NxNxN Notation

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3x3x3 Rubik's Cube Notation

While there have been many other ways to keep notation on Rubik's Cube moves, the most common method is the use of letters to represent sides or layers of the cube. The following is a list of what those letters are and what they represent. Keep in mind that all designated notations are relative to the face of the cube directly in front of you. After a cube rotation, the letters will be relative to that new side. The lowercase letter i or an apostrophe or 'prime' symbol can be used to indicate a counterclockwise rotation of the face by 45 degrees. When the letters are lowercase, that side and the vertical middle slice are both moved.

Standard Moves


R (right side) = the right face is rotated 45 degrees clockwise (upwards relative to you)


L (left side) = the left face is rotated 45 degrees clockwise (downwards relative to you)


U (up face) = the top layer is rotated 45 degrees clockwise (left relative to you)


D (down face) = the bottom layer is rotated 45 degrees clockwise (right relative to you)


F (front face) = the front face is rotated 45 degrees clockwise (right relative to you)


B (back face) = the back face is rotated 45 degrees clockwise (left relative to you)


M (middle slice) = the middle vertical face is rotated 45 degrees clockwise (upwards relative to you, following R)


E (equator slice) = the middle horizontal face is rotated 45 degrees clockwise (left relative to you, following U)


S (back slice) = the middle horizontal back face is rotated 45 degrees clockwise (right relative to you, following F)



Inverted Moves Following any letter, the inverse symbol, whether it is an i or a prime symbol, will invert the move so that it goes counterclockwise instead of the usual clockwise. Therefore, the moves will be exactly opposite as they are in the Standard Moves section, i.e. R', D', F', etc.

Double Moves Adding the number 2 after the letter (e.g. R2, E2, U2, etc.) will mean the rotation of that side 90 degrees, so the move will be executed twice, thus the number 2.

Double Standard Moves Double Standard Moves are the normal Standard Moves, but with the addition of a middle layer also being moved. This is indicated by either a "w" after the letter, or the letter not being capitol, but lowercase. These moves can also be inverted:

Rw/r takes R and M clockwise


Lw/l takes L and M clockwise


Uw/u takes U and E clockwise


Dw/d takes D and E clockwise


Fw/f takes F and S clockwise


Bw/b takes B and S clockwise


Inversely:

Rw'/r' takes R and M counterclockwise


Lw'/l' takes L and M counterclockwise


Uw'/u' takes U and E counterclockwise


Dw'/d' takes D and E counterclockwise


Fw'/f' takes F and S counterclockwise


Bw'/b' takes B and S counterclockwise


M, E, and S cannot be moved doubly as the others can.


Cube Rotations Besides moving face, the entire cube moving (a cube rotation) can also be written with either an x, y, or z. Often times, since they are not face rotations, they will be enclosed in parenthesis, like (x), (y), or (z) respectively. They can also be inverted the same way as face rotations: x', y' and z'.

x = turn the entire cube so that what is on the bottom face is now facing you


x' = turn the entire cube so that what is on the top face is now facing you


y = turn the entire cube so that what is on the right face is now facing you


y' = turn the entire cube so that what is on the left face is now facing you


z = turn the entire cube so that what is on the top face is now on the right of you


z' = turn the entire cube so that what is on the top face is now on the left of you