List of pretty patterns
A pretty pattern is an aesthetic state of a puzzle. Some cubers create and share pretty patterns for amusement.
Contents
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' |
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Alg | (M z)4 |
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 |
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Alg | (M2 U2)2 z (M2 U2)2 |
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 |
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Alg | ((M' U)4 x' z)3 |
(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' |
U' D L2 U B2 D2 B2 D2 L F' U D' R U' F2 L F' B' - Scrambles three faces of the cube leaving the other three solved. This is used for the 'trick' where it appears that you're solving the cube in a second as seen on Britain's Got Talent.
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Alg | U' D L2 U B2 D2 B2 D2 L F' U D' R U' F2 L F' B' |
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.
4x4x4 Cube
Create a checkerboard pattern on 4 faces.
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Alg | 3Rw2 Rw2' R2 3Fw2 2Fw2' F2 3Rw2 Rw2' R2 3Dw2 Dw2' D2 |
5x5x5 Cube
Create a checkerboard pattern on 4 faces.
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Alg | 2Rw2 2Bw2 M2 2Fw2 2Lw2 E2 R2 B2 m2 F2 L2 e2 |
Create a checkerboard pattern on 6 faces.
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Alg | 4Rw2 3Rw2' Rw2 R2' 4Fw2 3Fw2' 2Fw2 F2' 4Dw2 3Dw2' Dw2 D2' |
Higher Order Cubes
Create a checkerboard pattern on 4 faces.
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Alg | 6x6x6: 5Rw2 4Rw2' 3Rw2 Rw2' R2 5Fw2 4Fw2' 3Fw2 2Fw2' F2 5Rw2 4Rw2' 3Rw2 Rw2' R2 5Dw2 4Dw2' 3Dw2 Dw2' D2 |
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Alg | 7x7x7: 3Rw2 3Bw2 M2 3Fw2 3Lw2 E2 2Rw2 2Bw2 (5Rw2 2Rw2') 2Fw2 2Lw2 (5Dw2 2Dw2') R2 B2 m2 F2 L2 e2 z2 |
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Alg | 8x8x8: 7Rw2 6Rw2' 5Rw2 4Rw2' 3Rw2 Rw2' R2 7Fw2 6Fw2' 5Fw2 4Fw2' 3Fw2 2Fw2' F2 7Rw2 6Rw2' 5Rw2 4Rw2' 3Rw2 Rw2' R2 7Dw2 6Dw2' 5Dw2 4Dw2' 3Dw2 Dw2' D2 |
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Alg | 9x9x9: 4Rw2 4Bw2 M2 4Fw2 4Lw2 E2 3Rw2 3Bw2 (6Rw2 3Rw2') 3Fw2 3Lw2 (6Dw2 3Dw2') 2Rw2 2Bw2 (7Rw2 2Rw2') 2Fw2 2Lw2 (7Dw2 2Dw2') R2 B2 m2 F2 L2 e2 |
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.
