FCF and FMCTyper

[Lucas Garron]

I'll try to make this short/useful.

FMC judging has always been annoying, and I've been trying to find a solution by developing an FMC Competition Form that can be graded easily.

Bubbling turned out to be terribly bad. Thanks to Arnaud for testing/suffering through a solve with this. It ended up something like this:

Conclusion: PLEASE don't make us use this

My current solution doesn't change much from the FMC sheets used in the US:
FCF 1.0.1
The competitor would be given a scramble and image on a separate half-page.

The idea is to write up the solution on a computer, typing the moves next to those on a photographed/scanned copy of the FCF.
Advantages:

• Faster and easier, overall.
• Less error-prone, as you have a visual check while typing.
• Easier to correct. No need to re-scramble a cube and try the solution several times.
• Easier to find potential places for transcription mistakes, by using an applet.
• Solutions are on the computer, and easily to publish.

I've made FMCTyper, a program that does exactly what I need it to. It's written in GameMaker, because that's easy for me, and just works (Java would have taken a while). I will make no claim as to its robustness or portability, but it should hopefully work on most Windows systems. If somebody wants to make a better/more portable version of this, feel free to re-use any ideas.

Download:
FMCTyper_0_2.gmd (GameMaker 5.0, which you can get here.)
FMCTyper_0_2.exe

Here's the help file (F1 in the program):

FMCTyper
Version 0.2
Lucas Garron; Nov. 17, 2008

During startup, provide the location of your browser executable (only Firefox has been tested), and input the scramble for the session.

1. Browse for an FCF image.
(1.5. Recommended: F3 and F4.)
2. Select the upper left of the solution square using the left mouse button, and the lower left with the right button. Press space when you are done.
3. Type the solution next to the moves. It should be pretty intuitive, but don't be puzzled by slight quirks.
4. Press HOME to export the solution to an applet in the browser, via shell (for verifying correctness).

HOME: Described above.
INSERT can be used to modify the middle of an alg, copy, and paste.
BACKSPACE has a repeat rate of 1/10 second. Use INSERT to clear the alg or edit moves in the middle.
ENTER will skip to the next line.
CTRL will display the alg.
F2 will restart from step 1
F3: Resize screen.
F4: Fullscreen.
F7: View/edit scramble.

You get out something like http://cube.garron.us/applets/SiGN_test.htm?cube=3x3x3&animtype=gen&notation=WCA&ini=F2__U-__L2__D2__L2__U-__F2__L2__R2__U-__L2__F2__D-__L-__D-__B2__U2__F-__L__U-__F__&alg=F2_M-_Uw2_x-%0AF_U_F_L_F_L-_F%0AU-_L_U-_L-%0AUw-_U-_L_U2_L-_D%0AL_U_L-%0AF_U_R_U-_R-_F-_U-%0AL_U2_L-_U-_L_U-_L-.

That's from a test page by Arnaud. He's helped me a lot by trying a few solves. Grading them worked perfectly: if I had any errors, they were few, and very fast/easy to correct.

Anyhow, I'd like to post this in case anybody wants to try or develop it. I will certainly be using this system for SF09.

Arnaud, would you mind if I uploaded your images for people to try?

 

[JohnnyA]

Aha, GameMaker always helps when making simple programs - I'm very sorry I can't use it any more since I upgraded to Vista.

I'm not extremely knowledgeable in FMC competitions, but this program looks like it caters for all the needs of the participants. I would suggest a clone of this be created using Java, since GameMaker made programs don't always work 100% on XP and almost never work on Vista or Mac.

Good luck with the program and the competitions.

 

[hr.mohr]

Nice sheet! I will try your program later, but this idea sounds great to me.

 

[AvGalen]

Great work Lucas (and thanks for giving me credits)

You can post all images I sent you earlier and if you could post the "U-moves-only-solution" (idea by Gilles vd P) as another example that might make for an interesting example

 

[Lucas Garron]

Arnaud's test images:
image1.jpg
image2.jpg
image3.jpg
image4.jpg
image5-1.jpg
image5-2.jpg
image6.jpg
image7.jpg

I don't have a way to deal with multiple pages yet. Arnaud's single extra move was easy to deal with, and if I really need to, I can try to add support for two pages.
But if you can't fit your solution into 104 spaces (maybe 130 spaces if I change widths), you shouldn't really be doing FMC in competition. :rolleyes:

 

[fanwuq]

I prefer just a stack of blank paper. I cross out A LOT of things and often make several solutions before finally circling the best one.

 

[AvGalen]

http://cube.garron.us/FCF/image5-1.jpg is my favorite
It is actually a real solution, especially if you would omit lines 7-9. Those lines are just there for testing slice moves and filling up the form to test multiple pages.

This form is meant to be used as your final solution. Drafts can be made on regular paper as always. The form is there to simplify the work for the judges

 

[cuBerBruce]

Well, I agree with Fanwuq and totally disagree that 104 positions on a form is plenty of space for the competitor to provide a solution.

As a competitor I expect to be able to write down a solution I might come up with early on so it is ready to turn in if I don't come up with something later on. If I do come up with a better solution later on, I should be able to write that in without running out of space on the form. If competitors are allowed to have multiple forms, but only turn in one of them, that perhaps would be a lot better than having just a single form of 104 positions in which to write down moves.

The other reason is that it might be desirable to have more positions (or allow "free form") is to be able to add an insertion into a solution already written down. To be able to add an insertion at an arbitrary point in a solution would require leaving a lot of positions blank over the entire solution, probably using only every other row, and not using the entire rows of those used. This might allow the competitor to alter a solution already written down with a rather minimal amount of crossing out of the initial solution. But it still means the user must "waste" the space on the form, and need a lot more positions on the form than the actual length of the solution found.

Telling the competitor to only write down the solution on the form at the end of the hour requires the user to estimate the amount of time needed to write down the solution. If the competitor fails to allow enough time at the end, he/she will end up with a DNF when he/she should have been able to turn in a solution. If he/she overestimates the time required, the extra time is basically lost time for the competitor. It is very annoying for the competitor to have to make this kind of judgment on the use of the time.

(Oh, and shouldn't the form say "Fewest Moves Solving" since that is what the event is called in the official rules?)

 

[JBCM627]

http://cube.garron.us/FCF/image5-1.jpg is my favorite

Haha I'd hate to judge that though.

Also, looking at the first image, lines 4->5, you counted "R R" as 2 moves? I've never actually seen that in competition, but would you really count that as 2 moves if the competitor writes it down like that?

 

[Lucas Garron]

If competitors are allowed to have multiple forms, but only turn in one of them, that perhaps would be a lot better than having just a single form of 104 positions in which to write down moves.

I'm planning to have extra forms. The simple thing for the competitor would be to have a safety solution, and then plan to write down the final one later.
If it's really necessary, I'd probably accept a hand-written solution on blank paper, if it's only one or two people. The idea of the form is to avoid this if possible, though, and make grading cleaner and easier.

(Oh, and shouldn't the form say "Fewest Moves Solving" since that is what the event is called in the official rules?)

I know it as Fewest Moves Challenge, and it's always abbreviated FMC. Like blindfolded as BLD and not BF, it's an unofficial standard that's pretty solid among knowledgable cubers.
Anyhow, the regs call everything "solving," so it's actually "fewest moves."
There are a few things where the WCA actually goes against regular convention, anyhow.

http://cube.garron.us/FCF/image5-1.jpg is my favorite

Haha I'd hate to judge that though.

It's actually quite easy. In FMCTyper, I managed to type up the whole thing correctly in 5 minutes.

Also, looking at the first image, lines 4->5, you counted "R R" as 2 moves? I've never actually seen that in competition, but would you really count that as 2 moves if the competitor writes it down like that?

Well, that's the length of the written solution in HTM.
Counting it like that is best, else you get:
D R R' F = D F
D R R2 B' = D R' B'
D R L R U = D R2 L U
D R y' B2 U = D y' B' U
D R2 L' R2 D = D L' D
D R y B' F2 U = D y B' F' U
M L' R' = r'
Where do you stop doing "obvious" cancellations for the competitor?

 

[cuBerBruce]

The simple thing for the competitor would be to have a safety solution, and then plan to write down the final one later.

NO! NO! NO!

A "safety" solution is not "safe" until it is written down in a form that can be turned in as a solution. I strongly object to forcing the competitor to "wait until later" to write down the solution in a form that can be handed in.

 

[Lucas Garron]

The simple thing for the competitor would be to have a safety solution, and then plan to write down the final one later.

NO! NO! NO!

A "safety" solution is not "safe" until it is written down in a form that can be turned in as a solution. I strongly object to forcing the competitor to "wait until later" to write down the solution in a form that can be handed in.

Did you read the context of that quote? I thought I implied pretty clearly that they'd have the safety solution written on one copy of the form (ready to turn in), and have another form they could for the final solution. I don't say anything about forcing in that line either, it's a recommendation.
And with "simple thing" I mean "I've competed in FMC, and if I were to do it again, I'd probably try to do it this way."
(And note the line right after, which provides even more options if it gets desperate at the end.)

 

[cuBerBruce]

The simple thing for the competitor would be to have a safety solution, and then plan to write down the final one later.

NO! NO! NO!

A "safety" solution is not "safe" until it is written down in a form that can be turned in as a solution. I strongly object to forcing the competitor to "wait until later" to write down the solution in a form that can be handed in.

Did you read the context of that quote? I thought I implied pretty clearly that they'd have the safety solution written on one copy of the form (ready to turn in), and have another form they could for the final solution. I don't say anything about forcing in that line either, it's a recommendation.
And with "simple thing" I mean "I've competed in FMC, and if I were to do it again, I'd probably try to do it this way."
(And note the line right after, which provides even more options if it gets desperate at the end.)

OK, I understand now that you are assuming that the safety solution would be in a form that can be handed in. The sentence seemed to suggest to me that the competitor was being expected to not write in the official part of the form until the competitor had decided upon his/her final solution (which seemed to be the case at US Nationals 2008 and Virginia Open 2008). While the rules did not specifically force that, it was (in effect) about the only option the competitor had given that he/she only had one form and the limited space and restricted use of that space on that form.

In short these forms impose things upon the competitors that the old way did not (the old way being that the user was allowed to enter the solution in free form with the desired solution circled to indicate the proper solution to be judged).

 

[Pedro]

I guess it should be "...by writing one move per bar"

also, is it possible that I get a copy of a non-pdf file, so I can translate it to portuguese?

 

[AvGalen]

http://cube.garron.us/FCF/image5-1.jpg is my favorite

Haha I'd hate to judge that though.

Also, looking at the first image, lines 4->5, you counted "R R" as 2 moves? I've never actually seen that in competition, but would you really count that as 2 moves if the competitor writes it down like that?

Judging that one is easy because it is just rotation MOVE undo-rotation. Gilles vandenPeereboom has submitted a real solution like that before ("human Thistlewaite, 84 real moves if I remember correctly)

And yes, I would count R R as 2 moves. Joël van Noort once had a 34 move solution that was like "finish F2L with F, rotate cube with y', start OLL with R". At that moment 33 would have been Dutch NR

Everyone should realise that this form is meant to ease judging, not to hinder the solver. Most people stop an FMC-attempt before 1 hour, everyone can still use draft-paper (or official paper) as much as they want and writing down your solution correctly, within the time limit and understandable by a judge is part of the rules for FMC