Bigcube tips and tricks discussion thread

[joey]

I'm sure I showed you some centre stuff at Bristol Rob.. I just can't remember what it was

 

[Robert-Y]

I'm sure I showed you some centre stuff at Bristol Rob.. I just can't remember what it was

I remember when we were building a first centre on the 4x4x4, I didn't really like the way you did it because I thought I would probably get a lock up if I did it your way But then I kinda realised we were using Charlie's cube, which hardly locks up ...

 

[guitardude7241]

how about let's use this scramble(5x5), post your solution(if you want to), and we can learn from each other's tricks! please put a star by the "trick" you want to show, maybe an explanation beside it.

D2 F D2 f2 l2 F' u U2 f R' F' l U' L' r2 B2 b' F2 L r R' u2 B2 U' b f F' l2 B L l' r2 R D' u b2 D2 l' F' D U' B' F' D R' D2 d' U' R' b2

little letters are double layer turns.

x' B' r' y' u d' U' l' x2 y D' U2 l F2 l' F' d' D l

l U2 l' y U2 l' U l y R' y R2 u d U r U2 r'

u' d F y' z U2 r U2 r' U r2

l F2 l' x' l' U2 l F' l' U 3r U2 l' U2 l

x' U2 l' U' l F2 x r' U r U' r' U r U' r' U2 r

 

[masterofthebass]

for guitardudes scramble: D2 F D2 f2 l2 F' u U2 f R' F' l U' L' r2 B2 b' F2 L r R' u2 B2 U' b f F' l2 B L l' r2 R D' u b2 D2 l' F' D U' B' F' D R' D2 d' U' R' b2

centers:
x' z r l' U' F r' F r z' r2 R' y x' F U r' F r' (orange center)
F r U r' z x' U' l' x' z' r U2 r' z' x' U' D' r' l2 x' z' U r U2 r' z (red center)
U' r' U2 l F' l' x' U' l' x' U' r l (green center)
r l2 U r' l U2 l x2 U2 l2 U2 l2 U l2 U2 l2 (yellow center)
l U l' x' l' U l r U2 r' U' r U2 r' (last 2 centers)

edges: (flip UF) = U' R U R' x U R' U' x'
R U' R U r x' z2 x R U' R U r' l (green-white)
z y' R' U' R y L' U L d' u' (orange-white)
z' U' R U l x U R U' r l' (blue-white)
z2 x U' R' U l (orange-yellow)
z' R U R' d2 z' R' U' R U l z' R U R' z r l' (red-yellow and green-yellow)
U' R U l z U R' U' R d' (blue-yellow)
R U R' u (red-white)
z2 R U R' z l r2 (restore centers)
r2 x (flip UF) r2 (blue-red)
x' l' x' (flip UF) l (orange-green)
x U2 x U2 (double parity)


pretty normal solve for me. Don't think I used any 'tricks' except for where I started the green-yellow edge, stopped, did red-yellow, and then went back to the green-yellow. That's basically what I do a lot of the time to take advantage of things that are already in place.

 

[Cyrus C.]

It would probably help if you linked it to Lucas's simulator, so people could see what you're doing instead of focusing on getting the moves right.

Oh and here's a scramble for 4x4x4: F' B Rw2 R' Fw B R' B Fw' Uw R2 F' D Uw' Fw' D L D U' B2 F2 Uw' F R Rw' Uw' B2 D' Rw2 R2 Fw2 U2 L2 B2 F2 Uw' L D L F2

 

[Robert-Y]

From Dan's 5x5x5 solution:


x' z r l' U' F r' F r z' r2 R' y x' F U r' F r' (orange center)

The 2x3 block could be solved by doing:

x' z l' U' l' r


r l2 U r' l U2 l x2 U2 l2 U2 l2 U l2 U2 l2 (yellow center)

Another solution: r' U2 r l2 U2 l2'

 

[masterofthebass]

ok. THat previous post had some errors, so here's the link to lucas's app. drag down the bottom of the java applet to see the cube better.

5x5 solve.

 

[Jake Gouldon]

That applet isn't working for me...

 

[Escher]

That applet isn't working for me...

put this in the solution window instead:

x' z 2r 2l' U' F 2r' F 2r z 2r2 R' y x' F U 2r' F 2r' F 2r U 2r' z x' U' 2l' x' z' 2r U2 2r' z x' U' D' 2r' 2l2 x' z' U 2r U2 2r' z U' 2r' U2 2l F' 2l' x' U 2l' x' U 2r 2l 2r 2l2 U 2r' 2l U2 2l x2 U2 2l2 U2 2l2 U 2l2 U2 2l2 2l U' 2l' x' 2l' U 2l 2r U2 2r' U' 2r U2 2r' R U' R U 2r x' z2 x R U' R U 2r' 2l z y' R' U' R y L' U L 2d' 2u' z' U' R U 2l x U R U' 2r 2l' z2 x2 U' R' U 2l z' R U R' 2d2 z' R' U' R U 2l z' R U R' z 2r 2l' U' R U 2l z U R' U' R 2d' R U R' 2u z2 R U R' z 2l 2r2
2r2 x U' R U R' x U R' U' x' 2r2 x' 2l' x' U' R U R' x U R' U' x' 2l x2 U2 x U2 2r2 B2 2r' U2 2r' U2 x' U2 2r' U2 2r U2 2r' U2 2r2

 

[Robert-Y]

Does anyone have any tips for the 3x3x3 stage on the 5x5x5? I seem kinda slow (compared to the faster cubers e.g. Dan or Erik). I think my average is about 20 - 25 seconds...

 

[masterofthebass]

how about you tell me how to do it on 4x4, and I'll tell you how on 5x5

 

[Robert-Y]

Well I've got one "trick" which helps me a lot for both cubes:

It's easy for me to do U' since my left hand is my dominant hand. But sometimes when I do U, the cube locks up. To stop this, I occasionally do U by pushing the U face with my left thumb as well as pulling it with my right index finger.

 

[Robert-Y]

Ah...

I think I realised my problem:

On the 3x3x3 stage on the 4x4x4, I cover up the front centre with one of thumbs whilst turning to prevent myself from misturning other layers. However, I can't do this on the 5x5x5 as my thumbs aren't big enough, so I get more lock-ups and misturns.

 

[Jake Gouldon]

ok. THat previous post had some errors, so here's the link to lucas's app. drag down the bottom of the java applet to see the cube better.

5x5 solve.

That applet isn't working for me...

put this in the solution window instead:


x' z 2r 2l' U' F 2r' F 2r z 2r2 R' y x' F U 2r' F 2r' F 2r U 2r' z x' U' 2l' x' z' 2r U2 2r' z x' U' D' 2r' 2l2 x' z' U 2r U2 2r' z U' 2r' U2 2l F' 2l' x' U 2l' x' U 2r 2l 2r 2l2 U 2r' 2l U2 2l x2 U2 2l2 U2 2l2 U 2l2 U2 2l2 2l U' 2l' x' 2l' U 2l 2r U2 2r' U' 2r U2 2r' R U' R U 2r x' z2 x R U' R U 2r' 2l z y' R' U' R y L' U L 2d' 2u' z' U' R U 2l x U R U' 2r 2l' z2 x2 U' R' U 2l z' R U R' 2d2 z' R' U' R U 2l z' R U R' z 2r 2l' U' R U 2l z U R' U' R 2d' R U R' 2u z2 R U R' z 2l 2r2
2r2 x U' R U R' x U R' U' x' 2r2 x' 2l' x' U' R U R' x U R' U' x' 2l x2 U2 x U2 2r2 B2 2r' U2 2r' U2 x' U2 2r' U2 2r U2 2r' U2 2r2

Tried it, the app is still not working for me. I hit the reload and test buttons after replacing the alg, and it just refreshes the page with a 3x3.

EDIT: Replaced it in the URL, and it works, except I can't input the scramble now...

EDIT:

I am stupid. I realized I had to scroll down the applet window. :fp

 

[Cyrus C.]

When 2-pairing on 4x4 I like to be able to pair things up not only on the E layer but also the M layer. Also to lookahead I usually take the edge that won't be paired with anything & look for the other one during the solve, instead of getting 2 new edges to pair.

 

[SkateboardingCuber]

Get a solved 5x5x5 do these moves with white on top, green on front: Rw2 U' Rw B' Rw' Lw' B Lw x'

Let's say you want to solve the white centres.

To do this you could do Lw' U' Lw and then you will get a "fish shape" where you'll be an insert away from finishing a 2x3 block of centres. Next you just simply do Rw U Rw' and a 2x3 block of centres will be made.

Doesn't work

Worked for me
It didn't at first, but then I realised I was doing an X rotation instead of X'