X cross tips

[darkstriker90]

does anyone know where to get good x-cross tips?

like i wanted to start learning it, but i was wondering if it is based more on algos or intuition?

 

[ExoCorsair]

http://www.speedcubing.com/chris/f2l.html

From what I've seen, it's about as intuitive as cross building, maybe a little more.

 

[Jason]

Do people reckon that it's possible to plan out the extended cross during the 15 second preinpection time? I have an other question as well, but didn't want to start a new thread. What's the future of speedcubing? An extended cross, followed by a multislot, followed by a ZBf2l or something?

 

[Jai]

With lots of methods, and half of them not having their limits tested yet, it's hard to tell what the future of speedcubing will be. Everything has its faults, including extended cross , Fridrich, and ZB.

About the extended cross, of course it's possible to plan it out. What do you think people using Petrus do? They have to plan out a block, and possibly, how to extend it, whereas in extended cross, we only have to look for a block, and 2 edges.

 

[Jason]

I'm a bit of an amateur (my best time is 28s), but it's really exciting seeing the community trying to push the limits, like Sébastien Felix and the Absolute Mind project, Or people learning ZB like Jason Baum. Good on them! I think this is a really exciting moment for cubing

 

[Kenneth]

Easiest way to make an X-cross I think is to do what I named "Petrus cross". Start as in Petrus building a 2x2x2 and then expand it to the X-cross by placing the two last edges.

The good thing about this style is that you only have to inspect for the 2x2x2, the last two edges is pretty trivial to put down and most of the times you can find these pieces and the turns needed to solve them while building the block.

 

[Inusagi]

Easiest way to make an X-cross I think is to do what I named "Petrus cross". Start as in Petrus building a 2x2x2 and then expand it to the X-cross by placing the two last edges.

The good thing about this style is that you only have to inspect for the 2x2x2, the last two edges is pretty trivial to put down and most of the times you can find these pieces and the turns needed to solve them while building the block.

Is this faster then doing the cross first, and then the first block?

 

[Kenneth]

Depends on the situation but in general 2x2x2 first is an easy approach.

But I think the best way is not the X-cross. I myself do blocks, edges and pairs in any order, sometimes I solve the last piece of cross when I got three pairs down. If I got all pairs down and one cross edge to go I got algs for most cases to solve that last piece and also orient LL edges in one go

I say improvise, that's the best.

 

[Johannes91]

Easiest way to make an X-cross I think is to do what I named "Petrus cross". Start as in Petrus building a 2x2x2 and then expand it to the X-cross by placing the two last edges.

Is this faster then doing the cross first, and then the first block?

Depends on the cuber, but it requires less moves and thus has more potential. Cross and 2x2x2 have very similar move counts, so the only difference is the second step (2 edges vs. ce-pair).

Placing the two edges after 2x2x2 is trivial, you can freely move 3 sides because the block isn't on your way. But solving the ce-pair takes more moves, because you have to break the cross temporarily and then restore it.

But, IMHO, it doesn't make much sense to start with a 2x2x2, then solving the "cross" and finishing with Fridrich. If you want block building (and intuition, low move count, etc.), then continue with Petrus or Heise; if you want cross and ce-pairs, use Fridrich.

 

[Let1Hang]

Broken Brain...

After reading some threads and watching youtube viedos and looking at some of the java applets explaining how to do do the extended cross yesterday the resistance in my brain finally broke. Now I have a basic understanding of the method and if I can help those break through the same barrier I'll be a happy man.

I was looking at some 2x2x2 Petrus tutorials to help learn x-cross when things finally clicked; thanks Kenneth for the insight with your "Petrus Cross". I asked myself why can't I insert a Fridrich corner-edge pair while I'm building the cross? The answer is... I can. All of the sudden during my newly legthened preinspection I am now looking for easy corner-edge pairs that I could insert while cross building. I could "intuitively" build/place the corner-edge pair before I place the first cross piece, after I place the first, second, third, or fourth (with the fourth being a fast first pair placement after the cross is built). I finally get it!!! Now I just have to get used to looking at more pieces in motion at once while I build the cross.

Disclaimer: I know this is not the most efficient way to go about doing it... I think.... but it is a step in the right direction for me.

Additional Note: From another article I read I am beginning to look at being a bit more color neutral for cross building. I usually use white to build but I'm looking at using yellow too as this may increase the percentage of finding an easy corner-edge pair to insert while cross building.

I really hope this helps someone.

 

[AvGalen]

I think being "opposite" color neutral is the next step for many Fridrich solvers. If you have a bad cross on white, try yellow. This is easier than being fully color neutral because yellow-white look alike for the eye and the middle layers will be the same only in the opposite order.

 

[Mike Hughey]

I think that's one disadvantage of my having gotten used to the Japanese (and "early American", since it's what's on my 1981 cubes) color scheme. White and blue aren't as similar as white and yellow.

Someday I'm going to pull all of my stickers off of all of my cubes and change to the white-opposite-yellow color scheme. Or at least, that's what I keep telling myself.

 

[Dene]

Do that many people rely on the white for the cross? I was wondering this, as since I started speedcubing I have been colour neutral, and looked for the side with the best cross, although this is a disadvantage in that if there isn't a good cross, it really holds my time back.

 

[Let1Hang]

Do that many people rely on the white for the cross? I was wondering this, as since I started speedcubing I have been colour neutral, and looked for the side with the best cross, although this is a disadvantage in that if there isn't a good cross, it really holds my time back.

I've only been cubing for a few months now and I've found it easier for color recognition while learning the F2L, OLL (still learning), and PLL. From what I've read on this and other sites there's a trade-off for both being color neutral and sticking with just one color. I decided to follow the crowd and begin my learning tract with the same color as most everyone else. Within the last couple of days I'm shifting to learning the x-cross and yellow crosses... very similar to the white cross but the colors are flipped R/ L. I don't think I'll be 100% neutral but I'll try anything to help me learn the x-cross easier.

What method are you using to complete the first two layers? LBL? Fridrich? I use Fridrich and have found that learing the F2L was easier when I was looking for the same colors over... and over... and over...

The only thing I have read for a recommendation is to pick one color for a cross and stick with it while you learn.

 

[Kenneth]

Colour neutrallity is only good for the start, for the rest of the solve you get slower recognition on average.

I know for sure because for 2x2x2 I'm compleatly neutral and sometimes I can't tell the CLL in a couple of seconds because of a mix of colours I'm not used to see.

 

[Johannes91]

Colour neutrallity is only good for the start, for the rest of the solve you get slower recognition on average.

For me, it's faster.

 

[Dene]

Do that many people rely on the white for the cross? I was wondering this, as since I started speedcubing I have been colour neutral, and looked for the side with the best cross, although this is a disadvantage in that if there isn't a good cross, it really holds my time back.

I've only been cubing for a few months now and I've found it easier for color recognition while learning the F2L, OLL (still learning), and PLL. From what I've read on this and other sites there's a trade-off for both being color neutral and sticking with just one color. I decided to follow the crowd and begin my learning tract with the same color as most everyone else. Within the last couple of days I'm shifting to learning the x-cross and yellow crosses... very similar to the white cross but the colors are flipped R/ L. I don't think I'll be 100% neutral but I'll try anything to help me learn the x-cross easier.

What method are you using to complete the first two layers? LBL? Fridrich? I use Fridrich and have found that learing the F2L was easier when I was looking for the same colors over... and over... and over...

The only thing I have read for a recommendation is to pick one color for a cross and stick with it while you learn.

Hmmm, yes well I first learnt to solve a cube at least 5 years ago using the method in the book that came with it, but I never got into speedcubing, I started in July this year (Fridrich). I always used to use white for my first face, but since I started speedcubing I've never used a particular colour, normally just whatever was on the bottom after I scrambled it, and more recently, I've looked for the easiest cross to save time on it, as it is definitely my biggest weakness still (despite my only knowing around 30 OLL). All this talk of X-cross is getting me interested in it though. I think I will finish OLL first....

 

[FU]

Colour neutrallity is only good for the start, for the rest of the solve you get slower recognition on average.

I know for sure because for 2x2x2 I'm compleatly neutral and sometimes I can't tell the CLL in a couple of seconds because of a mix of colours I'm not used to see.

If you cant tell the case you get because of the mix of different colours, you are probably not colour neutral