Snyder notation
This notation method may be used for any puzzle involving turns, whereby each layer is parallel to at least one face layer.
Advantages: far simpler more intuitive way to represent turns in a large number of multilayer puzzles. It works with cubes, dodecahedrons, pyamids, and many other puzzles.
Face Layers for Cubes:
- F = Front Face
- U = Upper Face
- R = Right Face
- L = Left Face
- D = Down Face
- B = Back face
Face layers for the Dodecahedron are the same as the cube, plus a spare face for each. When looking directly at the front face, the spare face is adjacent, down and right. Then the right face is adjacent to the front face, and its spare is adjacent, down and right to it. Then the left face is adjacent to the front face, and its spare is adjacent, down and right to it. The back face is adjacent to the right face, and its spare is adjacent, down and right to it. The upper face spare hangs off the back left. And the down face spare meets the upper face spare from the bottom, on the back left. In this way all the primary moves use primary faces, and usually resemble 3x3x3 moves, yet the notation may handle any degree of sophistication desired in representing algorithms for dodecahedron shaped puzzles, including multilayer.
- F = Front Face
- f = Front Spare Face
- U = Upper Face
- u = Upper Spare Face
- R = Right Face
- r = Right Spare Face
- L = Left Face
- l = Left Spare Face
- D = Down Face
- d = Down Spare Face
- B = Back face
- b = Back Spare Face
Each turn notation begins with a face letter.
If only the face layer is turned to the next position clockwise, then no more markings are necessary.
Otherwise, if only the face layer moves to some other position, then one symbol is added.
And, if any layer other than or in addition to the face layer moves to any new position, then a symbol is added for every potential layer that could move in parallel with and including the face layer.
- blank = 1 position clockwise (in a face only turn)
- + = 1 position clockwise (in a multilayer turn)
- 2 = 2 positions clockwise (used in puzzles with 4+ edges per face)
- 3 = 3 positions clockwise (used in puzzles with 5 edges per face)
- ' = last position clockwise (or 1 position counterclockwise)
- o = doesn't move (lower case letter o)
Therefore the 3x3x3 U (headlights) algorithm R L U2 R' U' R U' R' L' U2 L U L' U would instead be written as...
R+o' U2 R' U' R U' R'o+ U2 L U L' U
To rotate the whole puzzle, simply repeat the same symbol for each layer.
R+++ = rotate puzzle clockwise one position relative to R face
U222 = rotate puzzle 2 positions clockwise relative to upper face
