all.

Unrelated question, I scramble with Yellow on U and Green on F, I think I read somewhere that it was the right way, is it?

 

[Schmidt]

No. (And Yes if you have black instead of white.)
4d) Cube puzzles must be scrambled with the white (or the lightest colour by default) face on top and green (or the darkest adjacent face by default) on the front.
http://worldcubeassociation.org/regulations/

 

[ThomasJE]

No. (And Yes if you have black instead of white.)
4d) Cube puzzles must be scrambled with the white (or the lightest colour by default) face on top and green (or the darkest adjacent face by default) on the front.
http://worldcubeassociation.org/regulations/

Although, is black is a replacement for white, black is often on top.

And as for the video, I'm sorting it now.

 

[MarcelP]

A little cross help for /\ that scramble:
Scramble white U green F.
Turn the cube so that you hold white D and orange F.
U2 - GW on G center
L' D' - red is in place
now the 3 remaining cross pieces are just one move away from solved - choose wisely
R' - blue solved
F' - orange solved
L' - green solved

EDIT: I just saw the video again. Why don't you scramble white U - green F ?? It is much easier for people to reconstruct.

I did not know that. Thanks for mentioning this. I will do the scramble again tonight with White on U and green on F. If it is faster than 43 seconds then I will post the video

@ moralsh, I think I will try the bi-color thing for a while, I am still quite bad at crosses and they do take up a great deal of my solves.

 

[Schmidt]

Although, is black is a replacement for white, black is often on top.

Yes, at home. But I guess that if you have black instead of white and that cubesmith baby-blue instead of dark blue, the cube should be scrambled blue U - black F (according to 4d) at a competition.

 

[ThomasJE]

MarcelP 43.76 Single

Spoiler: Video

[video=youtube_share;NekUXEcVXo0]http://youtu.be/NekUXEcVXo0[/video]

B2 U' B2 D R2 B2 U' B2 D' F2 U2 L' F' R' D B D' B R2 U' L2 U2

z y' // Inspection
U R U U' L U z2' x' l' U l y R U' R' y R2 // Cross
U' U' y' R' U2 R U' R' U R // F2L 1
U' R U' R' U' U y' R' U' R U' U' R' U R // F2L 2
U' R U' R' U R U R' // F2L 3
y' R U' R' U' U U' R U' R' U U y' R' U2 R U' U' R' U R // F2L 4
y2 f R U R' U' (y x) R' // EO
U F R U R' U' R U R' U' R U R' U' y L' // CO
R U R' U' R' F R2 U' R' U' R U R' F' // PLL
View at alg.garron.us

Spoiler: Stats

[B]Step	Time	HTM	HTPS	ETM	ETPS[/B]
[COLOR="#FF0000"]Total	43.76	88	2.01	109	2.49[/COLOR]
Cross+1	13.03	19	1.46	27	2.07
F2L	30.41	53	1.74	71	2.33
LL	13.35	35	2.62	38	2.85

[B]%	Time	HTM	ETM		[/B]
F2L	69.5%	60.2%	65.1%		
LL	30.5%	39.8%	34.9%

So around 2 TPS. I'll look at the HTM count, as the ETM takes into account rotations, and U U' counts as two, but in HTM, cancellations are included, so U U' is 0 HTM. More info on [WIKI]HTM[/WIKI] and [WIKI]ETM[/WIKI] in the links.

First thing: move efficiency. Every cross can be solved in 8 moves (6 on average). You took 11. It looks like you do a piece at a time. So, in inspection, try to plan at least 3 edges. Then solve the last edge and you're done Badmephisto has a video about that on his YouTube channel, so check that out. F2L was done in 53 HTM. Many cubers that are familiar with F2L can do it in under 40 turns consistently. Go to the wiki [WIKI]F2L[/WIKI] page, look at the cases and in your head, think of how you would solve that case. Then, compare your way to the algorithms listed. If your way takes more moves than the best case (usually one of the most efficient cases, but there are exceptions), then look at the more better alg and go through that alg over and over, so you get the hang of it. For example, for F2L 4, you made 15 moves. Had you done U2 R U' R' U' F' U F (a beginner's method middle layer alg), you would have done only 8. That could save you 3 seconds. Half your cross time, and there's 7 or 8 seconds waiting to be shaved off.

Your LL was fine, apart from one thing: TPS. Drilling your LL algorithms (so do them all, one after another, just like a PLL attack) you make you more familiar with the moves, and give you the comfidence to turn faster. If you can get your TPS up to around 4, then your LL times could drop to 8 seconds. I don't even know full PLL, and my LL times are around 7-8 seconds. Which brings me to my next tip: don't learn any new things (obviously apart from better 'algorithms' for F2L). Knowing the same amount as you (I also know some random OLL algs), I get sub-20 singles every now and then, and I average around 23. Learning algorithms is a shortcut to getting faster, but to be truly faster, there are a lot more things to do. The best path was never the easiest one.

So, follow these tips and you should be sub-30 in no time!

 

[MarcelP]

Thomas, thanks a million. You are a star! I will cube later this evening and try to do the same scramble again with the white and green colors

 

[MarcelP]

Well, what do you know... I did the scramble again and I was 12 seconds faster this time.. You see? With me it is all a matter of luck. LOL. I had a better concentration on the cross this time and the F2L pairs where just lying there to be hammered..

[video=youtube_share;HZ50-qIn3Bg]http://youtu.be/HZ50-qIn3Bg[/video]

I tried the same scramble a few times after that and all I got was a 38 seconds and the rest around 40..

Your LL was fine, apart from one thing: TPS. Drilling your LL algorithms (so do them all, one after another, just like a PLL attack) you make you more familiar with the moves, and give you the comfidence to turn faster.

What is PLL attack? Sounds interesting.

Which brings me to my next tip: don't learn any new things (obviously apart from better 'algorithms' for F2L). Knowing the same amount as you (I also know some random OLL algs), I get sub-20 singles every now and then, and I average around 23. Learning algorithms is a shortcut to getting faster, but to be truly faster, there are a lot more things to do. The best path was never the easiest one.

So, follow these tips and you should be sub-30 in no time!

That is the best advise I have gotten here I think. I am not intended to learn any alg again untill I do some evident faster averages. Thanks Thomas, you are a wise guy!

 

[brunovervoort]

PLL attack is doing all 21 PLL's as fast as possible in one time.
Really fast people get like around 25-30 seconds.

 

[Schmidt]

Do you know the right notation? I don't get the same state with the same scramble. Try looking at the scrambled cube in PPT. Your cube should look the same.

 

[Endgame]

Learning algorithms is a shortcut to getting faster, but to be truly faster, there are a lot more things to do. The best path was never the easiest one.

If you want to be truly faster, learn a block building method

 

[ThomasJE]

If you want to be truly faster, learn a block building method

I couldn't give worse advice. Use the method that is most comfortable. "Methods don't have speeds"