TNoodle - WCA scrambler replacement

[jfly]

Hey all,

I've been working on a replacement for the WCA scramblers (with lots of help). If you have the time to check it out, please go to https://github.com/cubing/tnoodle/downloads and download TNoodle-0.6.9.jar. If you're on Windows or Mac, you should be able to just double click it, and your web browser should open up http://localhost:8080/. If you're on Linux, you'll probably have to manually run "java -jar TNoodle-0.6.9.jar". See http://bit.ly/tnoodle-readme-scramble for directions and some details.

Please let me know if you run into any issues!

 

[Lucas Garron]

Just to make things clear, TNoodle will replace CubeExplorer and the other scramblers. Once the 2012 Regulations become finalized, it will be the *only* official scrambling program to be used for WCA competitions.

I've been working with Jeremy to work on making sure that TNoodle provides high-quality scrambles, but is also simple to use.
An important thing to note is that delegates will be required to save all scrambles used in official scrambles. TNoodle generates archives that should be easy to retain.

If you have any interest in the future of the WCA scrambler, please download and test TNoodle and let us know your thoughts (and any important issues).

 

[kirtpro]

Problem, dialogue box comes up:

Could not find the main class:
net.gnehzr.tnoodle.server.TNoodleServer. Program will exit.


edit:
Downloading version 0.6.1 works for me though.

edit 2:
Looks good to me

 

[jfly]

Problem, dialogue box comes up:

Could not find the main class:
net.gnehzr.tnoodle.server.TNoodleServer. Program will exit.

Thanks for trying this out! Would you try version 0.6.3 and tell me if it works for you now?

 

[kirtpro]

Yep, opens up fine.
Just generated scrambles for all rounds, they all seem to work all right.

One thing though, there's no top border on the Fewest Moves PDF.
Not a big deal, just saying.
lol

 

[Bob]

The maximum number of moves for FMC is 80 (including rotations), but you give 99 spaces to enter a solution. Why not offer just 8 rows of 10? It's easier to count that way, anyway, and alerts a competitor that their solution is too long if it doesn't fit.

 

[Vincents]

The maximum number of moves for FMC is 80 (including rotations), but you give 99 spaces to enter a solution. Why not offer just 8 rows of 10? It's easier to count that way, anyway, and alerts a competitor that their solution is too long if it doesn't fit.

My guess is cube rotations?

 

[Bob]

My guess is cube rotations?

Cube rotations are included in the 80 moves.

 

[aronpm]

My guess is cube rotations?

E1a) The maximum length of a solution is 80 (moves and rotations).

 

[Henrik]

The maximum number of moves for FMC is 80 (including rotations), but you give 99 spaces to enter a solution. Why not offer just 8 rows of 10? It's easier to count that way, anyway, and alerts a competitor that their solution is too long if it doesn't fit.

My guess is this line: "To delete moves, clearly erase/blacken them." (2nd line)

 

[Bob]

My guess is this line: "To delete moves, clearly erase/blacken them." (2nd line)

I think we can spare an additional sheet of paper in this case. Do we anticipate somebody making 19 mistakes in a single scramble? When the scramble is written on this sheet, it should be at the end of finding the solution where it is just being transferred from the scrap paper.

 

[jfly]

My guess is this line: "To delete moves, clearly erase/blacken them." (2nd line)

Clever, but that certainly was not the intention . I've uploaded version 0.6.6, which has exactly 80 spaces, as Bob requested.

 

[Pedro]

Did you make it look for 3x3 scramble during 200ms?

I'm trying version 0.6.6 right now and it looks good, except for the no-top-margin on the FM sheet.

EDIT:
No, you didn't make it look for 200ms
Here are the % of occurrences for 16, 17, 18, 19, 20 and 21 movers:
0 - 0.1 - 2.2 - 6.9 - 32.1 - 58.7 (1000 in total)

And here are the same numbers for the 200ms version
2 - 1.7 - 14.3 - 36.9 - 40.9 - 6.0

 

[BlueDevil]

Everything looks good, except for 2x2. I generated 10 scrambles, and 9 of them ended in R' U' (with the other ending in R2 U') Is that intended?

 

[TMOY]

All the pyraminx scrambles seem to start with U L, too. I already noticed that at Saarland Open when I was scrambling (I started to do the wrong scramble on some pyra, realised it after 2 or 3 moves and then noticed that I had in fact done the correct moves )

 

[aronpm]

Everything looks good, except for 2x2. I generated 10 scrambles, and 9 of them ended in R' U' (with the other ending in R2 U') Is that intended?

All the pyraminx scrambles seem to start with U L, too. I already noticed that at Saarland Open when I was scrambling (I started to do the wrong scramble on some pyra, realised it after 2 or 3 moves and then noticed that I had in fact done the correct moves )

These are due to how the solver finds a string of moves which solves the random state. Nothing to worry about, even though it looks weird.

 

[TMOY]

In that case, wouldn't it be better to add U R at the end of every 2^2 scramble and L' U' at the beginning of every pyraminx scramble and do the appropriate cancellations ? The state would be just as random and the scrambles would be shorter on average.

 

[Stefan]

These are due to how the solver finds a string of moves which solves the random state.

Especially when trying to reach a certain length (like 11 moves for 2x2 and pyraminx), because the solver can often use its favorite first few moves and still solve from there in the remaining number of moves.

The state would be just as random and the scrambles would be shorter on average.

I'm pretty sure they put in some extra effort in order to not have shortest scrambles but equally long scrambles. So that people watching the scramble area can't infer how easy a scramble is based on how quickly scrambling gets done.

 

[PandaCuber]

So, youre saying. I can use this to generate the same scrambles that are used in competitions?

 

[TMOY]

I'm pretty sure they put in some extra effort in order to not have shortest scrambles but equally long scrambles. So that people watching the scramble area can't infer how easy a scramble is based on how quickly scrambling gets done.

Yes, I'm well aware that we need to get rid of ridiculously short scrambles like 4 moves or so. But with my idea, the length of a scramble would always be between 9 and 13 moves (and 13 moves would be really rare), and a 9 moves long scramble has no reason to be particularly easy.