Snyder notation
Snyder notation is a puzzle notation method that may be used for any puzzle involving turns, whereby each layer is parallel to at least one face layer. It was proposed by Anthony Snyder in 2010.
Its claim advantages include
- far simpler more intuitive way to represent turns in a large number of multilayer puzzles
- works with cubes, dodecahedrons, pyramids, and many other puzzles
Only two formats are used, one for a face turn, and one for all other types of turns. Letters are only used to indicate face layers. The other symbols describe the turn.
Identifying Face Layers
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 Face Spare
- U = Upper Face
- u = Upper Face Spare
- R = Right Face
- r = Right Face Spare
- L = Left Face
- l = Left Face Spare
- D = Down Face
- d = Down Face Spare
- B = Back face
- b = Back Face Spare
Notation
A turn is defined as any parallel simultaneous movement. Slices, anti-slices, imbalanced anti-slices, compound slices and anti-slices, compound imbalanced anti-slices, whole cube rotation, and double layer turns, are all recorded as one turn, using one format.
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 layer parallel to 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+ positions per face)
- 3 = 3 positions clockwise (used in puzzles with 5 positions per face)
- ' = last position clockwise (or 1 position counterclockwise)
- o = doesn't move (lower case letter o)
These symbols are arranged left-to-right after the face letter, in the same order as the puzzle layers relative to the indicated face layer. To aid in visualizing this, imagine grasping the indicated face layer with your left hand, temporarily holding the cube so that the other layers are arranged to the right of the indicated face layer, then you'll see them in the same order as the notation.
Examples
R+o'
...represents an anti-slice on a 3x3x3 where the right face turns clockwise, the middle plane doesn't move, and the left plane turns counterclockwise relative to the right face.
R+o2
...represents an imbalanced anti-slice on a 3x3x3 where the right face turns clockwise, the middle plane doesn't move, and the left plane turns 180.
F''o+
...represents a multi-layer move on a 4x4x4 where the front face turns counterclockwise along with the next layer in, while the 3rd layer in doesn't move, and while the back layer turns clockwise relative to the face.
Lo'o
...represents a slice on a 3x3x3 where the middle layer turns forward (counterclockwise relative to the left face).
R+o' U2 R' U' R U' R'o+ U2 L U L' U = R L U2 R' U' R U' R' L' U2 L U L' U
...a 12 turn U-Twist (headlights) algorithm.
Ro2o U Ro2o U2 Ro2o U Ro2o = M2 U M2 U2 M2 U M2
...an H-Permutation algorithm.
R+++
...rotates entire puzzle clockwise one position relative to right face
U222
...rotates entire puzzle 2 positions clockwise relative to upper face