Hello Everyone,

I'm happy to introduce my latest puzzle, the RotoCrystal:
RotoCrystal is based on the geometry of a hexagonal dipyramid, but rather than using that shape directly (as with Fracture-10 and the pentagonal dipyramid), I cut it down to form the crystalline shape you see here. I preferred this shape over the dipyramid since the tips of the dipyramid get very large as you go over five sides. Like the other "Fracture" series puzzles, RotoCrystal typically turns in 180 degree increments. However, when a face on the RotoCrystal has no triangular pieces present, that face may turn in 90 degree increments. This allows the puzzle to thoroughly scramble, and results in some minor shape sifting as the corners change orientation, as you can see in the photos:
Here is the video

You can buy RotoCrystal at my Shapeways shop

Enjoy!
Dave

bizarre, cool, but bizarre. I like the awesome shape. keep up the good work!

NICE!!! Reminds me alot of io's Versatile Prism which he posted about here. Except his was a pentagonal prism and this is sort of a hexagonal prism. Here the cuts are also deep enough that you've lost the face centers on the sides and you haven't added in the hexagon face turns (if this were in the shape of a hexagonal prism).

Carl

It looks really nice!
I could not imagine how will the puzzle looks, when you have order the stickers, but now it make sense.

David, I really don't know where you get the ideas from! Do you do your best thinking:

a) Daydreaming
b) Drunk
c) Asleep
d) Hanging upside down (improves blood flow to the brain)
e) Something else

Great puzzle BYW. The square sides remind me of the Bermuda cubes. I just wish I had more disposable income

Thanks for the compliments! Sometimes ideas come from a little of all of those things (except of the hanging upside down part). But mostly from spending too much time in Solidworks looking for symmetries that can be turned into puzzles.

Truely beautiful puzzle David,

Another very intriguing idea, I love these kinds of puzzles, I already have some of your other puzzles bookmarked too (I so much wish for a great interest in these kinds of puzzles so that mass production is possible- because I can't afford all I want /need).

Is it possible to show us the shape of the puzzle it came from? Also was it possible to cut it so that it didn't shape shift or was this a choice?

Cheers,
Burgo.

Thanks again for the compliments Burgo! I'd love to see some of these puzzles mass produced too.
Here is an image of what "Fracture-12" would look like:As you can see, the polar vertexes start to become quite large, and the angles for gripping the turning axes become relatively shallow, which might make turning difficult. For these reasons, I liked the current shape better despite the fact that it shape shifts (I like my puzzles doctrinaire). I don't believe there is a way to make this so that it doesn't shape shift, other than using the geometry shown above.

That's what I usually end up doing when I try to design a new puzzle.

Do you have a method for deciding what stored cuts to include? You really have a knack for adding just enough of them to make the puzzle very scrambleable, while keeping the pieces from being too small.

-Eitan

With the "fracture" series of puzzles (and this can be considered a continuation of that series), it really comes down to minimizing the number of types of pieces, which in this case also happens to equate with maximizing the number of cuts before fudging is required. I always try to make my puzzles as simple as possible.