Seriously good! Those totals (120 fastest and 80 least moves) may never be equalled, but my fun will be trying to defend 2nd place in the least moves contest for as long as possible against Doug, Matt, and anyone else who comes along.

Just 178 moves to solve the 10-color Dogic (2.2.8)?! I'm guessing that's due to slick blockbuilding right up to the last 5-6 faces?

Gelatinbrain has been very busy recently, adding 10 puzzles to the visible list:
1.1.18, 1.1.19, 1.1.20, 1.1.21
1.2.12
1.3.5c, 1.3.9, 1.3.10
6.1.4, 6.1.5

He has also added a warning popup when you click Initialize, Scramble or Clear from a non-solved position, which is fantastic for the fumbly clickers among us.

GB you are a star! Many thanks!

Hi ,
I've just updated the .exe version.
I haven't updated it for a long time because I thought no one use it anymore.

Among new puzzles, I like especially 1.2.12,1.3.9 and 1.3.10.
They have all the same intermediate shape between dodecahedron and soccerball.
1.2.12 is a cornerless version of 1.2.2, and I think the easiest vertex-turn puzzle after 1.2.11.

No, nothing so special. I just solved the centers and then the tips in groups of 5. This move count should not be so surprising considering that three people are under 200 moves on the very similar 2.2.8b


Wow! 6.1.4 and 6.1.5 have been there for a while, but the others are new.


I actually don't like this. The popup runs very slow for me so it gets in the way when I'm trying to play around and test out algorithms (since I usually do initialize->play->initialize over and over again). It should only appear when the cube has been scrambled and the timer is running.


Oh! Thank you. The offline version is very nice to have.

For me 2.2.8b is a much easier puzzle than 2.2.8 because with 2.2.8b I'm solving into clumps of same-colored and hence interchangeable tips, thus algos that would be "dirty" in 2.2.8 work out cleanly in 2.2.8b. I may be missing something though, and 2.2.8 is on my ever-increasing list of puzzles to try to redo with an improved movecount.


That didn't occur to me, as IE8 with the latest Java runs all the features of Gelatinbrain very smoothly on my PC. Is there a macro you could program so that with a keypress/combo the mouse left-clicks on and off 10 times in a second? That way you could hover over the Undo button and use your macro once or twice to return to the initial position in 1-2 seconds. Just an idea.


I'll second that; I like to use the offline version to practice for the bigger display and the very fast response.

The new 1.1.x puzzles:

1.1.18 = 1.1.4 + 1.1.7
1.1.19 = shallow cut 1.1.1 + 1.1.7
1.1.20 = 1.1.5 + 1.1.7
1.1.21 = shallow cut 1.1.1 + 1.1.3

Outlines without algos below.

----------------------------------------------------------------

1.1.18

This one can be solved in almost any order without too much difficulty, but it's tricky to decide on which order/method is most efficient. I used blockbuilding moves to assemble 5 Pentultimate corners around a pentagon center, then I solved the remaining centers and three-color corner pieces. Next the two-color pieces non pure with (4,1) commutators, then finally the diamonds (3,1) and triangles (4,1) pure.

1.1.19

1. Centers like a Pentultimate.
2. "Big" edges and corners like a Megaminx (positioning as many two-color edges correctly as possible).
3. Remaining two-color edge pieces non pure with (5,1) commutators.
4. Triangles pure with (3,1) commutators.

1.1.20

Every piece type can be solved with (3,1) commutators, some purer than others. I recommend starting with the centers like a Pentultimate, followed immediately by the trapezoidal pieces.

1.1.21

1st try:
1. Solved all the kite-shaped pieces first, blockbuilding for 9 faces, then cycling for the last 3 faces.
2. Built the Megaminx edges, first with Pyraminx Crystal (1,1) commutators then with (3,1) commutators.
3. Cycled the single-color triangles with (4,1) commutators.
4. Solved the reduced edges-only Megaminx.
This took me 949 moves.

2nd try:
1. Solved all the centers, blockbuilding for 9 faces, then exchanged a few groups, then cycled remaining kites then triangles.
2. Built the Megaminx edges using (3,1) commutators.
3. Solved the reduced edges-only Megaminx.
This took me 894 moves.

These are both quite some way from Michael's record of 756 moves.

Edit: I've just noticed that 1.1.21 is a cornerless 1.1.10!

is there anyway to cet that for mac?

Basically it doesn't work on Mac.
Or maybe it's possible with a Windows emulator like
this.
But I'm not sure...

Solved the Dino dodecahedron!

Anyone any tips for the helicopter cube? I just started using GB today and have figured out the dino cube but can't figure out the helicopter cube.

Alex

Just did the dinododecahedron! Took about 45 mins - most of which was spent trying to figure out the top layer (I can't always do the dino cube's top layer )!

Not bad for a first day on Gelatinbrain - I'll carry on and see if I can solve even more.

Alex

Hi everyone. I was wondering if anyone had any tips or advice for 1.3.5.

I already know how to solve it (video), I'm just wanting to see how everyone else does this puzzle.

My Strategy:

1. Solve a Pentagon.
2. Solve the Five surrounding Pentagons and Hexagons.
......2a. solving the Pentagons will help solve the Hexagons.
3. Solve all but 3 Pentagons and 1 Hexagon.
4. Solve the 3 two-color edges of the Hexagon.
5. Solve the 3 remaining Pentagons.

1.2.2

A solution outline was posted for 1.2.2 a long time ago, but since then a few of us have found a more efficient way of solving it, so here's a "new and improved" outline, again without any actual algos. I recommend solving in the order shown below, in rainbow color order from red to violet:



Here are my estimates of decent average cumulative move counts:

Red - - - - - - - - - - -35
Orange - - - - - - - 105
Yellow & Green - - 215
Turquoise & Blue -255
Indigo - - - - - - - - 350
Violet - - - - - - - - -490

Two thirds of the time we'll need to fix a single twisted corner at the end, which takes me 61 moves (yuck).

Red stage: Pick a face (I always start with white) and solve it, excluding the corners. I usually build up edge-triangle-edge-triangle-edge, then I make a separate triangle-edge pair and line it up on an adjacent face ready to twist into position, then I group the remaining triangle-edge-triangle (edge first) on the other adjacent face, join the 5 pieces together, and join those to the other 5.

Orange stage: First get an edge one move away from its correct position, then pair it with a triangle. Then twist the pair so they are still one move away from solved, and line up a triangle of the other needed color so it is one move away from forming a group of 3. Then move the corner to pair up with the second triangle, move the triangle-corner next to the edge-triangle to form a group of 4, and twist that group into its solved position.

Yellow & Green stages: Line up an edge one move away, pair it with a triangle, line up the other edge, pair it with a triangle, and roll the 4 pieces into their solved positions. There's some overlap between the Yellow and Green stages: if I see a quick way to slot a Green stage piece while solving the Yellow stage pieces, I do, otherwise I leave it until later.

Turquoise stage: Quite easy. Just roll the edges into position, and each time an edge is the wrong way around, shimmy it around the final face to get it the right way round, then undo some moves as necessary to restore already-solved pieces.

Blue stage: Also quite easy. Permute the edges with tiny (1,1) commutators and setups. Often you'll need to flip 2 edges at the end, and 2 adjacent edges can be flipped with an intuitive (6,1) commutator.

Indigo stage: Again (1,1) commutators and setups. Try to spot as many 3-cycles as you can (i.e. solving 3 triangles at a time), but it can sometimes be more efficient to solve 1 or 2 pieces with few or no setups than to hit a 3-cycle with lots of setup moves. Be very careful with the setup moves when they encroach on any of the 5 corners that were solved in the Orange stage. With a bit of practice you'll get an eye for what can and cannot be done without messing up those corners.

Violet stage: Find a pure corner cycle in the form of a (3,1) commutator, and with some careful experimentation with setups you'll find that 3 adjacent corners can be cycled in every possible combination of orientations in 13 or 14 moves.

2 twisted corners at the end: Can be done in 13 moves. Find a (7,1) commutator with two move cancellations.

1 twisted corner at the end: Bleugh. If the corner to be twisted is corner A, and an adjacent corner is B, find an algo of 9 moves in A and B that leaves the edges in the solved position but moves some triangles and results in an overall corner twist (5 corners are affected). Then the triangles can be re-solved in 22 moves, and the corners in 30 moves, for a total fix of 61 moves. A better way must be possible, but I can't find it.

This is what you get when you poke around on it for 10 min. 1.2.2



1.1.2

The triangles can be fixed in 8 moves (bottom right counter-clockwise and bottom left counter-clockwise as setups, 4 move cycle, then undo the setups). The 5 corners are trickier though!


The edges of 1.1.2 solve exactly like the edges of a Pyraminx Crystal (1.1.3).

I added a new spherical puzzle

with three sticker variations.
It rotates around 8 octahedral axes like a skewb, but by 60º.

Unfortunately my spherical puzzles are not very popular .
I think they are very interesting puzzles, even if I can't fully solve them.
Why so few people try them?

I added a circle cube too.

It never occurred to me that you monitor numbers of launched applets (rather than just submitted solves)! I will try to learn how to solve the spheres using only 90 or 120 degree scrambling moves (offline for the bigger view), but I don't know if I will ever be able to solve the puzzles with actual shape-shifting scrambles. It takes me 10-15 minutes of struggle and luck to get one face back in shape, and I have no idea how to continue from there. They are definitely interesting puzzles, and I will be very happy if I ever learn how to solve them.
Thanks!

3.1.7 Circle Cube

1) Solve the inner edges -- easy, intuitive, quick.
2) Solve the outer edges with (4,1) commutators, which automatically solves the inner corners too.
3) Permute outer corners with (4,1) commutators.
4) Orient outer corners a pair at a time with (6,1) commutators.

This simple method will never clock in at under 100 moves, barring crazy luck. Today Michael solved it in 56 moves, and Ethan in 70 moves! Hmmm...

My solution is a bit TOO much of a hint, so I put it with white text, highlight if you want to see it...

The 3x3 circle cube is equivalent to a 3x3x3 supercube. You can literally solve it like a 3x3 (I used Fridrich) and orient centers later. There is also a trick you can do to orient centers while doing the cross/F2L, but I'll let you guys figure that out yourselves.

Thanks! With hindsight it seems so obvious, but I'm not sure how long it would have taken me to figure out. (While experimenting this morning I was shown a vital clue, but the pieces move so differently from what I'm used to, I missed the connection.)

Sorry for the delayed reply. I could hardly remember anything about 1.3.5 at the time you posted, but now I've made a 2nd and 3rd attempt -- fun puzzle! I do regional blockbuilding like you, but in a different order from stage 3:

1. Solve one face color completely.
2. Solve all pieces of the next 5 pentagons that are not disturbed when twisting the next 5 adjacent hexagons (which, as you point out, also solves 5 hexagons).
3. Solve all pieces of the next 5 hexagons that are not disturbed when twisting the next 5 adjacent pentagons.
4. Solve all pieces of the next 5 pentagons that are not disturbed when twisting the final 5 hexagons.
5. Solve most of 3 adjacent hexagons in turn, not trying to solve any pieces that will be disturbed when twisting the next hexagon to be solved.
6. With the final pentagon and 2 hexagons left, check to see if any 2-color edges need flipping, and flip a pair using a (5,1) commutator if necessary.
7. Continuing with blockbuilding moves similar to stages 1-5, complete the solve.

My cumulative move counts for stages 1 to 5 above were 60, 194, 291, 348, and 433, with a final total of 496 moves. (I probably ought to have done stage 7 about 20 moves quicker than I did.)

Many Thanks!

you can plan to add more puzzles from this series?
Circle Cube 2x2, Crazy Cubes 4x4, Circle Tetrahedron and Circle Minx...

Hey guys, I decided to drop by today for the first time in quite a while. I haven't been on TP or GB in a few months.

And it seems that my rankings have dropped. Most of my time and FM records are gone and Michael passed me again on puzzles solved.

But there are also new puzzles! Thanks, GB!

I'll try to find the time to check back more often.

Welcome back grigr, Danny

Yes, the are on the plan, with circle FTO, circle pyraminx crystal and other many more crazy stuffs.
But the problem is the time. The time I can spend on programming is very limited...

I got this far on the circle cube:

Do Sune three times.

And what exactly is Sune again?

R U R' U R U2 R'

and tack an extra U2 on the end of that.

Then do it three times.

Ok thanks. I tried again and solved it in 3:02

With the lack of corners and centers, knowing where the pieces should go on this one was only based upon the edges. But basing it on edges gives the possibility of a mirror image. And unfortunately, that´s what I got. Not liking this:

Edit: tried with the right colorscheme, and got it in 29:57, with 946 moves

Note to gelatinbrain: the puzzle called 1.1.12 on the main page is called 1.1.13 on the scores page.
Just solved it

Well done on solving 1.1.21 so quickly. I found it time-consuming and exhausting: maybe 2.5 hours of solving plus another hour of breaks!

I always have a Pyraminx Crystal sitting on my desk when I solve the GB dodecahedra, to make sure I get the order of colors correct around white at the beginning. For some reason I can never remember for sure.

Simply for my own records, I'm copying over and updating this list from another website that I now rarely visit.

Puzzles Solved
1.1.1
1.1.1b
1.1.2
1.1.3
1.1.4
1.1.5
1.1.6
1.1.7
1.1.7b
1.1.8
1.1.9
1.1.10
1.1.11
1.1.12
1.1.15
1.1.16
1.1.19 [1T]
1.1.22
1.2.1
1.2.2
1.2.12 [1T]
1.3.4
1.3.5
1.3.6
1.3.7
1.3.8 [1T]
1.3.9
1.3.10
1.4.1
1.4.2 [1T]
1.4.4
2.1.1 [1T]
2.1.2 [1T]
2.1.3 [1T] [1FM]
2.2.1
2.2.2
2.2.3
2.2.4
2.2.5
2.2.6
2.2.8
2.2.8b
2.2.8c
2.2.8d
2.2.9
2.2.9b
2.2.9c
2.2.10
2.2.10b
2.2.10c
2.2.10d
2.2.11
2.2.11b
2.2.14
2.2.15
2.2.16
2.2.17
2.2.18
3.1.x
3.2.1
3.2.2
3.2.4
3.2.6
3.2.7
3.3.1
3.3.7
3.3.8
3.4.1
3.4.2
3.4.5
3.4.8
3.6.1
3.7.1
3.7.2
3.8.x
4.1.1-4.1.10
4.2.x
5.1.1-5.1.17
5.2.x
5.3.1

Stats
Dodecahedra
- Face Turning: 18/27
- Vertex Turning: 3/13
- F/V Turning: 7/11
- Edge Turning: 3/6

Icosahedra
- Face Turning: 3/5
- Vertex Turning: 24/25
- Edge Turning: 0/2
- F/V Turning: 0/1

Cubes
- Face Turning: 7/7
- Vertex Turning: 5/7
- Edge Turning: 3/9
- F/V Turning: 4/10
- F/E Turning: 0/1
- F/V/E Turning: 1/5
- Maze: 2/4
- Arrow: 3/3

Octahedra
- Face Turning: 10/11
- Vertex Turning: 10/10
- Edge Turning: 0/5
- F/V Turning: 0/1
- F/E Turning: 0/2
- V/E Turning: 0/2
- F/V/E Turning: 0/2

Tetrahedra
- Vertex Turning: 17/19
- Edge Turning: 8/8
- V/E Turning: 1/2

Spherical
- Type 1: 0/5
- Type 2: 0/4
- Type 3: 0/3

Total: 129/210 (61.43%)

[(R L U2) (R' L' U')]2

Oh I love these circle puzzles. Can't wait to play the circle megaminx. Thanks for your work.

my result

then @ seeing the name Grigr on the Gelainbrain board.

Hi Evgeny! So is Gelatinbrain now running smoothly on your PC?

New puzzle added, 5.1.18!

Thanks, GB!

GB, You can add these interesting puzzle?
NanoMinx and SuperStar...

No, my computer broke down ...
Now I only have a TabletPC without a mouse

The right one is cross between a Pyraminx Crystal and a big chop. I love the look of the second one a lot.

wait... you can make your own virtual puzzles on this site???

Nope. I'd assume they're from Ultimate Magic Cube, though I've never actually used it so I'm only guessing.

Hi guys.
First of all I wanted to state that I am competing with you now. I started submitting my name for some solves and really try to be faster now rather than using the applet every once in a while because of boredome.
But the actual reason for this post is:
I solved the megaminx in 4:26 min! That is a whole minute better than my record with the real one.^^ That gives me place 13. Pretty good for me since the megaminx is a favourite puzzle. BTW Sjoerd, I kicked you from 13.
My name in the lists is Alaskajoe, just like my username here in the forum. (My best rankings are 3x3x3 with 8th place and 1.1.11, 8th place too)

Luckily, I don't care about my times, but more about the number of puzzles I've solved. I'm at a total of 110 now. 5 more, and I beat Noah.

AAAHH. Too bad. Not that you don't care. I just mean that when I first started reading your sentence I thought you were going to say that you care about the number of moves that it takes you more. Because I just checked the highscore list and noticed that I am number 5 in moves on the megaminx.
But congratulations on the 110 puzzles and good luck beating Noah. (No offence Noah! )

This applet uses the latest vesion of JOGL(graphic library).
I tested it on my PC, so I think it works for most of Windows users.
For Mac and Linux I'm not sure.
So I'd like you to test this, especially those who use the latest Mac OS
(Snow Leopard).

If it's OK, I will replace the old version by this new one.
It looks that the current JOGL doesn't support the new Mac OS X.

Thanks.

Doesn't seem to work on my mac, its a G5 Running 10.5, and I tried it on Firefox and Safari.

Is it different from the one that was up before? That one worked fine on my other computer, which runs 10.3.

Works fine for me. I'm using Mac OS X v10.6.2 and safari v4.0.3. However, none of the other puzzles work for me in safari. I get

However, they all work fine for me in firefox v3.5.5.