List of pretty patterns
A pretty pattern is an aesthetic state of a puzzle. Some cubers create and share pretty patterns for amusement.
Examples of Simple Pretty Patterns
3x3x3 Cube
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Alg | M2 S2 E2 |
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Alg | R2 L2 F2 B2 U2 D2 |
M2 E2 S2 - "Pons Asinorum", creates a checkerboard pattern on each face.
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Alg | M2 S2 E2 |
M S M' S' - "6-Spot", moves all six center pieces around.
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Alg | M S M' S |
M2 S M2 S' - "4-Spot", moves four of the center pieces around.
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Alg | M2 S M2 S' |
(L2 F2 R2 B2)3 - creates a checkerboard on two opposite faces.
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Alg | L2 F2 R2 B2 L2 F2 R2 B2 L2 F2 R2 B2 |
U R2 F B R B2 R U2 L B2 R U' D' R2 F R' L B2 U2 F2 - superflip, flips all edges on the cube without affecting anything else.
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Alg | U R2 F B R B2 R U2 L B2 R U' D' R2 F R' L B2 U2 F2 |
(M U M U M U M U X Y')3 - easier version of superflip
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Alg | M U M U M U M U X Y' M U M U M U M U X Y' M U M U M U M U X Y' |
U2 B2 U2 B2 L R F2 D2 F2 U2 L' R' - Creates the 'Speedsolving.com' logo on a physical cube. Doing the algorithm again re-solves the cube.
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Alg | U2 B2 U2 B2 L R F2 D2 F2 U2 L' R' |
2x2x2 Cube
Some patterns can be found easily just by doing a combination of 180 degree twists.
R2 F2 R2 U2 - creates a checkerboard pattern on four faces.
F2 R2 U2 F2 - creates a striped pattern on each face.
F2 R2 F2 - creates stripes on four of the faces. (This is also a PBL case.)
F2 R2 U' F' U R' U2 R U' F' - creates a 'cube in a cube' effect.
Other Puzzles
Pretty patterns are possible for every puzzle, but for some puzzles (such as Megaminx) the algorithms to create them would be so long and unwieldy that pattern creators do not even try to create them. In these cases it is necessary to just solve the puzzle into the required pattern, which is in fact one possible way to create any pattern on any puzzle.
