Message #2176

From: schuma <mananself@gmail.com>
Subject: Re: Making a puzzle based on 11-cell
Date: Wed, 23 May 2012 22:22:09 -0000

Thanks. The macro feature (executing text input) is there now. But I haven’t tested it extensively.

— In 4D_Cubing@yahoogroups.com, Roice Nelson <roice3@…> wrote:
> It looks fair to say this is a "cell turning" 11-Cell. For twisting a
> cell, would it be difficult to also include twisting the cell around an
> edge? In addition to giving full cell-turning functionality, this would be
> helpful to see how the 3C edges connect up.

> On the 3^4, you can do 3C/4C twists, then solve them with 2C twists. The
> situation here is analogous. You can do a single 6C twist, then solve it
> with three 2C twists. It’s a good bite-sized challenge to try! I don’t
> know yet if you can do a single 2C, then solve with 6C twists. That will
> be a fun question to reason through.

I’m not allowing twisting around edges, just because otherwise there will be too many points to snap so that it’s too easy to make a mistake. After all, 2C twists by themselves, or 6C twists by themselves would be sufficient to reach all the states. Now I’m thinking of this: if ctrl is down, snap to edge centers, if ctrl is released, snap to face centers and vertices.

> I realize the slicing is abstract (topological vs. geometric). I think
> it’d be nice to make the size of the 3C/6C pieces bigger, maybe even
> controllable with a slider or something. This would make the puzzle feel a
> little more like a classic Rubik’s Cube.

I tried to change the sizes, but if I enlarge the edges, some faces with be completely blocked. Maybe I can change the way a hemi-icosahedron is draw to avoid this issue.

>
> Not a big deal, but I think it’d be better if puzzle reorientations did
> not increment the move count.

I did it just for convenience. I’ll change it.

> My brief experience with this makes me wonder about a "vertex turning"
> 11-cell as well. Overcoming the hurdle of how to make twists on a VT
> puzzle seems especially difficult (even more so than it was for the
> polychora puzzles).

The 11-cell is self-dual. So vertex turning is essentially as same as cell turning. Only the visualization is different. I’m not very interested in that direction.

> Great work! It’s awesome to see permutation puzzles enter the domain of
> abstract polytopes, and I look forward to studying this more :D

OK, it’s your turn to bring us the 57-cell!