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[Help Thread] Megaminx Discussion and Help

PowerfulCity

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K1 recognition.png
For K1 cases, I find it easier to locate where the two 3-sticker checker pattern blocks are. Then, move those to the F and BR faces to setup the angle. If the checker is on the right side, it's the R2' alg, if it's on the left side it's the R2 alg.
 

Owen Morrison

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View attachment 12636
For K1 cases, I find it easier to locate where the two 3-sticker checker pattern blocks are. Then, move those to the F and BR faces to setup the angle. If the checker is on the right side, it's the R2' alg, if it's on the left side it's the R2 alg.
Thank you so much! I actually really like this way, I am going to start using it!
 

Owen Morrison

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Sorry for the double post, but I am having a little bit of trouble remembering Megaminx PLLs. My method for learning algs is to look at the alg and do it over and over again until I can remember it, and then I go and use an alg trainer to get it into muscle memory. However, a Megaminx PLL trainer does not exist that I know of. I am hoping to be done with Megaminx PLL in a few months. @CuberStache How did you go about learning all of the PLLs without a trainer?

Oh and I am learning my algs from here
 
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Cuberstache

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Sorry for the double post, but I am having a little bit of trouble remembering Megaminx PLLs. My method for learning algs is to look at the alg and do it over and over again until I can remember it, and then I go and use an alg trainer to get it into muscle memory. However, a Megaminx PLL trainer does not exist that I know of. I am hoping to be done with Megaminx PLL in a few months. @CuberStache How did you go about learning all of the PLLs without a trainer?
You've found the best place to learn algs, so that's good. I just learn all of a certain group (You can subdivide the large sets, like F: there are two 7-movers that you should learn right away, then 4 with one edge attached to the corners and four with a bar separate from the headlights) and review them every night or something. That way, you can recognize better whether you know the PLL or not. I learned the PLLs very slowly because I was lazy, but what I'm doing for OLL is learning a group once a week, reviewing all the algs daily by setting them up and solving them. Trainers would be really helpful though........
 

Sub1Hour

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What are your guys' opinion on Carrot notation? I have been using it ever since I saw it and I think its a very good scrambling notation

A Pochmann scramble like this

R++ D++ R++ D-- R-- D++ R++ D-- R-- D-- U'

It's taking up 32 characters including the ' on the end of the U', but with carrot notation its shortened into this

++ +- -+ +- -- U'

Only 12 characters! Not to mention they are spaced out between D and R moves so it's harder to get lost

I think its a much better scrambling notation, but I would like to know what you guys think
 

Owen Morrison

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What are your guys' opinion on Carrot notation? I have been using it ever since I saw it and I think its a very good scrambling notation

A Pochmann scramble like this

R++ D++ R++ D-- R-- D++ R++ D-- R-- D-- U'

It's taking up 32 characters including the ' on the end of the U', but with carrot notation its shortened into this

++ +- -+ +- -- U'

Only 12 characters! Not to mention they are spaced out between D and R moves so it's harder to get lost

I think its a much better scrambling notation, but I would like to know what you guys think
I have tried it out but I don't like how it takes up more vertical space on Cs Timer and how you can't use the draw scramble function with it.

I also find it much easier to get lost in carrot notation.

And it takes me like 30+ seconds to scramble with it.
 

Sub1Hour

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I have tried it out but I don't like how it takes up more vertical space on Cs Timer and how you can't use the draw scramble function with it.
I agree that it’s pretty annoying that it’s not compatible with some of the tool functions, but I don’t mind that it takes up more vertical space since I don’t need to strain my eyes as much since there are fewer characters.


I also find it much easier to get lost in carrot notation.
I think I have the opposite problem, if I scramble with Pochmann I find myself doing. A move twice on both R and D or not doing a move at all, but the way that it’s spaced with Carrot it makes it much easier to see them as a pair of moves and it’s harder for me to get lost, and it definitely helps that there are only 77 characters per scramble compared to 217 on Pochmann notation
 

Sub1Hour

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I am having a lot of trouble doing U2' double flicks with my left hand, I think this is because my left pinky is under the Megaminx and I don't have very big hands. Should I put my pinky under the Megaminx to support it or not?
I personally use a full single push to do U2' on pretty much everything. I know it has a fancy name but I can't remember it, just put your finger on the BLU Corner and then push it to the URF spot. If you aren't good at doing the U2 that I explained then I think that a different grip could help. I personally have my pinky on the bottom during my mega solves but I have pretty big hands and use the LM. Just experiment with different grips and see whats best for you
 

Owen Morrison

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So these past couple of days I have been learning the F Plls, I learned 4 of them one day and didn't have too much trouble with them because the algs are really easy, but yesterday I learned the other 4 F plls and now I can't distinguish any of the F Plls from each other and the algs are all so similar I never do the right one.

I also forgot maybe 5 other algs I had learned because they were similar to these F plls.
Screenshot 2020-08-01 at 1.06.16 PM.pngScreenshot 2020-08-01 at 1.06.29 PM.png
I also spent about 2 hours drilling these with https://nogesma.github.io/megapll-trainer/ and even after 2 hours I still had to look at the alg sheet every time before the alg to make sure I am doing the right one.

Can anyone help me distinguish between these PLLS fro each other and the algorithms? Thanks in advance.
 

Nmile7300

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After spending about an hour staring at these, I have found a recognition strategy that I think is fairly easy. So things that I noticed all these cases had in common was
1. They all have a 1x3 block.
2. If you line up the 1x3 block, then there is another solved edge that is not adjacent to the block.
3. They all have 3 unsolved edges when you line up the block.
4. There are 3 unsolved corners, but one of them is attached to an edge when you line up the block.

So I came up with a way to recognize the case by seeing what shape the 3 edges and the corner that is in a 1x2 block make.
F2 cases: If you look at the 3 edges, the corner that is part of the block, and the center, then it kind of looks like a paper airplane. So to recognize between the two F2 cases, see where the pointy side of the paper airplane is.
F3 cases: This one looks a bit like a cannon to me. To tell the difference see which side the cannon is facing.
F4 cases: From a certain angle this one looks like a dude with no arms and a long nose. See which way his nose is facing to tell the difference.
F5 cases: This is tricky because it also makes a paper airplane shape. But I noticed that unlike F2, the 1x2 is not adjacent to the 1x3. So that is how I would tell the difference.
Here are some visuals if you aren't seeing what I'm seeing. ;)
Screenshot 2020-08-01 at 1.06.16 PM.pngScreenshot 2020-08-01 at 1.06.29 PM.png
 

Owen Morrison

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After spending about an hour staring at these, I have found a recognition strategy that I think is fairly easy. So things that I noticed all these cases had in common was
1. They all have a 1x3 block.
2. If you line up the 1x3 block, then there is another solved edge that is not adjacent to the block.
3. They all have 3 unsolved edges when you line up the block.
4. There are 3 unsolved corners, but one of them is attached to an edge when you line up the block.

So I came up with a way to recognize the case by seeing what shape the 3 edges and the corner that is in a 1x2 block make.
F2 cases: If you look at the 3 edges, the corner that is part of the block, and the center, then it kind of looks like a paper airplane. So to recognize between the two F2 cases, see where the pointy side of the paper airplane is.
F3 cases: This one looks a bit like a cannon to me. To tell the difference see which side the cannon is facing.
F4 cases: From a certain angle this one looks like a dude with no arms and a long nose. See which way his nose is facing to tell the difference.
F5 cases: This is tricky because it also makes a paper airplane shape. But I noticed that unlike F2, the 1x2 is not adjacent to the 1x3. So that is how I would tell the difference.
Here are some visuals if you aren't seeing what I'm seeing. ;)
View attachment 13093View attachment 13094
Thank you so much! I will get started learning that recog.
 

Cuberstache

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Ok, here's a way to recognize them without aligning the blocks (this is how I recognize these cases)

F2 and F3 have an edge attached to the headlights. Tell those apart based on whether or not the edge touches the bar and the location of the headlights (right or left with bar in the front)
F4 and F5 have a 1x2 bar separate from the headlights. Again, it's either touching or not and on the left or right.
As for the algs, I use different ones so I can't help you there :p
 

Owen Morrison

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Ok, here's a way to recognize them without aligning the blocks (this is how I recognize these cases)

F2 and F3 have an edge attached to the headlights. Tell those apart based on whether or not the edge touches the bar and the location of the headlights (right or left with bar in the front)
F4 and F5 have a 1x2 bar separate from the headlights. Again, it's either touching or not and on the left or right.
As for the algs, I use different ones so I can't help you there :p
Thanks!

Would you say your algs are better or worse than those algs?
 
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