3-Color Cube Method
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The 3-Color Cube method is a unique solving method developed completely independently by Michael Feather in 1980. The method name (not to be confused with Feather's algorithm) is derived from the 3-Color Cube, which is a Rubik's Cube having tri-color scheme that uses the same color on opposite faces.
Steps
There are 2 steps for a 3-Color Cube and 4 steps for a 6-Color Cube with the same set of algorithms (which can be found in the External Links section below if needed).
Solving the corners
1. Solve corners by thinking of the puzzle as a 3-Color Cube (i.e. Red=Orange, Blue=Green, Yellow=White in case of a BOY color scheme), or solve as a normal cube (with 6 colors) so that all corner stickers match either the center-piece color or the center-piece color of the opposite face.
2. Permute corners on a 6-Color Cube, three possible cases can be reached using half turns only:
2a. Corners can be solved in both layers.
2b. Corners can be solved in one layer, diagonal swap of corners is required in the other layer.
2c. Corners can be solved in neither layers.
Convert 2b or 2c to 2a using an algorithm (Michael Feather calls them Waterwheel Sequence for 2b and Parallel Sequence for 2c), then continue by solving the 3-color edges.
Solving the edges
3. Solve edges by thinking of the puzzle as a 3-Color Cube, or solve as a normal cube (with 6 colors) so that all edge stickers match either the center-piece color or the center-piece color of the opposite face.
Use only half turns and/or cube rotations as setup moves between all solving sequences.
After finishing this step, a 3-Color Cube will be solved and a 6-Color Cube will be solvable using half turns only.
4. On a 6-Color Cube, restore corners with half turns and then permute edges.
Average move count in STM
Step 1 ~ 14.
Step 2 ~ 9 (or ~ 12 if applying 2a).
Step 3 ~ 31.
Step 4 ~ 17.
Pros
- Concept of edge orientation, generally perceived as being hard for beginners to understand, is avoided
- Low number of algorithms
- Short & intuitive algorithms
Cons
- Thinking of a 6-Color Cube as a 3-Color Cube could seem rather unintuitive at first
- It's not always possible to exactly match the setup for a solving sequence
- Suitable for neither speed solving nor fewest moves solving (when considering the method as it is)
Example Solves
See also
External Links
- Home page of the 3-Color Cube Method by Michael Feather. Resource of algorithms, tips, advanced solving approaches & more.
- List of algorithms by Michael Feather. To see the algorithms in use, look at the Example Solves section above.
- Similarities with Human Thistlethwaite Algorithm by Michael Feather.
