Megaminx Tutorial
The Megaminx has a total of 12 sides. In this tutorial, we choose white side as the bottom layer,gray side as the top layer. The other sides are divided into 2 halves—the upper half consisting of pink/light yellow/light blue/orange/light green, and the lower halfconsisting of blue/red/dark green/purple/yellow.
Structure:
Top Layer
Upper Half
Lower Half
Algorithm Instruction:
The letters of algorithm for the Megaminx, besides R(Right side)/U(Up side)/F(Front side)which you might already know from solving 3×3, we introduce ‘dR’ to represent ‘down right’ side turn in this tutorial.
Starting position
Trget position/Operating slot
The Megaminx could be seen as an extension of the 3×3. Each side also consists of center piece (1), edge pieces (5) and corner pieces (5)
centre piece
corner piece
edge piece
Solving Steps:
The steps and algorithms for solving the Megaminx are similar to those of the 3×3. If you already know how to solve the 3×3, try solving the Megaminx own your first for the fun of it; otherwise learning to solve the 3×3 first will make understanding of this tutorial much easier.
Part 1: Solving the bottom layer
1
Solving the bottom edges(‘Bottom Star’)
Take the white side as the bottom layer, solve the 5 edges one by one to build a star.
Building a white star at the bottom layer is similar to building a white cross of the 3×3, except that there are 5 white edges in a Megaminx.
2
Solving the bottom corners
Solve the white corners one by one. Now the white side is solved.
Solving Angle:
Place the matching sides of the target corner as F, R and dR respectively, white side as dR Place the target corner at the upper right corner of F.
Steps:
Execute the matching algorithm according to the cases shown in below diagram.
Repeat Stepl until all 5 corners are solved.
Case1
Algorithm1 URU’R
Case2
Algorithm2 RUR’
Case3
Algorithm3 (RU’R)U2RUR’
Function of Algorithml/2/3: to move the target corner from the upper right corner (starting position) to the down right corner (target position) of F.
The steps for solving the bottom corner of the Megaminx is also similar to that of the 3×3.
Part 2: Solving the lower half
3
Solving the edges of 5 lower sides
Solving Angle:
Place the matching sides of the target edge as F, R, white side as dR.
Steps:
Match the target edge with the center piece on the side with the same colour. Then choose the appropriate Algorithm for the case to solve it.
Repeat steel until all edges of the 5 lower sides are solved.
Case4
Algorithm4 (URU’R’U’)(F’UF)
Case5
Algorithm5 (R’F’RU)(RU’R’F)
Function of Algorithm 4/5: to move the edge piece target edge from the upper edge
of F or R (starting position) to the right edge of F (target position).
1.The steps for solving the side edges in the lower part of the Megaminx is similar to that of the 3×3.
2.If the target edge is in a wrong side edge or with incorrect orientation, move it to the top layer to apply the solving steps.
Part 3: Solving the upper half
4
Solving the inverted triangle of 5 upper sides
The Inverted triangle consists of 3 pieces, the down left edge, the down corner and the down right edge.
Solving Angle:Take the white side as bottom and the gray side as top, and place the target inverted triangle in F.
Steps:
To each inverted triangle, solve in the order of down left edge->down corner->down right edge (orderof 1-23 as indicated above).
Solve the down left edge by observation.
The next steps are to solve the down corner and down right edge. We need to leverage F’ turn to set up the case, and F to restore it after finishing the solving steps.
Solve the down corner:
a.Execute F’ so that the triangle is now placed at the down right corner, shifting the tareet positions of the edee and corner pieces to solve.
b.Place the target corner at the top right corner of F. And execute the right algorithm from Algorithm 1/2/3 for the case to solve it.
Solve the down right edge:
a.Place the target edge in the top layer. And execute the right algorithm from Algorithm 4/5 for the case to solve it.
b.Execute F to return the inverted trianele to the rieht position at the down corner.
Repeat Stepl-3 to solve the inverted triangles of each side (it is recommended to solve them clockwise)
1.For Step 2 & 3 above, we use the algorithms for solving corners & edges in the earlier steps Asyou can see, the original position ofthe inverted triangle does not fitthe cases ofAlgorithms 1-5 That’s why we need to shift its position by F’ turn (and F turn to restore it afterwards) to set up the case.
2.If the target edge and corner are in a wrong inverted triangle or with incorrect orientation,move them to the top layer to apply the solving steps.
5
Solving the down right corners of 5 upper sides
Execute Algorithm 1-3 to solve the down right corners of the S upper sides.
6
Solving the side edges of 5 upper sides
Execute Algorithm 4-5 to solve the side edges of the 5 upper sides.
Part 4:Solve the top layer
7
Orientation of the top layer edges
This step only deals with the orientation of the top layer (gray side) edges Permutation will be dealt with in the next step.
Solving Angle:Place the gray side at U. Depending on the number of top edges with correct orientation, place the sides per cases given below.
Steps:
(Below diagrams are vertical view)
When encountered with case 1 or2, execute Algorithm 6 once to transform into case 3.
With case 3, execute Algorithm 6 once to solve the orientation of all top layer edges.
Case1
Algorithm6
F R U R’U’F’
Case2
Algorithm6
F R U R’U’F’
Case3
Function of Algorithm 6: orient the top layer edges.
8
Permutation of the top layer edges
Solving Angle:
Place the gray side at U. Depending on the number of top edges with correct permutation, place the sides per cases given below.
Steps:
(Below diagrams are vertical view)
Rotate and observe the top layer to locate correct top edges.
If there’ s only 1 correct edge, execute Algorithm 7 once from any direction to transform into case 1 or 2 where there are 2 correct edges (with 1 incorrect edge in between). With case 1 or 2, execute Algorithm 7 once again to transform into case 3 where there are 2 correct edges next to each other.
With case3, Execute Algorithm 7 once so that all edges are solved.
Case1
Algorithm7
R’ U’ R U’ R’U2 R
Case2
Algorithm7
R’ U’ R U’ R’U2 R
Case3
Function of Algorithm 7: permute the top layer edges.
9
Orientation of the top corners
This step only deals with the orientation of the top layer (gray side) corners Permutation will be dealtwith in the nextstep.
Solving Angle:Place the gray side at dR, and the target corner in the down right corner of F (operating slot).
Steps:
Make dR turns to move a corner with wrong orientation to the operating slot Execute Algorithm 8 once or twice to rotate the corner until it orients correctly.
Algorithm8
(R U R’ U’)
(R U R’ U’)
Algorithm8
(R U R’ U’)
(R U R’ U’)
Function of Algorithm 8: rotate the corner in operating slot 120° clockwise.
Repeat Step1 on all other incorrect corners one by one to orient all corners.
In this step, only focus on the corners needing to be dealt with in the operating slot.The other sides will be temporarily scrambled duringthe process and will be restored automatically when corners are all oriented.
10
Permutation of the top corners
Permute the top (gray side) corners one by one. The Megaminx is solved!
Solving Angle:Place the dray side at dR, and the target corner in the down right corner of F (operating slot)
Steps:
Execute (dR+Algorithm 9) and (dR+Algorithm 10) in turns, until all corners have been solved.
Make dR turns to move an incorrect comerto the operating slot and execute Algorithm 9 once.
Make dR turns to move the target position of the target corner (now on the upper left corner of F) to the operating slot, and execute Algorithm 10 to solve it.
Repeat Step 1 and Step 2 until all corners are solved.
Function ofAlgorithm 9: to move the upper right corner to the down right corner and down right corner to the upper left corner of F. Algorithm 10 does the contrary.
1.In Step 2, to place which corner in the operating slot depends on whether there is incorrect top corner (gray corner) in the upper left corner or upper right corner of F. If yes, then move the target position of the target corner to the operating slot; otherwise just move any incorrect corner to the operating slot.
2.In this step, only focus on the corners needing to be dealt with and what should be at the operating slot. The other sides will be temporarily scrambled during the process and will restore automatically when all corners are solved.
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