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[Help Thread] Help needed for a Beginner's Customised LBL Method (DBM).

Dan the Beginner

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One thing to consider in the topic of inspection the is that fast solvers spend more time inspecting than actually solving.
So if you solve a cube in 2 minutes on average then in a sense fair inspection time for a speedsolve is 2 minutes rather than 15 seconds.

I see. Thank you very much, kubesolver! I am finding it difficult to plan for more than 3 turns and I wonder how people can remember the locations of the pieces in question even for just a few steps ahead. Any tip will be most appreciated. I know JPerm recommends trying to build the first few pieces of the cross blindfolded but that seems so hard for me, mainly because I cannot remember the position of pieces that I need to move (they sometimes move away after a turn or two).

(I need all the help I can get. It's fantastic having free coaching here.)
 
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Dan the Beginner

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OK, the time is up. There is no winner for the WR M 2021, which I was offering to someone with the best video showing my beginner method. Nobody has made such a video. I'm a bit disappointed that I can't see a video and learn from someone with good finger skills and look ahead, but it's time to move on (trialling Roux). Thank you to all those who have helped with their comments, critique and suggestions.
 
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I hope it's okay to add onto this thread, please let me know if not.

I was recently looking for a beginner-ish method to use for the last layer on shape mods, and I've found that I can adapt this method to do the job very nicely. So much so that I just solves my first Ghost cube! (I did have a second one that I used to work out where pieces go, but I'm still happy).

In particular I liked the balance here between keeping move count down (because each move on a confusing shape mod is a chance for things to go wrong), and only using a few simple algorithms (because when I learn an algorithm on a normal 3x3 they generally go into muscle memory, and that's not something I can easily call on when faced with a shape mod where bits are going all over the place). It's nice to be able to focus on the puzzle and only worry about recalling a handful of short algorithms.

And importantly, the algorithms being used are centre-safe, so after I've orientated the centres on the side of the cube, they stay orientated while I solve the last layer. I also found it really handy to permute the corners before orientating them, since corner orientation is the hardest part of the shape mod last layer (for me at least), and having the corners in the right place makes it so much easier to work out what direction they need to be twisted in.

I used the U PLL algorithms suggested by tsmosher, which both avoids M moves (generally terrible on shape mods) and are again centre-safe (because they're just sunes).

I know that this is different from the original purpose of this method, but I just thought I'd share how it's helped me and also the adaptations I've made. I've attached copies of the notes I've been using, please excuse my colour schemes and notation - they help me but might be distracting for other people. I'm sure that this will continue to be a work in progress and I welcome any input! Thank you everyone for all the great information I've already gathered from searching this forum.


1 EO & CP.png
2 CO.png
3 EP & CR.png
 

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Dan the Beginner

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Wow! I am so happy to see your post, Francie. It's great and I am learning from your post. The diagrams are really helpful and appreciated. They show the algorithms so well. Those little arrows are easy for beginners. I am unable to open or download your attachment for some reason.

Dan
 
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Wow! I am so happy to see your post, Francie. It's great and I am learning from your post. The diagrams are really helpful and appreciated. They show the method so well. I am unable to open or download your attachment for some reason.

Dan
Hi Dan,

Thanks : ) I'm really glad you like it! I've attached a pdf version of the images, so that might work better for you. Because I was thinking shape mods specifically, I haven't tried to use beginner language, and I haven't looked at the first two layers, since I do those intuitively. But I might have a look at what I could do to modify these documents so they would be more approachable for beginners. Personally I found that when I was starting out, I just couldn't follow what I saw on videos, so I looked for beginners methods with diagrams (this site worked for me, but not so much when moving beyond beginner method). Once I had more of a basis to work off I was able to learn from videos, though I still have to slow them down and rewatch them a lot!

I didn't include a key for my symbols on the documents I uploaded, most of them can be worked out from the conventional notation that's also there, but I should add...
F ↗︎ F' ↖
y ⇐ y' ⇒
ä : two layers together

I should also add that the images are all generated by VisualCube, which is a great service!
 
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Dan the Beginner

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Hi Dan,

Thanks : ) I'm really glad you like it! I've attached a pdf version of the images, so that might work better for you. Because I was thinking shape mods specifically, I haven't tried to use beginner language, and I haven't looked at the first two layers, since I do those intuitively. But I might have a look at what I could do to modify these documents so they would be more approachable for beginners. Personally I found that when I was starting out, I just couldn't follow what I saw on videos, so I looked for beginners methods with diagrams (this site worked for me). Once I had more of a basis to work off I was able to learn from videos, though I still have to slow them down and rewatch them a lot!

I didn't include a key for my symbols on the documents I uploaded, most of them can be worked out from the conventional notation that's also there, but I should add...


I should also add that the images are all generated by VisualCube, which is a great service!
I need to learn to use VisualCube! Thanks.
 

Dan the Beginner

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The method was meant to give beginners who have difficulty learning large number of algorithms, like me, or who just want to be able to enjoy solving the cube without a great deal of effort learning or having to concentrate too much during a solve, an easy method. One feedback was that, after getting the Yellow Cross, it is hard and time consuming to recognise the colours on the corners to know which corner pieces need to be swapped. To make this really simple, I have taught someone to just orient the top layer first before swapping the corners. The extra step means extra time but it makes it much easier to spot the corners that needs to be swapped. It is necessary to orient the top layer again after swapping any corners, but this second time it is made easier as the case is always a Fish after a adjacent corner swap or always the Double Headlights after a diagonal corner swap. So no additional look is necessary.
 
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One feedback was that, after getting the Yellow Cross, it is hard and time consuming to recognise the colours on the corners to know which corner pieces need to be swapped. To make this really simple, I have taught someone to just orient the top layer first before swapping the corners. The extra step means extra time but it makes it much easier to spot the corners that needs to be swapped. It is necessary to orient the top layer again after swapping any corners, but this second time it is made easier as the case is always a Fish after a adjacent corner swap or always the Double Headlights after a diagonal corner swap. So no additional look is necessary.

I can certainly see how corner permutation before orientation might be tricky for a beginner. On a normal 3x3 you're just looking at what direction the yellow stickers are facing for orientation, but you have to take all the colours into account for permutation.

Interestingly, on a shape mod like the Ghost Cube the opposite is true. When the only difference between the corners is shape, it's much easier to work out where a courier should be, then what direction it needs to be twisted in!
PXL_20210925_015551405.jpg

In fact I've sometimes used a different version of the advice you've been giving beginners, permuting the edges so that they're in the right position, before orientating the corners, then fixing the edges again at the end. Though I am getting better at recognising what OLL I need without the extra step.
 

Dan the Beginner

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You are not a beginner, Francie. I have also struggled initially and took a long time examining those corners before knowing how to deal with them, which can be frustrating. That ghost cube looks intriquing. I may get one later, when I am ready for more challenge than the 3x3.

(For completeness, and for the sake of any beginners reading, the extra step described in my previous post allows you determine quickly that it's an adjacent swap by just checking for the existence of a pair of corners with the same colours by looking at the sides and that is very easy, almost brainless. I could do it while talking after a while. For the few times that a diagonal swap is needed, 1/6 chance I think, then you will find that there is no such pair of same colour corners. This extra step makes it better or less stressful, and good for when you are not concerned with fast solves, as much as an easier and more enjoyable method. If you are doing this using my Roux-like method, since it's always the same side facing you, i.e. no regripping until the very last PLL step, the solve becomes even easier and more interesting, intuitive and the OLL moves more consistent, although you have to learn the block building part.)
 
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You are not a beginner, Francie.
Lol, you say that, but I've spent a fair while at times working out what those corners are doing! I'll remember your advice.

These kinds of mods are nice because in the end they're just 3x3s, so don't need to learn a new set of techniques, just work out how to apply what you already know to something that looks different. It's fun when you get the "click" and suddenly you can see the cube through the jumble. If you do look into them in the future, I think the Mirror Cube is a good starting place, then the Axis Cube, before the Ghost.
 
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