Message #4006
From: Melinda Green <melinda@superliminal.com>
Subject: Re: [MC4D] Color modifier for MC4D
Date: Wed, 28 Feb 2018 14:35:36 -0800
How odd. Trying again with the URL not as a link:
https://github.com/cutelyaware/magiccube4d/issues/30
On 2/28/2018 2:11 PM, Mike Pannekoek pannekoekmike@gmail.com [4D_Cubing] wrote:
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> It looks like you accidentally included an extra dot in your link - ..com
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> On Wed, 28 Feb 2018 at 1:28 pm, Melinda Green melinda@superliminal.com <mailto:melinda@superliminal.com> [4D_Cubing] <4D_Cubing@yahoogroups.com <mailto:4D_Cubing@yahoogroups.com>> wrote:
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> We have the open feature request #30 in the issue tracker <https://github..com/cutelyaware/magiccube4d/issues/30> for a "piece finding" ability like in Magic120Cell which was intended for exactly this purpose. The idea is simply a highlighting mode that doesn’t highlight the sticker or piece under the cursor, but rather the piece that belongs in that position. It lets you ask "What belongs here?" I think it’s rather indispensable when solving that puzzle, and applies to pretty much all large puzzles.. There are other related feature requests there as well.
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> -Melinda
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> On 2/27/2018 4:51 PM, Luna Harran scarecrowfish@gmail.com <mailto:scarecrowfish@gmail.com> [4D_Cubing] wrote:
>> Oh, ok, that makes sense. Although I personally tend to approach those types of pieces more like a 3d cube’s centres, using intuition. Commutators seem like overkill when nothing else is solved. In this case though they definitely avoid mistakes.
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>> Quickly finding a piece is a godsend though, honestly.
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>> ~Luna
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>> On 28 Feb 2018 00:45, "Joshua Daniels jldanie5@ncsu.edu <mailto:jldanie5@ncsu.edu> [4D_Cubing]" <4D_Cubing@yahoogroups.com <mailto:4D_Cubing@yahoogroups..com>> wrote:
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>> While the cube was solved, I wrote a series of commutators to swap 1 color pieces between 2 faces. I attempted to make 2 cycle commutators, but ended up with mostly 3 and 4 cycles (which messed up 2/3/4 color pieces that haven’t been solved). By carefully applying these forwards and in reverse, I could move the pieces around, but had trouble seeing the pieces clearly. By making each color red in turn (never two at once), I would put all 26 1 color pieces around their corresponding center. When I swapped which color was showing, I would never have a need to perform a swap with a completed face. It wasn’t very efficient, but with 875 cubic stickers on screen all at the same time, it was the best method I could come up with.
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>> For example, with this program, I can quickly find the purple-red-blue pieces while everything else is white, and either swap it into place or save the orientation, and reload with all of the colors, with my desired piece sitting in front.
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>> Best,
>> Josh
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>> JOSHUA L. DANIELS, C/1LT, AFROTC
>> 595th AFROTC Cadet Wing, Alpha Flt/CC
>> North Carolina State University
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>> On Tue, Feb 27, 2018 at 7:30 PM, Luna Harran scarecrowfish@gmail.com <mailto:scarecrowfish@gmail.com> [4D_Cubing] <4D_Cubing@yahoogroups.com <mailto:4D_Cubing@yahoogroups.com>> wrote:
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>> How does changing each colour to red help you solve it? Surely you’d end up either messing up what you already solved if you change it back to white, or confusing two colours if you make them both red? Am I missing something?
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>> I like the idea of the program though.
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>> ~Luna
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>> On 28 Feb 2018 00:21, "Joshua Daniels jldanie5@ncsu.edu <mailto:jldanie5@ncsu.edu> [4D_Cubing]" <4D_Cubing@yahoogroups.com <mailto:4D_Cubing@yahoogroups.com>> wrote:
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>> Hello all!
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>> I have been working on and off with solving the 5^4, and discovered that I found it 10 times easier to work on the center pieces if I hid all of the other colors. I did this by manually modifying the facecolors.txt file, saving, and then re-opening the file in MC4D to update the colors. I got through the one color pieces by changing each color to red and the others to white, one by one. I quickly realized this wasn’t a workable solution for 2+ color pieces.
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>> So, in a burst of motivation (and avoiding some schoolwork I should’ve been doing) wrote myself a java file to edit the text file for me. I have a feeling python might have been easier, but I don’t know python and I worked in Java ~3 years ago and knew it could be done. I also managed to make the GUI entirely without using Swing, which was an absolute blessing. The only non-intuitive thing about the program is that to permanently change a color, you click the color and type the hex value you want. This new color will save to the text file on closing the window, making it permanent, while all other hiding and highlighting is manual. It will also create a text file with my default colors if you don’t have one already. Just place it in the same folder as MC4D. The code is messy and un-commented (I know I know) but I’m happy with it. I don’t know if I’m just looking to share or looking for advice, so I guess just let me know what you think! Here is an
>> accessible Google Drive link since gmail blocks jar files or zip files with jar files: https://drive.google.com/file/d/1nOjXMjtM0mbgmu_bmCtjZPhPJOoNooJE/view?usp=sharing
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>> I am constantly impressed with the crazy intellectual level this group operates at and I’m super happy to be a part.
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>> Best,
>> Joshua Daniels
>> North Carolina State University
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>> Color Modifier.jar <https://drive.google.com/a/ncsu.edu/file/d/1nOjXMjtM0mbgmu_bmCtjZPhPJOoNooJE/view?usp=drive_web>
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