[Help Thread] FMC Discussion

[solvelecewbe]

Im also a noob around here lol. Learn premoves first. With premoves, you perform moves before the scramble, then find the solution. Once again scramble the cube, but without the premoves. Execute the solution you have recorded, then perform the premove afterwards.

DO NOT inverse the premove when executing after the solve, perform the premove exactly as you did before the solve.

For last layer, mess around with f2l until you have a last layer case where all edges are oriented, (doesn't apply if you use ZZ) and when you orient the corners, you are left with the all edges or corners solved. Find a spot in the solve where you can insert a cycle that solves the pieces. This is known as an insertion.

Try inverse scrambles. In an inverse scramble, you perform the scramble inversed ( example: the scramble is R L' D. Perform the scramble as D' L R'). Find the solution to the inverse scramble, then inverse that solution, for a solution that works on the real scramble. You can inverse and un-inverse several times throughout the solve.

VERY IMPORTANT: Your solution must solve the original scramble, regardless of any techniques used. Hope this helps you!!

Don't use a main method, block build a 2x2x2 block, then expand that block to a 2x2x3, then finish f2l and orient all edges simultaniously.

 

[TheNextFeliks]

Will any fmc experts help me out walk through a solve? Basically go to http://webchat.freenode.net on channel #fmcgroup Thanks to those who will!

 

[speedpicker]

Don't use a main method, block build a 2x2x2 block, then expand that block to a 2x2x3, then finish f2l and orient all edges simultaniously.

I am also an FMC noob, so excuse my ignorance, but isnt this just Petrus?

 

[solvelecewbe]

Almost. But in FMC its more efficient to solve all the edges from the 2x2x3 then do an insertion. Its petrus, but you solve all the edged then find an insertion. And you don't use pseudo blocks in petrus.

From the Wiki: "A very powerful technique in FMC is to solve everything except 3-5 corners and then insert 8 move commutators that cycle three corners earlier in the solution. Since there many corner configurations that can be solved in 8 moves often one will cancel moves, and thus one corner cycle will add less than 8 moves to the total solution length. Edge cycles are not used as often since FMC is judged in HTM and edge cycles often involve slice moves that are counted as two moves. Some people use stickers to more easily track the unsolved pieces through the solution."

 

[TheNextFeliks]

Will any fmc experts help me out walk through a solve? Basically go to http://webchat.freenode.net on channel #fmcgroup Thanks to those who will!

Can anyone come now?

 

[irontwig]

Can anyone come now?

Can't see how did would be too helpful, just look through a bunch of solutions. If there's stuff you don't understand you're more than welcome to ask questions here, but if you're not willing to do some thinking and figuring out on your own FMC might not be the event for you.

 

[TheNextFeliks]

Can't see how did would be too helpful, just look through a bunch of solutions. If there's stuff you don't understand you're more than welcome to ask questions here, but if you're not willing to do some thinking and figuring out on your own FMC might not be the event for you.

Ok. I'll just keep doing solves and asking for help on some. The point was like, I take a scramble then I find stuff step by step and you can critique as I go along. But w/e. It's fine. I should look through some good solutions from Okayama and Sebastien. I am willing to figure it out. How can you find insertions? I can get like a skeleton with 3-5 corners but can't figure how to do insertion so they cancel.

 

[irontwig]

There's nothing special really, you just sticker the pieces and go through the skeleton one move at a time.

 

[MarcelP]

How can you find insertions? I can get like a skeleton with 3-5 corners but can't figure how to do insertion so they cancel.

That was the hard part for me too. I have been tought by someone who knows FMC pretty well.. What we did:

-Take a solved cube.
-Perform a pure commuctator (an 8 move commutator) and write down the moves.
-sticker the three corners with 1,2,3 (obviously 1 on the sticker that needs to go to the place of sticker with number 2 and so on).
-generate an easy scramble like F2, R, U, D2, B, F, L R2, U2
-On a solved cube perform the inverse commutator that you wrote down (these will be pre moves).
-then perform the easy scramble as inverse.
Now you can use the easy scramble F2, R, U, D2, B, F, L R2, U2 to solve the cube leaving three misplaced corners.
So you can do that again and again and now at each step of the 'solution' you can look for the three corners. If two are in the same layer and on is in 'top' layer you can do a pure commutator. If you find the three pieces that are indeed two in same layer and one on top, you must find the face that does the turn (I can't remember the name). You only have to write down the three steps in front of the turn because the steps after the turn are the reverse of these steps.. That way you can explore quite a few options in a short time. Hope it makes sence..

 

[Username]

That was the hard part for me too. I have been tought by someone who knows FMC pretty well.. What we did:

-Take a solved cube.
-Perform a pure commuctator (an 8 move commutator) and write down the moves.
-sticker the three corners with 1,2,3 (obviously 1 on the sticker that needs to go to the place of sticker with number 2 and so on).
-generate an easy scramble like F2, R, U, D2, B, F, L R2, U2
-On a solved cube perform the inverse commutator that you wrote down (these will be pre moves).
-then perform the easy scramble as inverse.
Now you can use the easy scramble F2, R, U, D2, B, F, L R2, U2 to solve the cube leaving three misplaced corners.
So you can do that again and again and now at each step of the 'solution' you can look for the three corners. If two are in the same layer and on is in 'top' layer you can do a pure commutator. If you find the three pieces that are indeed two in same layer and one on top, you must find the face that does the turn (I can't remember the name). You only have to write down the three steps in front of the turn because the steps after the turn are the reverse of these steps.. That way you can explore quite a few options in a short time. Hope it makes sence..

Helped me atleast! Thanks

 

[TheNextFeliks]

That was the hard part for me too. I have been tought by someone who knows FMC pretty well.. What we did:

-Take a solved cube.
-Perform a pure commuctator (an 8 move commutator) and write down the moves.
-sticker the three corners with 1,2,3 (obviously 1 on the sticker that needs to go to the place of sticker with number 2 and so on).
-generate an easy scramble like F2, R, U, D2, B, F, L R2, U2
-On a solved cube perform the inverse commutator that you wrote down (these will be pre moves).
-then perform the easy scramble as inverse.
Now you can use the easy scramble F2, R, U, D2, B, F, L R2, U2 to solve the cube leaving three misplaced corners.
So you can do that again and again and now at each step of the 'solution' you can look for the three corners. If two are in the same layer and on is in 'top' layer you can do a pure commutator. If you find the three pieces that are indeed two in same layer and one on top, you must find the face that does the turn (I can't remember the name). You only have to write down the three steps in front of the turn because the steps after the turn are the reverse of these steps.. That way you can explore quite a few options in a short time. Hope it makes sence..

That's helpful. Thanks. Do you just buy numbered stickers? Or how do you number them?

 

[MarcelP]

Helped me atleast! Thanks

With 'You only have to write down the three steps in front of the turn ' I mean you will have to write down the whole commutator, but you only have to perform the three moves for the turn Hard to explain in writings...

 

[Username]

With 'You only have to write down the three steps in front of the turn ' I mean you will have to write down the whole commutator, but you only have to perform the three moves for the turn Hard to explain in writings...

Like this? [R U R', D]

 

[whauk]

Hello FMC thread!, FMC is really interesting so I gave it a try but I have 0% knowledge on techniques so at the moment I used ZZ method (my main method) to solve the cube in few moves as possible. Here is my try:
scramble: D2 R' L B' U' B2 U2 R2 U R2 D2 R B' D2 B' L R' F' D U' L R2 D' R' D' (green front white top)
EOLine: L D B' D2 R' F'
F2L:
R
U' L' R U2 R
L' U L U' L U
R
L2 U L' U' L2 U' R' U L'
LL:
OLL: L U L' U L U2 L'
PLL: R2 U2 R U2 R2 U2 R2 U2 R U2 R2 (H perm) U' (auf)

total movecount: 47 HTM

F2l seem's okey for me as intuition goes but my LL was so long and I have 0% knowledge on LL in terms of FMCs. Can you guys suggest some LL techniques in FMC? much better if you guys recontruct my LL in my solve above so that I have an idea on LL FMC.

Thanks!

notice that the bolded part cancels to U2. and if you use L R U2 L' R' F B U2 F' B' as H-perm some more moves will cancel and your solution becomes sth like 40 which is very decent for a beginner.

 

[MarcelP]

Like this? [R U R', D]

hmmmm let me see. Take a solved cube. white on U and green on F

Do

R U R' D R U' R' D'

Now three corners are misplaced. If you where to find this stickered in the middle of a solution you would have to determine the 'turn' (I still don't know the correct term) face. If you look at the RED/GREEN/YELLOW corner you will notice that in one move (D) it will be in spot of the second misplaced corner. So D is the 'turn' face.

So solution in this case starts with turn face and then three steps.

D R U R'
The finish would be the reverse of this: D' R U' R' But since you are only exploring oppertunities and you are in the middle of your solution you know with the first 4 steps if you have a cancellation. So no need to write down complete commutator, but instead you un do the 4 steps that you did to find out if the commutator has cancellations at this spot and you go to the next move in the solution and look at the stickers. Makes sence?

 

[kinch2002]

As an aside, I posted a massive load of FM stats here.


Cambridge Open 2013: L R D2 L2 R' U2 R' F2 U' R2 B R' F U R F2 L2 R B'

My 31 move solution (nothing special I know, but I like to post my solutions )

Spoiler

Inverse scramble
2x2x2: L' U' L2 F' (4) An obvious similar 4 mover exists, but this one worked out better for me
2x2x3: R' D2 R B' D (9)
Switch to Normal with premoves D' B R' D2 R F L2 U L
Pseudo F2L: R' U' B U R B2 R (16)
Leave 3 corners: L' D' R D' R' D2 L B R2 (25) This is just an OLL lol
Skeleton: R' U' B U R B2 L' * R D' R D' R' D2 L B R2 D' B R' D2 R F L2 U L Note I've switched the L' and R round because the insertion requires them to be that way round
Insert U L2 U' R U L2 U' R' at * to cancel 2 moves. 25 + 8 - 2 = 31 moves
I don't feel like it's a great solution when I finish F2L then have to do another alg like that. 17 move F2L (including fixing pseudo-ness) is good imo, but 31 moves isn't so great.

 

[MaeLSTRoM]

Cambridge Open 2013: L R D2 L2 R' U2 R' F2 U' R2 B R' F U R F2 L2 R B'

My 33 move solution:

Spoiler

Inverse scramble:
L' U' L2 F' (2x2x2)(4/4)
R' D2 R B' R' D (2x2x3) (6/10)
Switch to forward scramble premoves: (D' R B R' D2 R F L2 U L):
B' R U' B2 U R2
Meant to solve square but ended up with the 1x2x3 block as a bonus, so 16 move pseudo F2L
Due to pseudo, added an R' premove before other premoves to solve, and continued on forward scramble:
R B R2 U R U2 B U B2 (9) Flip the 2 edges in place, and twist corners as the side effect
Then B to place square. This leaves 3 corners (A per special case if solved at the end I believe)
Skeleton: B' R U' B2 U R' B R2 U R U2 B U B' R D' R * B R' D2 R F L2 U L
At *: F2 R B' R' F2 R B R'
16+9+8=33
This was the first insertion I found, and I ran out of time to find cancellations.
After running it through insertion finder, the optimal only joined a move, so optimal with my skeleton was 32.

 

[Cubenovice]

That was the hard part for me too. I have been tought by someone who knows FMC pretty well.. What we did:

-Take a solved cube.
-Perform a pure commuctator (an 8 move commutator) and write down the moves.
-sticker the three corners with 1,2,3 (obviously 1 on the sticker that needs to go to the place of sticker with number 2 and so on).
-generate an easy scramble like F2, R, U, D2, B, F, L R2, U2
-On a solved cube perform the inverse commutator that you wrote down (these will be pre moves).
-then perform the easy scramble as inverse.
Now you can use the easy scramble F2, R, U, D2, B, F, L R2, U2 to solve the cube leaving three misplaced corners.
So you can do that again and again and now at each step of the 'solution' you can look for the three corners. If two are in the same layer and on is in 'top' layer you can do a pure commutator. If you find the three pieces that are indeed two in same layer and one on top, you must find the face that does the turn (I can't remember the name). You only have to write down the three steps in front of the turn because the steps after the turn are the reverse of these steps.. That way you can explore quite a few options in a short time. Hope it makes sence..

The turn aka the interchange move aka the swap move
The 3-mover is the "insertion"

so...

Insert sticker into the interchange position - interchange - invert the insert moves - interchange
or start with the interchange move

aka
ABA'B'
or BAB'A'

Cambridge Open 2013: L R D2 L2 R' U2 R' F2 U' R2 B R' F U R F2 L2 R B'

My 31 move solution (nothing special I know, but I like to post my solutions )

Found the same 9 move 223 but didn't like the continuations.
Some nice looking alternative starts in there but all suffered from the same problem...

 

[Iggy]

I have a very noobish question about FMC. At competitions, are you allowed to insert stuff like "@1" for insertions in the middle of solutions? (again sorry if this question is stupid, I just wanted to make sure)

 

[irontwig]

I have a very noobish question about FMC. At competitions, are you allowed to insert stuff like "@1" for insertions in the middle of solutions? (again sorry if this question is stupid, I just wanted to make sure)

Nope, you have to write the entire solution from start to finish with cancellations. If you write R U U' R it'll be counted as four moves even though it cancels into just R2.