Don't like the color options? Cubesmith and/or Dr Sticker to the rescue!

At least Dr Sticker can do custom sets. I think he can make custom sets for any puzzle. It helps if you have cad files although it may also be possible to scan the actual puzzle or the crappy sticker sheets it comes with to get a nicer replacement set.

I've been emailing with Martin, and he told me that Eitan's Star will come with 20 colors!

-Eitan

That's great news Eitan!

Will it be pre-stickered, or DIY?

If you think the price for this is absurd you clearly don't collect puzzle boxes.

Calvin posted on FaceBook that it will be pre-stickered with 20 colors.

Martin says it will be DIY stickers. Sigh... Those 10 free copies will take so long to sticker...

-EItan

Send some my way, I'd be more than happy to help out.

So would I! We wouldn't want you to exhaust yourself now.

So, are the preorders DIY or not? I'd say if I have to spend ~$100 on a puzzle, it should come prestickered.

If not, so be it, I'll sticker it myself when it arrives. It's just that, mf8 stickers are usually a pain to peel off. I know they always include an extra set, but at least a few stickers always get wasted due to the slick paper backing tearing off with the stickers. Cubesmith and Dr Sticker certainly don't come like that.

Of course! A mass-produced Icosahedron at last! I couldn't resist. I'm sure many others couldn't either. Knowing Tony, he probably per-ordered 10.

I couldn't resist either. I mostly disappeared from the forum for a while as my hobbie interests have moved on somewhat towards other things, plus I started suffering from collection burnout, what with all the rediculous "variations" the manufacturers were putting out. I'm really not interested in 8 different variations of "cubes" which each have some arcain form of internal bandaging or enhanced funtionality, with 8 different solving experiences. Ugg...

But when a new puzzle comes out with a intriguing concept, I'll still jump on the opportunity to buy something. I got the Meffert's gear ball and Nautilus (the Nautilus is very fascinating), then when I heard that the one gap remaining gap in my puzzle collection that needed to be filled (Face turning Icosahedron) had finally arrived, I jumped on the opportunity to get one, so I ordered the Rex-Dodecahedron and preordered the Icosahedron. It seems the Dodecahedron will be somewhat easier to solve mainly due to not having to worry about the orientation of the pentagon centers. The fiveway orientation of the corners on Eitan's Star seem like they will be a royal pain to solve. I wonder if it's possible to rotate a single corner independant of the rest of the puzzle, or if they have parity like the Rubick's Cube? I'm also wondering if jumbling/unjumbling can cause parity errors unsolvable without jumble moves?

What!?! That's why their fun!

Does anyone (probably Brandon I'd guess) know whether Eitan's star is on gelatinbrain?

Probably me?!? Eitan's Star is Gelatinbrain's 2.1.3.

It's missing the edges of slightly shallower and slightly deeper cut Icosahedra. 2.1.2 is slightly more representative of a shallow-cut-icosahedron.

Edit: Solving the FTI were one of the more rewarding experiences I've had. I'm looking forward to others enjoying a similar process.

Yeah sorry I guess I should have asked...Eitan...

Oh, and thanks. See, I knew you'd come through

You know the actual royal pain isn't the orientation of those twelve pieces. No it's more the fact that the little edge pieces have a distinct position. Whereas on the Dodecahedron You only have to worry about putting five white pieces around the white center.

The set up moves for having to place the pieces in one certain position is a pain. You'll need pen and paper towards the final stages to keep track of your setup moves. Unless you are really trained in memorizing.

Crap, and there's like 60 of those pieces!

I'm still wondering though, is it possible to rotate just a single corner, or does the twist parity always add up to multiples of five? Because I know on a picture 'minx it is possible to rotate just a single center.

You rotate one clockwise, another one will go counterclockwise. I think it was best done by a [4.3] before the final triangles. I am sure Brandon put up a video on youtube already though.

EDIT: I just checked and I suppose I would solve the shallow triangles of the faces. THEN already the corners. [3.1] for placing and [3.3] for orientation though you can do both at once. Then the center triangles. Then the edgepieces.

Nope. I wouldn't have known if Brandon hadn't made a tutorial video last May. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qb0cjGX6D84

Does jumbling FTIs make it easier to solve them, kind of like how on the Helicopter Cube with jumbling there are shorter ways to swap pieces around?

Jumbling disrupts the "orbits" of the Helicopter edges because cannonical moves are 180 degrees: you either move a piece foreward or you invert the move and send it back. Jumbling disturbs these orbits. The FTI uses 120 degree moves, allowing all pieces to fully scramble; however with jumbling puzzles, it is often the case that jumbling can lead to parity errors, ie two pieces swapped, which can only be fixed with a jumble move.

The sum of the twist of all centers modulo 5 is always 0. That is, the twist of the 20th corner is determined by the twists of the previous 19.

I have a hypothesis that in general twist is always maintained for a piece type unless there is a move that changes the twist of a piece without moving it. That is, for most pieces on a twisty puzzle, any move you do changes the position of the piece. Only pieces that are rotationally symmetric about a grip (centers) don't maintain a constant twist.

So for a Rubik's cube, the centers are rotationally symmetric about a grip so there is a turn that changes the orientation of a center without permuting it. The same is true of the Megaminx and Pentultimate centers. For the FTI the same is true of the triangular centers on each face. All other pieces on these puzzles must change position when a turn is made and so the overall twist of those pieces is maintained.

There is no move that twists the 5-fold corners of the FTI in place. All moves that affect a corner also move the corner. Because of this twist is maintained for the corners.

Jumbling does not change this. Jumbling maintains twist in all cases I've seen.

Sorry for my mistake as having mis-understanding with mf8.
The MF8 & Eitan's Star will be assembled in Box, but with DIY stickers in 20 colors. ^^

That's even better news (for me)! I prefer to put the stickers on myself so that I know they will be lined up well.

Does anyone have any news as to when these will start to ship? I, like many of you, preordered this and was curious as to its arrival time.

Thanks,

Chris

Been wondering that myself. The HKnowstore says they will have stock after the Chinese New Year or by the end of February. Whelp...

Has anyone gotten some kind of update on their order?

I have had a tracking number for a while but it hasn't been activated yet.

I would gladly sacrifice a few misaligned stickers to save the hours spent stickering this puzzle. (Of course I would probably not do as great a job as most people since I am slightly impatient )

It does look amazing though, and I like the packaging.

I expect it to take me 30 minutes or less

Stickering or solving?

Stickering. Solving will take me much much longer.

I want to see anyone solve this puzzle, especially this physical on in 30 minutes or less. I doubt it.
That will infact be too difficult to acomplish. I say no way! But hey if it turns well, what I suppose maybe someone will put effort in setting up records.

Calvin says they will ship in 2 weeks from today, assuming no more delays.

This almost feels like an astrolabacus situation now. (although I know it's not)

Chris

I would rather wait a couple more weeks for a fully working and stable puzzle than to have one rushed out with broken pieces (Petaminx) or not working properly (2x3x4).

A member of the Puzzle Photography facebook page has posted what appears to be a prototype (natural plastic colour) Eitan's Star. Particularly interesting to me is that it has a 12-colour vertex-based colour scheme! This stickering would eliminate the corner orientation step and significantly simplify insertion of the corner points. It would add just a bit of complication (setup moves) to placement of the 20 triangular face centres as they get 3-colours and thus orientation.

It is nice to see the puzzle "in the wild" and especially with an interesting sticker variation even before we get the standard version!

Update: Calvin told me yesterday through email another two weeks were needed for the puzzle to be completed.

Chris

2 weeks more? since today

Unfortunately, yes.

Chris

This is excellent news. It means mf8 are probably trying to get it right...

Eitan star available in mf8 shop.
Good news for the hknowstore preorders

According the HKNowStore website, Eitan's Star is now in stock. I checked the tracking number I got when I first pre-ordered it, and it's being prepared for shipment as of today, April 8th. Good news. Finally.

Got mine today. Turns well, although I'm sort of afraid to scramble it after all the talk about how onerous it is to solve.

You misspelled "awesome"

arrives stickered?

I would really like to buy this puzzle, but I am waiting for an objective review and some pictures. Any offers?

No, you have to sticker it yourself. It does arrive sealed in that hard plastic container, though.

Pictures? Unboxing video? Review? Are there actually 20 colors?

Looking forward to what you all think!

-Eitan

Still waiting on mine. Once I finally get it I can post an un-boxing review.

Got mine today.
After lub it turns ok.
Great puzzle

In the box there are two references. Eitan star and Oskar icosaix
Good news