Introduction
Most people would think that Megaminx is harder to solve than Rubik's Cube because it has more
faces and pieces? This software will show you that Megaminx is indeed easier to solve than Rubik's Cube. Why is it so?
Becuase Megaminx got more faces. When you are fixing the first few layers, you got plenty of free layers which give you lots
of freedom to adjust the position of your target pieces. You can fix much of the Megaminx without even learning a single
formula. But this is not the case for Rubik's Cube, once the first layer is fixed, the only free layer is the opposite layer.
The real difficulty of solving Megaminx is the last layer. Fortunately, there is a simple elegant method to solve the last
layer. This method can be used to solve Rubik's Cube as well. The two methods embedded in Megaminx Solver are designed for 12
colored Megaminx, but it can be easily adjusted to solve 6 colored Megaminx in which parity problem may arise. For hint, see the
Partity Rescuer towards the end of this page.
To view the applet, your browser must support JRE1.4 (Java Runtime Environment) or higher. You can
download J2SE JRE from Sun.
After the download, you need to install JRE on your system by following the installation instruction.
Main features of Megaminx Solver
- A twist can be triggered by a mouse click or a mouse drag. Clicking a center cube with the left mouse button will trigger
an anti-clockwise turn of 72 degree, while clicking a center cube with the right mouse button will trigger a clockwise turn of 72 degree.
Dragging a non-center cube to its adjacent non-center cubes will also trigger a turn of 72 degree along the dragging direction only
if the mouse moves on the same face.
- The virtual dodecahedron can be viewed from any angle by dragging the mouse on center cubes or on the background area even when a twist is in action.
It is a true 3D simulation.
- Each face has been labelled with a letter (N, A, B, C, D, E, S, F, G, H, I, J). Face labels can be turned on/off.
- Standard definition of a move/twist using face labels is given and has been incorporated in the solver.
- Two algorithms are embedded, one solves the puzzle in about 266 moves and the other solves the puzzle in about 206 moves.
The solution sequence will be shown in the sequence executor. Both algorithms are human understandable.
- 7 navigation buttons are provided to allow a user to navigate the solution sequence back and forth. A track counter will display
the number of the current move and the length of the solution sequence.
- While a solution sequence is being navigated by "Forward" or "Back" buttons, the next move will be shown in a diagram which can
be easily understood.
- While a solution sequence is being navigated, cubes that are being targeted in current operation will be highlighted,
which helps the user to understand how highlighted cubes are fixed.
- While a solution sequence is being navigated, a user can hide all cubes that are irrelevant to the current step which
will be fixed in later steps and therefore can be freely disturbed, only cubes that have been fixed or are being
fixed in current step are shown in full colors.
- While a solution sequence is being navigated, a step indicator will show what is the current step and the message window
will explain how this is done.
- Center colors are configurable. It allows a user to paint the virtual MEgaminx so that it matches the colors of a physical
Megaminx (with 12 colors). The solver can instruct the user to solve his/her Megaminx puzzle step by step.
It provides an opportunity for a user to solve his/her own Megaminx without even learning any algorithm or method.
- The sequence executor allows a user to enter his/her sequence and get it executed. It provides an opportunity for a user
to develop his/her own formula. It also provides an opportunity for users to exchange their formulae through the sequence executor.
- The solver also provides functions such as scrambling the virtual MEgaminx using randomly generated sequence, restoring the Megaminx to
solved position instantly, adjusting puzzle size and adjusting rotation speed.
Terminology
A single turn means a face / layer being twisted by 72 degree around its center. Each face has been given a label
(N, S, A, B, C, D, E, F, G, H, I, where N means north and S menas south). Face labels are fixed, however face colors
can be changed through painting.
A move or twist can be represented using face characters and turn symbols (', 1, 2, -1, -2)
according to the following rules:
- A single face character represents a single turn clockwise of that face.
- A single face character followed by 2 represents a double turn clockwise of that face.
- A single face character followed by ' or -1 represents a single turn anti-clockwise of that face.
- A single face character followed by '' or -2 represents a double turn anti-clockwise of that face.
We adopt terminology suggested by Professor Kurt Endl. We think the dodecahedron as a globe and refer corners and edges according to their location relative to north pole and south pole. In Megaminx Solver, the center labelled with "N"
will be treated as North Pole, and the center labelled with "S" will be treated as "South Pole". Centers labelled with "A", "B",
"C", "D", "E" are located at northern hemisphere and centers lablled with "F", "G', "H", "I", "J" are located at southern hemisphere. The following diagrams illusitrate the classification of corners and edges.
centers (N=North, S=South)
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south pole edges (5)
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south pole corners (5)
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southern equatorial edges (5)
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southern equatorial corners (5)
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middle equatorial edges (10)
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northern equatorial corners (5)
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northern equatorial edges (5)
| 
north pole corners (5)
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north pole edges (5)
|
How to play Megaminx Solver
A move or twist can be triggered by a mouse click or a mouse drag.
- Clicking a center cube with the LEFT mouse button will trigger an ANTI-CLOCKWISE turn.
- Clicking a center cube with the RIGHT mouse button will trigger a CLOCKWISE turn.
- Dragging a non-center cube to its adjacent non-center cubes will also trigger a turn long the dragging
direction if the mouse moves on the same face.
The megaminx can be viewed from different angles by rotating the whole megaminx. To rotate the whole megaminx,
just drag on any center cube or drag the mouse on the background area (the area that is
not covered by the megaminx).
Some useful buttons under Configure:
- Cube Size -- adjust the size of the megaminx
- Rotating Speed -- adjust rotating speed
- Face Label -- turn the face label on or off
- Hide/Show -- hide or show cubes that are irrelavant to the current step. It is only effective when an animated solution
is being reviewed. When "hide" is active, only cubes that are fixed or targeted will be shown, cubes that are
irrelavant to the current step and hence will be dealt with in a later step are hidden (shown with gray color).
Some useful buttons under Tools:
- Play -- play the megaminx by clicking or dragging the mouse
- Paint -- paint the megaminx with colors to match the colors on your megaminx.
- Scramble -- scramble the megaminx using randomly generated sequences
- Restore -- restore the megaminx to its solved positition (each face has a solid color).
- Solve -- solve the megaminx using selected method, animated solution can then be viewed with the
navigation buttons, targeted cubies will be hightlighted, the next move will be shown at the
bottom left corner of the megaminx panel.
To execute a sequence, first type in your sequence in the text field below the cube panel, then
press the "Enter" key. The sequence entered must conform the convention stated below.
How to paint Virtual Megaminx
Select 'Paint' under 'Tools' to enter painting model. It is a good practice to start painting on a solved megaminx.
The first thing you need to do is to adjust center colors.
Right click a color button below the tree panel to open the color chooser. Select a color that matches
the corresponding center color on your megaminx. Once you are happy with all center colors, then you can start to
paint edges and corners. Left click a color button to select the color as the active painting color, a small pentagon
filled with that color will be drawn on the bottom left corner of the megaminx panel. Click a face on any edge cube
or corner cube to paint that face with the active color. Note that you cannot paint a center face using this method.
The center color can only be changed by right clicking the corresponding color button. Once you finish painting all
cubes, you can select 'Solve' under 'Tools' to ask the simulator to solve it. If the color configuration is invalid,
it will return to painting model immediately. Double check each face, and make sure all colors match the corresponding
colors on your megaminx. To exit the painting model at any time, select "Play", "Scramble", "Restore" or "Solve" under "Tools".
Jeff's method
This is the simplest method as far as I know. It solves the megaminx in 266 moves on average.
The Megaminx is solved according to the following order:
- Fix south pole edges
- Fix four south pole corners
- Fix four southern equatorial edges
- Fix the last south pole corner
- Fix the last southern equatorial edge
- Fix southern equatorial corners
- Fix middle equatorial edges
- Fix four pairs of northern equatorial corners and edges, leaving the fifth pair as key holes
- Fix north pole edges and the last northern equatorial edge
- Place north pole corners and the last northern equatorial corner (ignore orientations)
- Fix orientations of north pole corners and the last northern equatorial corner
Hua's method
Hua's method improves Jeff's method by fixing south pole corners and southern equatorial edges in pairs and
fixing southern equatorial corners and middle equatorial edges in triples and also
fixing northern equatorial corners and edges in pairs. It solves the megaminx in 206 moves on average.
According to Hua's method, the Megaminx is solved in the following order:
- Fix south pole edges
- Fix south pole corners and southern equatorial edges in pairs
- Fix southern equatorial corners and middle equatorial edges in triples
- Fix four pairs of northern equatorial corners and edges
- Fix north pole edges and the last northern equatorial edge
- Place north pole corners and the last northern equatorial corner (ignore orientations)
- Fix orientations of north pole corners and the last northern equatorial corner
Sequence viewer
Two Corner Twirl
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Two Edge Flipper
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Parity Rescuer (A/B => G/F)
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Links:
Chris Hardwick's Rubik's Cube Page
Jaap's Puzzle page
Jessica Fridrich's speed cubing page
David Byrden's Twisty Puzzles
Michael Reid's Rubik's cube page
Rubik's Official Online Site
Contact
Megaminx Solver was developed by Jiuzhao Hua. All rights reserved. All queries should be directed to
hua_jz(a)hotmail.com.
More Puzzles
Last updated on 1 August 2007.
