[Help Thread] 4x4 Discussion

[Crowned xerxes]

My 4x4 breakdown times, help me improve.

3.88 First two centers.
14.93 First 3 cross edge pairs.
12.31 last 4 centers.
20.67 last cross edge pair and all edges.
13.57 f2l
13.38 last layer with pll parity.

1:18.74 second solve all together.

I average about 1:25.

Anything seems slow for my current average? That I can possibly work on?

I am using Yau by the way.

 

[yoshinator]

IMO the break-down for a sub-25 Yauduction are:
First 2 centers: 4
First three cross edges: 5
Last 4 centers: 5
Last cross edge: 2
Last 8 edges: 8

So, add a multiple of these to your 3x3 time, and you'll get what you need to get to a specific goal.

Your 3x3 stage is honestly by far the slowest part, but if anything work on last 4 centers and cross edge pairing. Cross edge pairing is something I'm kinda slow at, and centers is pretty easy to improve, because lookahead is easy. The other thing is to make sure that you aren't doing anything inefficiently.

I hope this helps!

 

[Crowned xerxes]

IMO the break-down for a sub-25 Yauduction are:
First 2 centers: 4
First three cross edges: 5
Last 4 centers: 5
Last cross edge: 2
Last 8 edges: 8

So, add a multiple of these to your 3x3 time, and you'll get what you need to get to a specific goal.

Your 3x3 stage is honestly by far the slowest part, but if anything work on last 4 centers and cross edge pairing. Cross edge pairing is something I'm kinda slow at, and centers is pretty easy to improve, because lookahead is easy. The other thing is to make sure that you aren't doing anything inefficiently.

I hope this helps!

My 3x3 stage is terrible I know ha, but this did give me an Idea of what I need to get to to sub 1 min.

 

[yoshinator]

My 3x3 stage is terrible I know ha, but this did give me an Idea of what I need to get to to sub 1 min.

For sub-1 you need about a 40 second reduction (and obviously a sub-20 3x3, so work on that)

Splits: (Same order as last time) 6/8/8/3/13. So try to match those I guess.

 

[brian724080]

I use the same method as you but get sub 3 minutes, practice!

 

[Ninja Storm]

This post was nearly three years ago >__>

 

[adambreguet]

4x4 all corners oriented wrong.

Hi,
I've had my 4x4 cube for a few days now, and I've been solving it using the method of making it like a 3x3 then solving, but I've come to a problem. Every time I do this, I end up with every single corner at the end being orientated wrong. Here is a picture to show what I mean:

As you can kind of tell, all the corners are in the right places. But for every corner, the white or the yellow is facing the right way, but the other two colours are the wrong way. Even physically removing them and rotating them wouldn't work.
So, does anyone know how/why this happened, and is there an algorithm to fix it?
Thanks

 

[JasonK]

You solved the centres in the wrong colour scheme. The centres have to be solved correctly relative to each other or you won't be able to do 3x3 stage properly. Do Rw2 U2 Rw2 Lw2 U2 Lw2 and you should be able to solve it from there.

 

[littlewing1208]

Your centers are wrong . Remember for an even NxNxN you have to set the centers correctly since they are not fixed. In that picture where the orange face is on the right of the blue, that face should be red .

 

[adambreguet]

You solved the centres in the wrong colour scheme. The centres have to be solved correctly relative to each other or you won't be able to do 3x3 stage properly. Do Rw2 U2 Rw2 Lw2 U2 Lw2 and you should be able to solve it from there.

Your centers are wrong . Remember for an even NxNxN you have to set the centers correctly since they are not fixed. In that picture where the orange face is on the right of the blue, that face should be red .

Ah, I see what you mean. I didn't think of that, I only thought about having the right colour opposite each other (red-orange, gree-blue, yellow-white), didn't think it mattered other than that :/
Thanks for the help

 

[ben1996123]

u2 M2 u2
solve as 3x3

 

[TiTch]

Any one give me a Link to a video explaining a good 4x4 method with a lot of parity's shown.

 

[littlewing1208]

Yau edge pairing issues

Hi, I just learned Yau for a 4x4x4 in the last day and I've hit this scenario a few times. After doing the 4 last centers and the final cross edge, when I start pairing edges (I first do 3 without and Uu/U'u' slice then U'U' to solve 3, then take the unsolved and do the edge pair backwards which puts the 3 solved in the U layer and then Uu to solve 3 more and the last 2 are either solved or not) I found that I have hit the scenario with the first edge I find has the same edge pair as I need 1/3 or 2/3 of the way around meaning my edge pair scenario fails.

Is there a good way to figure out which edge you start your pairing on so this doesn't happen? Is my 3-3-2 method not ideal?

Thanks

 

[scottishcuber]

I think i know what you mean, but I personally use 3-2-2...etc...-3 after my cross and it works pretty well. Keep experimenting with it...

 

[jayefbe]

Yau edge pairing issues

I think i know what you mean, but I personally use 3-2-2...etc...-3 after my cross and it works pretty well. Keep experimenting with it...

I do modified 3-222-3 as well. That works much better than 3-3-2. With 8 pairs of edges, pairing 3 at once is rarely a problem. But after that, you're going to run into issues when trying to pair another 3 edges.

 

[littlewing1208]

So after centers and last cross edge, you guys do a Uu or inverse and then do 3 and straighten out the E layer and then do 2?

 

[SenileGenXer]

I shoot for 4-4 but its doesn't always go down like that. That is I try to line up 4-pairs around the equator then slice them all together then bring down the next 4 pairs before the slice back. You would be surprised at how often it works. Even if you can only do 3 pairs on the first slice this works if there is already one solved pair on top. I take the gamble that it will all work out and then clean up whatever doesn't work with the "Flipping" alg for two paris or 3 at once basic pairing for three pairs.

Obviously it doesn't always work for a few situations:
1) One or more edge pair is already solved at the start. This actually really good it can work. If I see two pairs solved at the start I stop short on the first slice I put in a sacrificial mixed pair that isn't going to solve anything in a slot. If I see only one pair solved at the start I proceed as normal and am only trying for 3 on the first slice and 4 on the second.
2) Having two pairs of pairs. If I have two pairs that are for example only blue-yellow and two pairs that are only orange-green I cant solve all four of those on the slice back and I know I'll have a remainder of two pairs catty-corner after the slice back.
3) All 8 dedge pairs need to be at the start solved at the start but I can only make 3 complete pairs on the initial slice. That's going to leave me 2 pairs to solve with the flipping alg at the end.
4) Sometimes you hit the 3 pair cycle you are talking about where three pairs want to solve into each-other. If you find that before the first slice -and- you have more than one pair solved off the bat you can make one of the three-cycle pairs the "sacrificial" pairs to tear apart while stopping short.

 

[jayefbe]

How are you solving 4 pairs with one slice? I have that happen only occasionally by luck.

 

[JianhanC]

It's pretty annoying to do a u or u' and find that the next edge piece you need is somewhere in the E slice, or even worse, paired up with the edge piece that you just u/u'-ed away. Your best bet to avoid this is to be careful and lookahead before starting edge pairing so you don't waste moves.

 

[Emily Wang]

i think it takes more time to look ahead and pick edges that will cycle nicely; like it's not that difficult to just adjust and do two edges instead of three, for example. also you can move edges around that are on the E slice? Like if you're looking for your first edge pair piece and it's somewhere else on the E slice, you can just take it out and put it back in.