Optimal solution and fastest possible time
(Hmm where did my post go? Hope this isn't a double post now...)
Optimal HTM solutions are length 16, but there seems to be no way to perform a half turn in one move with the keyboard, meaning the solution given earlier takes 19 moves, when using keys, but using the cursor 16 is possible.
There are only two optimal QTM solutions, at length 19 (a mirrored pair of the first 9 turns):
a) L F B' U U L L D' B R' D' L U D F L L U R'; and
b) L' D D R R F B' D B R' D' L U D F L L U R'
In STM those QTM solutions become length 15:
a) L S' z U2 L2 D' B R' D' L U D F L2 U R'
-> L S' L2 D2 R' B U' R' D L R F D2 L U' z; and
b) L' D2 R2 S' z D B R' D' L U D F L2 U R'
-> L' D2 R2 S' R B U' R' D L R F D2 L U' z
So, since s, m, and e work on the keyboard for the three slices, it's possible in 18 keystrokes:
LsLLDDrBurDLRFDDLu ; or
lDDRRsRBurDLRFDDLu
Running eighteen moves by keystrokes takes 10 seconds, however fast one types, even automating it via an AHK script which produces the required events within milliseconds one must still wait for the doodle to trundle on with animating the moves instructed.
Code:
#NoEnv
SendMode Event
SetKeyDelay -1 -1
SetWorkingDir %A_ScriptDir%
^+R::
Send LsLLDDrBurDLRFDDLu
;
Sleep 10000
return
I thought the animation looked faster with the mouse, but scripting mouse events necessitated leaving enough of a delay to put the time up to 10-12 seconds (and nearer 10 seconds it was not always performing every face turn in each run of the code).
If someone can do it in 15 moves (or less?!) in less than 10 seconds then they surely deserve a coconut.