[Help Thread] The "Square-1 Help / Alg Sharing" thread

[Garf]

For SQ-1, would it be better to solve the edges on the top layer, or solve the 6-corner star in the bottom layer?

 

[Deleted member 55877]

For SQ-1, would it be better to solve the edges on the top layer, or solve the 6-corner star in the bottom layer?

Edges on top

 

[eyeoh]

Here are some of my experiences after my very first week of Square-1. My best rolled ao50 so far is 1:05.14 (σ = 12.13), 35.69 single, and 46.00 "best parity". This is from 398 timed solves and 14:19:15.83 according to csTimer's cross-session stats (obviously I have no data for untimed solves and other practise). I use the adjacent parity swap and didn't stick with CP parity for too long because I found it irritating compared to adjacent swap.

Some of the things I've personally found useful:

Contrary to apparent common beginner belief, the adjacent swap parity alg is in fact very easy to memorise. What I found very useful was how Tingman explained it in a new beginner tutorial at 32:50. Get a feel for the shapes that are formed. Additionally, my extra tip when starting to learn it is to memorise the following as a kind of simple phone number: 3333 2224 2214 (it's not difficult at all; just look at it). Doing so allows one the gentle challenge of "figuring it out" during initial recall. The pseudo-mnemonic should be enough to go off before the priority moves towards doing it more smoothly.

I've so far found Cube Master / Samuel Fang's tutorials to be very useful and easy to follow, including his beginner method tutorial. There are other great tutorials on YouTube as well as tips earlier in this thread, but I think the collection Fang has produced doesn't need much further elaboration.

Scrambling: I can't say I can scramble fast at all yet, but I believe that learning to scramble accurately is helpful with understanding how to turn during a solve (similar to learning to scramble clock properly). Don't forget about csTimer's "Label key move(s) in scramble" setting (Settings > scramble) - it appears as an underline and I find it helps a little. One might think that incorrect scrambles are fine, but I think a good use of time is to practise accurate turning and fingertricks during the process of scrambling. Compared to a week ago, my scrambling feels a lot less burdensome which has allowed me to free my mind up more for solves (and legitimate potential singles). Perhaps I'm a bit too much of a stickler for accurate scrambling, but it's still fun and feels like a mini-game for me. I believe it's beneficial in the long run, especially during longer practise sessions.

Lastly, I bought Traxxas 10K and Traxxas 50K yesterday from an RC hobby shop (tip: look for hobby shops that sell Traxxas stuff - they don't always list their lubricants online, so just look for the Traxxas brandings). I already had Lubicle Silk and DNM-37, but felt like trying something different where I had confidence in it never running out (each bottle is 50mL). The 10K actually reminds me of DNM-37 but is more "cushiony/plush" and the 50K while quite gloopy out of the nozzle, doesn't actually seem all that slow (so perhaps comparisons to Silk / "Weight 5" aren't that far off. With 10K and 50K, I see no need to get 30K - I'm a bit surprised that there are so few suggestions about mixing the two. Anyway, my point here is that placebo or not, the slightly different feel that different lubes provide some extra motivation to practise because my puzzles suddenly start feeling slightly different and more interesting (at least for a little while).

Very lastly - Yuxin Little Magic tip: The easiest way to remove the YLM M long equator caps is to first remove the medium equator caps (FR or BL), which will provide access to the long caps. Pry from the middle of the cube, not where FR meets RF. Do a half twist if that makes it easier to reach the using the hole. The rounded corners on the medium caps have quite a noticeable lip on them.

 

[Cubing Forever]

Can I get algs for the PBL cases where there is a pure adjacent corner swap on top and bottom and the case where there is a pure diag swap on top and pure adjacent swap on bottom.
(By pure, I mean all the edges are solved and only the corners need to swap.)
(I did my math and I know that these aren't parity cases)
(I need <(3,0)(0,3)> gen algs because I'm working on a variation of mehta method on 3x3 that uses these algs)
EDIT: <8 slices only please.
@Christopher Fandrich

 

[Christopher Fandrich]

Can I get algs for the PBL cases where there is a pure adjacent corner swap on top and bottom and the case where there is a pure diag swap on top and pure adjacent swap on bottom.
(By pure, I mean all the edges are solved and only the corners need to swap.)
(I did my math and I know that these aren't parity cases)
(I need <(3,0)(0,3)> gen algs because I'm working on a variation of mehta method on 3x3 that uses these algs)
EDIT: <8 slices only please.
@Christopher Fandrich

pJ/pJ: 1,0/-3,0/2,2/1,-2/
pN/pJ: 1,0/0,2/0,3/-4,0/4,0/0,-3/0,-2/
I think this is what your talking about

 

[SH03L4C3]

is there an algorithm for when you have just one H perm? in EP

 

[DNF_Cuber]

is there an algorithm for when you have just one H perm? in EP

M2 U M2 U2 M2 U M2
M2 is (1,0)/(-1,-1)/(0,1)
And I mean(3,0) when I say U

 

[Christopher Fandrich]

is there an algorithm for when you have just one H perm? in EP

1,0/5,-1/-5,1/-3,0/5,-1/-5,1/ or /3,-3/-3,3/1,0/3,-3/-3,3/

 

[Cubing Forever]

pJ/pJ: 1,0/-3,0/2,2/1,-2/
pN/pJ: 1,0/0,2/0,3/-4,0/4,0/0,-3/0,-2/
I think this is what your talking about

Thanks but I needed them to not have 1s,2s or 4s in them. Only 3s
If it's possible then please give me the alg

 

[Sub1Hour]

Thanks but I needed them to not have 1s,2s or 4s in them. Only 3s
If it's possible then please give me the alg

Seriously? Will 30 degrees really kill you? If you refuse to use algs that have anything other than 3's then you seriously need to reconsider if learning new algs is actually what you should be doing instead of actually learning how to use smaller incremental moves.

 

[DNF_Cuber]

Seriously? Will 30 degrees really kill you? If you refuse to use algs that have anything other than 3's then you seriously need to reconsider if learning new algs is actually what you should be doing instead of actually learning how to use smaller incremental moves.

He wants to make 3x3 versions of these algs

 

[Sub1Hour]

He wants to make 3x3 versions of these algs

Why?

Please don't say PBL

 

[DNF_Cuber]

Why?

Please don't say PBL

A mehta variant

 

[Sub1Hour]

A mehta variant

I am very glad you didn't say PBL

But yeah I think your best bet might be doing a NN and U2 M2 U2. I'm not aware of easy NN algs that work on 3x3 but you can do R2 U R2 U' D' R2 D R2, then do a U2 D2, repeat the alg, then U2 M2 U2. It's super inefficient but better than nothing.

EDIT: I just ran pNpJ through a cube solver and F2 D2 F2 D' B2 U' F2 U B2 D' B' F' L2 B F' is what it spat out. It's a little long and fingertricks are weird but its the best I can give you. For pJpJ if you are fancier with comms then I am, if you can find an E perm setup that should be fine.

 

[Cubing Forever]

Seriously? Will 30 degrees really kill you? If you refuse to use algs that have anything other than 3's then you seriously need to reconsider if learning new algs is actually what you should be doing instead of actually learning how to use smaller incremental moves.

Actually I wasn't going to use them on squan lol read my first post
If I ever do squan, I'll make sure I follow this advice

 

[Cubing Forever]

For pJpJ if you are fancier with comms then I am, if you can find an E perm setup that should be fine.

R2 U2 R2 into E Perm and undo but that's too long lol.
Cube explorer time!!!

 

[Cubing Forever]

I fired up CE and found these beauties
pN/pJ: R F' D' F R' U2' R F' D F R' U2'
pJ/pJ: R2' U' F2 U R2 B2 D' r2 U F2

 

[Joe Archibald]

What do I need to learn/know to get sub 30?

 

[DNF_Cuber]

What do I need to learn/know to get sub 30?

not much of anything really, beginner method with scallop/kite cubeshape will work. ( Maybe add a few extra algs like opp parity and full CP

 

[carcass]

I am getting back into squan. I have to learn the Last edge + CP algs for Lin(I am too lazy for all the algs in vandenburg), does anyone have a good resource?