NAME
xrubik - Magic cube X widgets
SYNOPSIS
/usr/games/xrubik [-geometry
[{width}][x{height}][{+-}{xoff}[{+-}{yoff}]]] [-display
[{host}]:[{vs}]] [-[no]mono] [-[no]{reverse|rv}] [-{foreground|fg}
{color}] [-{background|bg} {color}] [-face{0|1|2|3|4|5} {color}]
[-{border|bd} {color}] [-delay msecs] [-[no]sound] [-moveSound
{filename}] [-{font|fn} {fontname}] [-view {int}] [-size{x|y|z} {int}]
[-[no]orient] [-[no]practice] [-userName {string}] [-scoreFile
{filename}] [-scores] [-version]
DESCRIPTION
The original puzzle has 9 squares per face (size = 3). The puzzle was
designed by Erno Rubik and called the Rubik’s Cube. This has
8!*12!*3^8*2^12/12 or 4.3 * 10^19 different combinations.
The Pocket Cube has 4 squares per face (size = 2) also designed by Erno
Rubik. This has 7!*3^6 or 3,674,160 different combinations.
Rubik’s Revenge has 16 squares per face (size = 4) also designed by
Erno Rubik. This has 7!*3^6*24!*24!/(4!)^6 or 7.4 * 10^46 different
combinations.
5x5x5 Cube. This has 8!*12!*3^7*2^10*(24!)^3/(4!)^12 or 2.83 * 10^74
different combinations.
There is also the Magic Domino 3x3x2 cube which has (8!)^2/4 or
406,425,600 combinations.
A physical 6x6x6 cube is possible but to my knowledge no one has been
too successful in building one. 7x7x7 is also possible, but here one
must make the center most cubes smaller than the outside cubes, so the
corners do not fall off when turned.
FEATURES
Press "mouse-left" button to move a piece. Release "mouse-left" button
on a piece on the same face and in the same row. The pieces will then
turn towards where the mouse button was released.
Click "mouse-center", or press "P" or "p" keys to toggle the practice
mode (in practice mode the record should say "practice"). This is good
for learning moves and experimenting.
Click "mouse-right", or press "Z" or "z" keys, to randomize the puzzle
(this must be done first to set a new record).
Press "G" or "g" keys to get a saved puzzle.
Press "W" or "w" keys to save (write) a puzzle.
Press "U" or "u" keys to undo a move.
Press "R" or "r" keys to redo a move.
Press "C" or "c" keys to clear the puzzle.
Press "S" or "s" keys to start auto-solver. Only works on 1x1x1,
2x2x2, and 3x3x3 cubes.
Press "O" or "o" keys to toggle the orient mode. One has to orient the
faces in orient mode, besides getting all the faces to be the same
color. To do this one has to get the lines to be oriented in the same
direction, this only matters with center piece, if at all (i.e. those
pieces not on a corner or edge). This does add complexity so there are
2 sets of records.
Press "I" or "i" keys to increase the number of pieces.
Press "D" or "d" keys to decrease the number of pieces.
Press "x" key to increase the number of pieces along the x axis.
Press "X" key to decrease the number of pieces along the x axis.
Press "y" key to increase the number of pieces along the y axis.
Press "Y" key to decrease the number of pieces along the y axis.
Press "f" key to increase the number of pieces along the z axis.
Press "F" key to decrease the number of pieces along the z axis.
Press "V" or "v" keys to change the view of the cube.
Press ">" or "." keys to speed up the movement of pieces.
Press "<" or "," keys to slow down the movement of pieces.
Press "@" key to toggle the sound.
Press "Esc" key to hide program.
Press "Q", "q", or "CTRL-C" keys to kill program.
Use the key pad or arrow keys to move without the mouse.
Key pad is defined for the Rubik2d as:
/ Counterclockwise
8 Up
^
4<5>6 Left, Clockwise, Right
v
2 Down
Key pad for Rubik3d, use must use your intuition (is this a cop out or
what?). The key pad is defined differently depending on which side of
the cube your mouse is pointing at. One thing that stays the same is
"5" is Clockwise and "/" is Counterclockwise.
Use the control key and the left mouse button, keypad, or arrow keys to
move the whole cube. This is not recorded as a turn.
The title is in the following format (non-motif version):
xrubik{2|3}d<dimension>: {1|2|3|4|5|6<cubes per edge on x-
axis>x{1|2|3|4|5|6<cubes per edge on y-axis>x{1|2|3|4|5|6<cubes
per edge on z-axis>} @ (<Number of moves>/{<Record number of
moves> <user name>|"NEVER noaccess"|"practice"}) - <Comment>
If there is no record of the current puzzle, it displays "NEVER
noaccess".
OPTIONS
-geometry {+|-}X{+|-}Y
This option sets the initial position of the rubik window
(resource name "geometry").
-display host:dpy
This option specifies the X server to contact.
-[no]mono
This option allows you to display the rubik window on a color
screen as if it were monochrome (resource name "mono").
-[no]{reverse|rv}
This option allows you to see the rubik window in reverse video
(resource name "reverseVideo").
-{foreground|fg} color
This option specifies the foreground of the rubik window
(resource name "foreground").
-{background|bg} color
This option specifies the background of the rubik window
(resource name "background").
-face{0|1|2|3|4|5} <color>
This option allows you to change the color of a face (resource
name "faceColorN"). In mono-mode, color is represented as the
first letter of the color name. On the 2-D version, the faces
are ordered top to bottom and left to right on the "t"
configuration. The sideways "t" or "+-" configuration is
physically consistent with the former, so it is ordered "0, 1,
2, 3, 5, 4". If you has two colors that begin with the same
letter you should have one in uppercase and one in lowercase to
distinguish them in mono-mode. You can change the colors of the
faces to make a stupid cube (i.e. all White or in mono-mode
all "W"). Unfortunately, it will not normally say its solved
when its randomized. This would be cheating.
-{border|bd} color
This option specifies the border color of the pieces in the
rubik window (resource name "borderColor").
-delay msecs
This option specifies the number of milliseconds it takes to
move pieces (1-50) (resource name "delay").
-[no]sound
This option specifies if sliding pieces should make a sound or
not (resource name "sound").
-moveSound filename
This option specifies the file for the move sound the twisting
of the puzzle (resource name "moveSound").
-{font|fn} ontname
This option specifies the font that will be used (resource name
"font").
-view <int>
This option allows you to change the view of the cube for
OpenGL with choice of 4 views (resource name "int").
-sizex <int>
This option allows you to change the number of pieces on a edge
along x-axis (resource name "sizex").
-sizey <int>
This option allows you to change the number of pieces on a edge
along y-axis (resource name "sizey").
-sizez <int>
This option allows you to change the number of pieces on a edge
along z-axis (resource name "sizez").
-[no]orient
This option allows you to access the orient mode (resource name
"orient").
-[no]practice
This option allows you to access the practice mode (resource
name "practice").
-userName string
This option specifies the user name for any records made or
else it will get your login name (resource name "userName").
-scoreFile filename
Specify an alternative score file (resource name "scoreFile").
-scores This option lists all the recorded scores and then exits.
-version
This option tells you what version of xrubik you have.
RECORDS
You must randomize the puzzle before a record is set, otherwise an
assumption of cheating is made if it is solved after a get or an auto-
solve.
SAVE FORMAT
Here is the format for the xrubik configuration, starting position, and
the movement of its pieces. The format is not standard. The reason is
that this is simple to produce and the standard notation is no good for
variable number of pieces.
Rubik2d with default colors, not randomized (front is face 2) :
0 R Red
1 2 3 Y W G Yellow, White, Green
4 O Orange
5 B Blue
sizex: 1-6 <the number of cubes per row along x-axis>
sizey: 1-6 <the number of cubes per row along y-axis>
sizez: 1-6 <the number of cubes per row along z-axis>
orient: 0-1 <0 false, 1 true; if 1 then lines on pieces to be
oriented>
practice: 0-1 <0 false, 1 true>
moves: 0-MAXINT <total number of moves>
startingPosition: <2 dimensional array of face and piece
position, each face has size1 * size2 pieces, if orient mode
then orientation number follows face number: 0 up, 1 right, 2
down, and 3 left>
This is then followed by the moves, starting from 1.
move #: <face> <position> <direction> <control>
Each turn is with respect to a face and position.
Position is 0 to size * size - 1. Position 0 is in the upper left.
Direction is represented as 0 up, 1 right, 2 down, 3 left, 5 clockwise,
and 7 counterclockwise.
Control is represented as 0 or 1, 1 if the whole cube is moved at once
(here position does not matter), 0 if not. The xrubik record keeper
does not count a control move as a move, but here we do.
If you have a Rubik’s Cube you can not solve (2x2x2 or 3x3x3) enter it
in rubik.log file. Have size = 2 or 3, orient = 0, practice = 0,
randomized = 1, and moves = 0 and the number representation for the
color of the piece (usually 0=R, 1=Y, 2=W, 3=G, 4=O, 5=B). Bring up
xrubik, hit ’g’ so it will get your configuration and then ’s’ to solve
your cube and then ’w’ to write out the steps. Then examine your
rubik.log file.
REFERENCES
Inside Rubik’s Cube and Beyond by Christoph Bandelow, Birkhauser, 1982.
pp 44, 45, 88, 89
Magic Cubes 1996 Catalog of Dr. Christoph Bandelow.
The Simple Solution To Rubik’s Cube, James G. Nourse, June 1981
Rubik’s Cube Newsletter by Ideal Aug 1982 Vol.1 No. 2
Rubik’s Cube The Solution, Ideal Toy Corporation, 1981
Rubik’s Revenge Puzzle The Solution, Ideal Toy Corporation, 1982
SEE ALSO
X(1), xcubes(6), xtriangles(6), xhexagons(6), xmlink(6), xbarrel(6),
xpanex(6), xmball(6), xpyraminx(6), xoct(6), xskewb(6), xdino(6),
xabacus(6)
COPYRIGHTS
® Copyright 1994-2008, David A. Bagley
Michael B. Martin, <martinm@sps1.phys.vt.edu> wrote an independent
program cubist10.c-- for IBM PC. I added the auto-solve code into
xrubik, with his permission.
BUG REPORTS AND PROGRAM UPDATES
Send bugs (or their reports, or fixes) to the author:
David A. Bagley, <bagleyd@tux.org>
The latest version is currently at:
http://www.tux.org/~bagleyd/puzzles.html
ftp://ibiblio.org/pub/Linux/games/strategy