NAME
xpyraminx - Pyramid X widget
SYNOPSIS
/usr/games/xpyraminx [-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} {color}]
[-{border|bd} {color}] [-delay msecs] [-[no]sound] [-moveSound
{filename}] [-{font|fn} {fontname}] [-{size {int} | sticky}] [-{mode
{int} | both}] [-[no]orient] [-[no]practice] [-userName {string}]
[-scoreFile {filename}] [-scores] [-version]
DESCRIPTION
The original puzzle has 9 triangles per face (size = 3) and has period
3 turning (i.e. the face or points turn in 120 degree intervals). The
puzzle was designed by Uwe Meffert and called the Pyraminx. This has
2^5*3^8*6!/2 or 75,582,720 different combinations.
Another puzzle Senior Pyraminx 3x3x3 exists only on paper, it has
period 2 turning (i.e. edges turn with 180 degree intervals) but the
corners would fall off unless it had some tricky mechanism. (This may
be the same as the Master Pyraminx which has 446,965,972,992,000
different combinations).
Another puzzle (which was not widely distributed), the Junior Pyraminx
(and similarly the Junior Pyraminx Star, a octahedron formed by two
tetrahedra, this has 7!*3^6 or 3,674,160 different combinations), has 4
triangles (size = 2) per face. This puzzle has been recently reissued
by Meffert as Pyramorphix (http://www.mefferts-puzzles.com). At the
time I designed this computer puzzle thought that it had only period 2
turning (i.e the edges rotate). It turns out the puzzle has a period 4
turning (edges turn with 90 degree intervals) which makes it analogous
to the 2x2x2 Rubik’s cube. This puzzle makes various non-tetrahedral
shapes. The puzzle contained here has no period 4 turning flexability.
One is able to simulate Halpern’s Tetrahedron or Pyraminx Tetrahedron
(period 3 turning and sticky mode). Also one is able to simulate one
with variant turning (period 2 turning and sticky mode).
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 (but not an adjacent
piece or the move is ambiguous). 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 pyrmaminxs in Period 3 mode.
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 pieces, 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 "2", "3", "B", or "b" keys (not the keypad 2, 3) to change modes
to Period 2, Period 3, or Both.
Press "Y" or "y" keys to toggle sticky mode (increase/decrease is
disabled here if sticky mode is on).
"Sticky" and "Period 2" turning allows only the edges to turn, and the
2 center rows turn together. It is as if the middle cut of the three
cuts did not exist.
"Sticky" and "Period 3" turning allows only the faces to turn, it is as
if the middle cut of the three cuts did not exist.
Beware, the "Sticky" mode is a hack and much could be done to improve
its look.
Press "I" or "i" keys to increase the number of pieces.
Press "D" or "d" keys to decrease the number of pieces.
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 Pyraminx as:
/ Counterclockwise
8 9 Up, Upper Right
^
4<5>6 Left, Clockwise, Right
v
1 2 Lower Left, Down
Use the shift keys to access "Period 3" turns from "Both" mode,
otherwise it assumes "Period 2" turning. Faces and points turn in
"Period 3" and edges (2 points) turn in "Period 2".
Use the control key and the left mouse button, keypad, or arrow keys to
move the whole tetrahedron. This is not recorded as a turn.
The title is in the following format (non-motif version):
xpyraminx.{2|3|both<turning modes>}:
{1|2|3|4|5|6|7|sticky<number of pieces per edge>} @ (<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 pyraminx window
(resource name "geometry").
-display host:dpy
This option specifies the X server to contact.
-[no]mono
This option allows you to display the pyraminx window on a
color screen as if it were monochrome (resource name "mono").
-[no]{reverse|rv}
This option allows you to see the pyraminx window in reverse
video (resource name "reverseVideo").
-{foreground|fg} color
This option specifies the foreground of the pyraminx window
(resource name "foreground").
-{background|bg} color
This option specifies the background of the pyraminx window
(resource name "background").
-face{0|1|2|3} <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. The faces are ordered top to
bottom and left to right. 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 pyraminx (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
pyraminx 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 for the
twisting of the puzzle (resource name "moveSound").
-{font|fn} ontname
This option specifies the font that will be used (resource name
"font").
-size <int>
This option allows you to change the number of pieces on a edge
(resource name "size").
-sticky This option allows you to set the sticky mode (resource name
"sticky").
-mode <int>
This option allows you to set the turning mode (resource name
"mode").
-both This option allows you to set the turning mode to both period 2
and period 3 (resource name "mode" set at 4).
-[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 xpyraminx 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 xpyraminx configuration, starting position,
and the movement of its pieces. The format is not standard. The
reason for this is that this is simple to produce and the standard
notation is not easily scalable for variable number of pieces and
turning modes.
Pyraminx with default colors, not randomized:
0 B Blue
1 R Red
2 Y Yellow
3 G Green
size: 1-7 <number of triangles in the same orientation as the
face per row>
mode: 2-4 <period 2 turning, period 3 turning, or both (4)>
orient: 0-1 <0 false, 1 true; if 1 then lines on pieces to be
oriented>
sticky: 0-1 <0 false, 1 true; if 1 then some pieces move
together>
practice: 0-1 <0 false, 1 true>
moves: 0-MAXINT <total number of moves>
startingPosition: <2 dimensional array of face piece position,
each face has size * size pieces, if orient mode then
orientation number follows face number: 0 up, 1 upper right, 2
right, 3 down, 4 lower left, and 5 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 the triangle furthest
from the center, increasing clockwise.
Direction is represented 0 up, 1 upper right, 2 right, 3 down, 4 lower
left, 5 left, 9 clockwise, and 15 counterclockwise.
Control is represented as 0 or 1, 1 if the whole tetrahedron is moved
at once (here position does not matter), 0 if not. The xpyraminx
record keeper does not count a control move as a move, but here we do.
If you have a Pyraminx you can not solve (2x2x2 or 3x3x3), enter it in
pyraminx.log file. Have size = 2 or 3, mode = 3, orient = 0, practice
= 0, randomized = 1, and moves = 0 and the number representation for
the color of the pieces (usually 0=B, 1=R, 2=Y, 3=G). Bring up
xpyraminx, hit ’g’ so it will get your configuration and then ’s’ to
solve your pyraminx and then ’w’ to write out the steps. Then examine
your pyraminx.log file.
REFERENCES
James G Nourse, The Simple Solutions to Cubic Puzzles, Bantam Books,
New York, November 1981, pp 8-15.
Mastering the Magic Pyramid by Tom Werneck, Evans Brothers Limited,
London, 1981. pp 109-111.
Douglas R. Hofstadter, Beyond Rubik’s Cube: spheres, pyramids,
dodecahedrons and God knows what else, Scientific American, July 1982,
pp 16-31.
John Ewing & Czes Kosniowski, Puzzle it Out: Cubes, Groups and Puzzles,
Cambridge University Press, New York, 1982, pp 60-61.
Magic Cubes 1996 Catalog of Dr. Christoph Bandelow.
SEE ALSO
X(1), xcubes(6), xtriangles(6), xhexagons(6), xmlink(6), xbarrel(6),
xpanex(6), xmball(6), xoct(6), xrubik(6), xskewb(6), xdino(6),
xabacus(6)
COPYRIGHTS
® Copyright 1994-2008, David A. Bagley
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