XRUBIK(6)
NAME
xrubik - Magic cube X widgets
SYNOPSIS
/usr/games/xrubik [-geometry
[{width}][x{height}][{+-}{xoff}[{+-}{yoff}]]] [-display
[{host}]:[{vs}]] [-mono] [-{foreground|fg} <color>]
[-{background|bg} <color>] [-{border|bd} <color>]
[-face{0|1|2|3|4|5} <color>] [-size <int>] [-[no]orient]
[-[no]practice] [-username {string}]
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 dif-
ferent 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. The puzzle con-
tained here does not have the flexibility to allow this.
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.
Press "mouse-center", or press "P" or "p" keys to toggle
the practice mode (in practice mode the record should say
"practice"). One must double click on "mouse-center" if
the puzzle is being worked on. This is good for learning
moves and experimenting.
Click "mouse-right", or press "R" or "r" keys to randomize
(this must be done first to set a new record). One must
double click on "mouse-right" if the puzzle is being
worked on.
Press "I" or "i" keys to increase the number of "cubies".
Press "D" or "d" keys to decrease the number of "cubies".
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 "cubies", if at all (i.e. those
"cubies" not on a corner or edge). This does add complex-
ity so there are 2 sets of records.
"S" or "s" to start auto-solver. Only works on 1x1x1,
2x2x2, and 3x3x3 cubes (3x3x3 cube in non-orient mode).
Press "U" or "u" keys to undo move.
Press "G" or "g" keys to get a saved puzzle.
Press "W" or "w" keys to write or save a puzzle.
Press "Q", "q", or "CTRL-C" keys to kill program.
Use the key pad, "R" keys, or arrow keys to move without
mouse clicks.
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>} @ (<Number of moves>/{<Record number of
moves> <username>|"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.
-mono This option allows you to access the mono mode on
a color monitor (resource name "mono").
-{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").
-{border|bd} color
This option specifies the border color of the
"cubies" in the rubik window (resource name "bor-
derColor").
-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 "+-" configuration is physi-
cally 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.
-size <<int>>
This option allows you to change the number of
"cubies" on a edge (resource name "size").
-[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").
SAVE FORMAT
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 "cubies".
Rubik2d with default colors, not randomized:
0 R Red
1 2 3 Y W G Yellow, White, Green
4 O Orange
5 B Blue
size: 1-6 <the number of cubes per row>
orient: 0-1 <0 false, 1 true; if 1 then lines on
"cubies" to be oriented>
practice: 0-1 <0 false, 1 true>
moves: 0-MAXINT <total number of moves>
startingPosition: <2 dimensional array of face and
cubie position, each face has size * size "cubies",
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.
Caution: the program may crash on corrupted input.
If you have a Rubik's cube you can not solve (2x2x2 or
3x3x3) enter it in rubik.data file. Have size = 2 or 3,
orient = 0, practice = 0, randomized = 1, and moves = 0
and the number representation for the color of the "cubie"
faces (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.data 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.
Rubik's Cube Newsletter by Ideal Aug 1982 Vol.1 No. 2
Rubik's Cube The Solution by Ideal
Rubik's Revenge Puzzle The Solution by Ideal
SEE ALSO
X(1) xskewb(6) xdino(6) xpyraminx(6) xoct(6)
xmball(6) xmlink(6) xpanex(6) xcubes(6) xtriangles(6)
xhexagons(6) xabacus(1)
COPYRIGHTS
(R) Copyright 1994-97, David Albert Bagley
BUG REPORTS AND PROGRAM UPDATES
Send bugs (or their reports, or fixes) to the author
David Albert Bagley, lt;bagleyd@bigfoot.com
The most updated source could be found on ftp.x.org under
/contrib/games/puzzles.