[Help Thread] FMC Discussion

MTGjumper said:
Scramble: L2 B2 D' F2 L2 U L2 B2 F2 R2 U L' U' R2 D2 U' F' R' U2 B' R

3xCross: L' D2 U B U L2 B2 U L F R F' U2 F
Click to expand...
Fun finish I found linearly:

Orient edges: U R' U' B' R' B
Pseudo F2L: R2 U
ZBLL: U' R2 U R U' R U2 R2 U' R' U R' U'
Undo pseudo: U'

31 moves
 
This was a nice scramble jt gave me. I didn't spent much time on it, but I found a nice 28 mover with this cool finish.

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


D B R D R D R L2

U' F U F2 U' F2 U' F'

R' U2 R U2

F U' R' U R U F' U' (can also be written as (F d' F', U))
 
An hour ago, I got this Scramble from Cube Explorer for practising FMC
U F2 R2 U B2 U2 L2 R2 F2 R2 U' L2 D' R' F2 U R' F' R' F'

It's kinda weird, free 1x2x2 block!
my solution was

Scramble: U F2 R2 U B2 U2 L2 R2 F2 R2 U' L2 D' R' F2 U R' F' R' F'
Solution: R2 U F' L R' F L D L D2 L' D' L2 D' L' U L2 U' L' F' D' L2 D L F
R2 U F' L R' F (2x2x3) what?
L D L D2 L' D2 (F2L minus slot+pair)
D L2 D' L' (Finish F2L + LL corners)
U L2 U' L' F' D' L2 D L F (LL edges with ELL)

1 move cancel, 6+6+4+10-1 = 25 moves

but I think it can be better than 25. I tried to find edge insertion, but nothing better than 10 moves ELL in the end.

I wonder if someone can give a better solution..
 
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ardi4nto said:
An hour ago, I got this Scramble from Cube Explorer for practising FMC
U F2 R2 U B2 U2 L2 R2 F2 R2 U' L2 D' R' F2 U R' F' R' F'

It's kinda weird, free 1x2x2 block!
my solution was

Scramble: U F2 R2 U B2 U2 L2 R2 F2 R2 U' L2 D' R' F2 U R' F' R' F'
Solution: R2 U F' L R' F L D L D2 L' D' L2 D' L' U L2 U' L' F' D' L2 D L F
R2 U F' L R' F (2x2x3) what?
L D L D2 L' D2 (F2L minus slot+pair)
D L2 D' L' (Finish F2L + LL corners)
U L2 U' L' F' D' L2 D L F (LL edges with ELL)

1 move cancel, 6+6+4+10-1 = 25 moves

but I think it can be better than 25. I tried to find edge insertion, but nothing better than 10 moves ELL in the end.

I wonder if someone can give a better solution..
Click to expand...

Hi Ardianto,

I tried this scramble too.
Easy starts, but not easy to continue.
Using my memorized 10-move-LL-alg-library I found after ±45 minutes:
F2L minus pair: R D' R U' L' U2 F' L R' (9)
last F2L pair: D' F D F' R F R' (16..)
LL: R F' D2 B2 L U2 B L' B D2 F (22)
;)
Gus
 
ardi4nto said:
Hi Guus,
Nice solution, I never get 4 moves cancellation. Also brilliant 9 moves F2L minus pair. I always suck at that step, averaging 15 moves or even more. Any tips for practising block building?
Click to expand...

Ardianto

That 4-move cancelling was just luck!

Tips for block building? Just a few:
1. pratice,
2. practice a lot
3. learn how to use pre-scramble-moves.
4. user inserted moves during the first blocks, it might help you for good continuation
5. try inverse scrambles
6. use good starting moves as pre-scramble-moves for inverse scramble
7. use good pre-scramble-moves as good starting moves for inverse scramble
8. practice even more

Gus
 
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Scramble: D2 R' U2 D F U2 F B2 L' U2 L' B2 F' D' U2 B L' B' U F B' R U' F B2

2x2: U' F U' F2 B2 L2(6/6)
2x2x3:L' U' L U R2 F' (5/11)
S4a: U' R' U R U' R2 (6/17)
Orient Edges: U' F R' F' R2 U R' (7/24)
Pair 3 cycle: U f D f' U' f D' f' (8/32)
Finish 3 corners: D' L B2 L' F2 L B2 L' F2 D (10/42)

This is my first ever fmc that has not contained oll pll, and that is enough of an accomplishment to me to post this.
 
Sn3kyPandaMan said:
Scramble: D2 R' U2 D F U2 F B2 L' U2 L' B2 F' D' U2 B L' B' U F B' R U' F B2

2x2: U' F U' F2 B2 L2(6/6)
2x2x3:L' U' L U R2 F' (5/11)
S4a: U' R' U R U' R2 (6/17)
Orient Edges: U' F R' F' R2 U R' (7/24)
Pair 3 cycle: U f D f' U' f D' f' (8/32)
Finish 3 corners: D' L B2 L' F2 L B2 L' F2 D (10/42)

This is my first ever fmc that has not contained oll pll, and that is enough of an accomplishment to me to post this.
Click to expand...

why you didn't do insertion for that? you might get some cancellations and got less than 40 moves. Using insertion, there is maximum 8 moves if you are out of luck.
 
ardi4nto said:
Sn3kyPandaMan said:
Scramble: D2 R' U2 D F U2 F B2 L' U2 L' B2 F' D' U2 B L' B' U F B' R U' F B2

2x2: U' F U' F2 B2 L2(6/6)
2x2x3:L' U' L U R2 F' (5/11)
S4a: U' R' U R U' R2 (6/17)
Orient Edges: U' F R' F' R2 U R' (7/24)
Pair 3 cycle: U f D f' U' f D' f' (8/32)
Finish 3 corners: D' L B2 L' F2 L B2 L' F2 D (10/42)

This is my first ever fmc that has not contained oll pll, and that is enough of an accomplishment to me to post this.
Click to expand...

why you didn't do insertion for that? you might get some cancellations and got less than 40 moves. Using insertion, there is maximum 8 moves if you are out of luck.
Click to expand...
Because I've yet to figure out how to use them. I've done maybe 5 FMC attempts total now. I haven't put much time into learning more fmc strategies on a count of how much they hurt my head. Just figuring out pair 3 cycles and 3 corner comms took me hours of migraines...
 
Sn3kyPandaMan said:
ardi4nto said:
Sn3kyPandaMan said:
Scramble: D2 R' U2 D F U2 F B2 L' U2 L' B2 F' D' U2 B L' B' U F B' R U' F B2

2x2: U' F U' F2 B2 L2(6/6)
2x2x3:L' U' L U R2 F' (5/11)
S4a: U' R' U R U' R2 (6/17)
Orient Edges: U' F R' F' R2 U R' (7/24)
Pair 3 cycle: U f D f' U' f D' f' (8/32)
Finish 3 corners: D' L B2 L' F2 L B2 L' F2 D (10/42)

This is my first ever fmc that has not contained oll pll, and that is enough of an accomplishment to me to post this.
Click to expand...

why you didn't do insertion for that? you might get some cancellations and got less than 40 moves. Using insertion, there is maximum 8 moves if you are out of luck.
Click to expand...
Because I've yet to figure out how to use them. I've done maybe 5 FMC attempts total now. I haven't put much time into learning more fmc strategies on a count of how much they hurt my head. Just figuring out pair 3 cycles and 3 corner comms took me hours of migraines...
Click to expand...

it's easy, just track the that 3 corners in the end, during the solve, and you do 3 cycle corner in position that give less number of moves. You can use numbered sticker to mark these 3 pieces. But, yes, figuring out 3 cycles commutator made me migrains too.. :P
 
I think this is a pretty good example for beginners to get an idea of how blockbuilding is done FMC style :)

I'm using the scramble from this week's forum competition, this was my solution:

Inverse scramble: R2 L F2 U' R F U2 L D R' U2 L2 U' B2 D L2 D L2 D2 L2 U2

2x2x3: L' F2 R2 L' D R2 D R' D (9/9)
Orient remaining edges: U R' U2 R (4/13)
Triple x-cross: U' B' U' B2 U2 (5/18)
Last slot: U B' U' B U B' U' (6/24)
Niklas: R B' L' B R' B' L (7/31)

I'm guessing that at first glance, most beginners wouldn't be able to see how the 2x2x3 was built in 9 moves without any cancellations or any visible 2x2x2 or 1x2x3 to start with. But it's NOT magically done that way.

When I started out in FMC, I saw lots of solutions from the pros where in the beginning, there were just a bunch of random moves that didn't really make any sense, and then towards the end, the blocks just magically clicked into place. I always wondered how they foresaw/predicted everything so perfectly and accurately.

I'm nowhere near being a "pro" yet, but I think I'm pretty good at getting 2x2x3 blocks in 10 moves or fewer most of the time, so I'll just share how I make my blocks click into place magically :)

Here's the "development history" of my 2x2x3 block: (Please scramble with white on top and green on front to follow what I'm gonna be talking about.)

Apply the inverse scramble I provided above. Notice the yellow-orange-green 1x1x2 block in the back right corner in the bottom (that's the only ready-made block in the entire cube, so it's your best bet.) Now ask yourself, what completes the 1x2x2 block? That's right, you need the yellow-green edge. Find that edge, and you'll realize that R2 D R2 completes the 1x2x2 block, so do it.

(Moves done so far: R2 D R2)

Now look at the block you just built, and you'll realize that by pure luck, the yellow-red edge is already in place. So to complete the 1x2x3 block, you're gonna need the yellow-green-red corner. Obviously it's gonna take way too many moves to insert a corner into a 1x2x3 block, so let's take a look at what's in the way: The BLUE-yellow-red corner is in the position in which the YELLOW-green-red is supposed to be.

Now undo all your moves so far (do R2 D' R2,) and look for the YELLOW-green-red corner. You realize that doing L' F2 replaces the BLUE-yellow-red corner with the YELLOW-green-red corner, without affecting the other 4 pieces that made up the pseudo-1x2x3 block just now. So now, doing L' F2 R2 D R2 gives you a 1x2x3 block, are you getting an idea of how this works now? :)

(Moves done so far: L' F2 R2 D R2)

Now you don't see any good continuation to form a 2x2x3 block, so start undoing moves to see what you can "tweak," you'll see what I mean in a bit. Undo your last move (do R2,) now you realize you can't do ANY move without affecting the 5 pieces that make up the 1x2x3 block. So undo another move (do D',) now realize that all 5 pieces are in the M and R slices, which leaves you free to do anything you want with the L slice. Ask yourself, which L move (L/L'/L2) makes the most sense? Of course, L', because that solves the orange-green edge, so do L'. Now redo the moves that you undid just now (do D R2.)

(Moves done so far: L' F2 R2 L' D R2)

The remaining D R' D should be pretty self-explanatory.

That's it. That's how the block is done. Here's a summary of the stages we went through:

Stage 1: R2 D R2 (1x2x2 block)
Stage 2: L' F2 R2 D R2 (1x2x3 block)
Stage 3: L' F2 R2 L' D R2 (solve an edge)
Stage 4: L' F2 R2 L' D R2 D R' D (complete the 2x2x3 block)

Got a better feel of how it's done now? :) Feel free to ask me any questions. I'd also like to have some criticism from the pros: Is this how you guys generally go about building blocks? Or am I doing something inefficiently? Any advice? :)
 
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Hi guys,
there was no one posted here for a while.. :(

I have question about leaving 3 corners, how do you that? Intuitively? or by knowing some algorithms?
I tried some intuitive one, and always ended with more than 3 corners, (4 or 5) so I need 2 insertions, which is hard to get a lot cancellations..
trying someone else solution didn't help me, it's seems magically leaves 3 corners...
 
ardi4nto said:
Hi guys,
there was no one posted here for a while.. :(

I have question about leaving 3 corners, how do you that? Intuitively? or by knowing some algorithms?
I tried some intuitive one, and always ended with more than 3 corners, (4 or 5) so I need 2 insertions, which is hard to get a lot cancellations..
trying someone else solution didn't help me, it's seems magically leaves 3 corners...
Click to expand...

Hello. I believe some people just try to solve the edges hopefully some corners gets solved with it.

You can also build two ce-pairs of any kind after solving the F2L minus last slot and combine them along with edges.

Alternatively, you can solve the last pair and use try several 6-9 move LL algorithms until you have 3 corners left.

I find building a triple-X cross (or you can call it a F2L minus one slot) easier becuase you can "psuedoize" one of the two "squares" (1x2x2 blocks next to the empty slot) and get an alternative ending.
 
Bump.

My FMC at the WC2009, which got me 3rd place:

Scramble: D2 B F' D2 U2 F' D' F2 L2 R D2 L U' F' L2 D2 F2 L U2
Solution: B2 R2 U' L2 B' R L' D' F D' L D B' E2 L' D2 L E2 L' D2 B R' D2 R F D2 F' D'
Explanation:
2x2x2 block: B2 R2 U' L2 B' R
X-cross and prepa(i)ring a bit: L' D' F
Next 2 pairs: D' L D B' ... L' B
Leave 3 edges: R' D2 R F D2 F' D'
Insert at ...: E2 L' D2 L E2 L' D2 L, 2 moves cancel.
 
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